How to Reduce Wear in Pneumatic Conveying Lines

Pipes and bends within a conveying system are subjected to continuous wear from the conveyed material and this wear is not uniform. The regions that tend to fail first are the bends and elbows within the system.

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Fit Long-Radius Bends

Sharp elbows in conveying pipes cause sudden changes in direction. These areas subject the pipe wall to extreme local pressure. Long radius bends instead distribute the same force over a wider surface area and thus reduce wear.

Choose Harder Linings for Abrasive Products

If you are looking for Pneumatic conveying, see aptech.uk.com/pneumatic-conveying-systems/. By using ceramic lined or basalt lined pipes you may pay a bit more for the initial purchase but they last a lot longer.

Lower Your Conveying Velocity

Slowing down the product also reduces product wear. Run at the lowest speed that gives you reliable conveying of your product.

Use Wear-Back Fittings at Direction Changes

Wear-back fittings have a sacrificial pocket which takes the impact of material before wearing into the main body of the fitting. These are simple to fit and also very easy to measure for wear during normal maintenance activities. See for alternatives.

Mark Your High-Wear Points

Mark your high-wear points (such as bends, tees etc.) and check the thickness regularly for any signs of thinning. Plotting this against time allows for planned replacement of sections before failure occurs and subsequent shutdown for emergency repair.

Match Phase Type to Your Material

Dense-phase modes typically run at lower velocities than dilute-phase modes, and can reduce wear of very abrasive materials, but only if the correct phase-type is specified for the actual material being conveyed.

The compound effect of small design decisions, for example, the use of appropriate bend geometry alone can add years to a system’s working life.