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Power of Comparison

Vortex Fill Pass Diverter vs. Alternatives

• Many alternative pneumatic diverters rely on soft rubber seals which are directly exposed to the material flow stream. These seals rapidly erode or tear away in service, which allows materials and dusts to leak into the opposite line(s) and to atmosphere. Seal damage can also cause actuation issues and several other maintenance concerns. The Vortex® Fill Pass Diverter™ addresses these issues by incorporating "live loaded" hard polymer pressure plate seals. Hard polymer provides greater wear resistance and longer service life than alternative sealing materials. The hard polymer seals are "live loaded" with compressed rubber backing to ensure even as the polymer experiences frictional wear from many actuations over time, the rubber load seals continuously force the polymer seals against the blade. The seals are also shielded from the material flow stream, to protect them from abrasion. This design maintains the diverter's positive seal of materials/dust-tight seal with infrequent maintenance intervention.

• The Fill Pass Diverter is specifically designed to provide a positive seal of materials/dust-tight seal, in order to prevent material leakage into hoppers below. Especially in applications where batchweights are critical, the Fill Pass Diverter ensures accurate scaling of materials. Also lending to fill accuracy, the Fill Pass Diverter canbe quickly shifted on a flowing column of materials – also known as, “shifting on the fly.” Note: Please consult an application engineer before doing so.

• Alternative pneumatic diverters can pack and grind materials against the seals. This causes seal wear, material degradation and damaged product quality. Materials may also wedge in the seals, causing the diverter to seize and bind. To address these issues, the Fill Pass Diverter's "scissoring" action tapers off material flow as it shifts between lines. In keeping the pressure plate seals clear of materials, their service life is also extended.

• Many alternative pneumatic diverters used in closed loop systems are poorly designed to exhaust air pressure from inside the hopper(s) below. This causes inefficient filling and inaccurate batchweights. To address this concern, the Fill Pass Diverter is designed with a “stack” inlet and outlet. As materials are pneumatically conveyed into the hopper through the inlet stack, the spent air is immediately exhausted back out of the hopper through the outlet stack. This allows exhausted air pressure to continue downstream, away from the hopper(s).

• The Fill Pass Diverter incorporates a spread stack concept. A cyclonic effect is created in the inlet stack for better separation of air and materials as they enter the hopper(s) below. Below the inlet stack, a material deflector intervenes to prevent material carryover. The spread stack concept ensures efficient material movement and reduced fill times.

• The Fill Pass Diverter’s FDA-compliant materials of construction make it an ideal solution for the Food & Beverage industries – most notably, bakeries and confectionary manufacturers.

• The Fill Pass Diverter features flanged inlet and outlet stacks. This makes Fill Pass Diverters stackable so that several convey lines (of uniform or diering sizes) can be connected to route several material types toward a common source via a compact and efficient process. This capability is especially beneficial in applications where several materials must be blended, mixed or compounded in a common batch.

• The Fill Pass Diverter’s double-acting air cylinder provides instant response to actuation commands. This allows for highly accurate and repeatable scaling, based on desired weights, fill levels or time intervals.