Bottlenecks in bulk material processing were causing headaches at CCP, Inc, a custom manufacturer of over 1000 private label formulations for the cosmetics industry. In the production process, the material is milled to 20 to 200 mesh and reblended. Incoming material in bulk bags or drums needed to be conditioned to remove agglomerated cakes or lumps. The material could be hygroscopic, have a low melting point, or could have been exposed to high temperatures during transportation. These agglomerates were screened or hand sifted in a labor intensive procedure that also resulted in a costly waste of material. CCP decided it was time to find a better solution.
After a careful search, the company purchased and installed a Franklin Miller Model 1075L Delumper Crusher. This unit can handle several agglomerate shapes and sizes, including chunks, slabs, sheets, and flakes. Typical materials processed include resins, waxes, salts, foods, fertilizer, filter cakes, and tough or soft chemicals. The Delumper uses a rotating drum with replaceable teeth that rotate through stationary combs to reduce materials to their basic grain size. Installation was easy, as the unit has wide inlet and outlet flanges for convenient mounting to a framework.
Once installed, the unit was quickly put to work reducing the solids and agglomerates. In operation, material is poured onto a grate and then falls by gravity into the crusher. The company reports that operation has been extremely smooth and reliable. Not only has the Delumper increased the efficiency of its operation and cut down processing costs but it has also improved product quality.
"We are 100% satisfied with the unit," reports CCP vice president Paul Caskey.