News headlines about fires in Biomass handling and storage facilities are unfortunately all too common.  And as the Biomass and wood pellet industry grows, so do its fire problems.

When inflammable material is crushed, milled, conveyed and stored, the risk of fire increases.  The use of renewable energy sources, such as pellets, increases this risk as the materials are usually dry and need comparatively little energy to ignite.  A freshly extinguished match, although black in colour, will have a temperature of around 470°C / 800°F.  This is about the temperature needed to ignite whirling wood dust, like one finds in a typical dust filter.  But a layer of wood dust, as found in a pellet silo, can ignite at even lower temperatures; say 260°C / 500°F!

The key to minimising loss of revenue and production downtime due to fire and dust explosions is the detection of all hot particles, not just sparks.  Incidents do still occur in pellet plants where only conventional spark detection systems are installed.  Such systems detect light from a spark, i.e. temperatures of about 700°C / 1290°F and upwards, but the Swedish manufacturer Firefly AB, produce detectors capable of ‘seeing’ hot particles down to 250°C / 480°F.

Firefly’s unique patented technology based on Infrared (IR) radiation detection can eliminate both the sparks and hot particles in your process.  With over 30 years’ experience in protecting power plants from fire and explosions, Firefly systems are now guarding about one hundred Biomass power plants around the world, including some in the UK, with no reported fires.

Using detectors that indicate hot particles, sparks and flames in pneumatic or mechanical ducts, plus Open Area and Multigas detectors to protect storage silos and fuel reception areas; Firefly offer the highest level of protection to a Biomass fuel handling and storage facility.  Firefly never generalise, every system is a tailor-made solution created to give optimal safety against fire and dust explosions.

Justin Hamilton is a sales engineer at Orthos Engineering, UK distributor for Firefly AB send him an email

Read more about Biomass pellet fire protection systems by Firefly

In addition to our well-known Firefly spark detection systems, this year Orthos will exhibit a line of sample preparation equipment from our new partners Laarmann at the 2012 MHEA Bulk Handling Conference (Materials Handling Engineers Association).  You will be able to see examples of table-top Pulverisers, Mills, Crushers and Grinders.

Scheduled for 16-17th May 2012 at the Forest Pines Hotel Conference Centre in North Lincolnshire, the event will encompass keynote and plenary presentations, gala dinner and after dinner speaker entertainment.

Forest Pines Hotel and Conference Centre
Ermine Street
Broughton
Lincolnshire
DN20 0AQ

Conference registration form and programme

Can’t wait until May to see the new goodies from Laarmann? Why not have the mobile demonstration laboratory come to you instead?

Orthos are teaming up with Laarmann, our new partners for sample preparation equipment, for a UK tour in their mobile demonstration unit.

During the last week of February, personnel from Orthos and Laarmann will showcase the range of sample preparation and lab equipment.  The fully operational demo machines include a Jaw Crusher, Cutting Mill, Mortar Grinder, Sample Divider, Lab Wizz and Test Sieve.

If you would like to see the equipment running or carry out tests with your own products, please get in touch and we’ll arrange an appointment to stop by at your place.  Don’t miss out on this great opportunity!

Sample Preparation General Information

Call us on 01858 464246 or email iestyn.pocock@orthos.uk.com

This high performance mortar grinder from Orthos was engineered by our partners Laarmann for processing solid materials in a dry, wet or cryogenic state.  The MG100 is used for the fine grinding of any dry substance (or for suspensions of any viscosity) for analysis/quality control and materials testing.  It is especially useful for the homogenisation of creams and pastes.  Sample material up to 8-10 mm particle size in batches of up to 200 ml may be processed to a fineness of about 10-20µm in just a few moments.

Main features:

• Extremely easy to clean
• Suitable for dry, wet & cryogenic grinding
• Possibility to add material during milling
• Consistent repeatability due to digital timer and speed setting
• 5 different grinding tools (incl. Tungsten Carbide and Alumina)
• Tool-free removal of pestle and mortar
• Dust-tight milling chamber

Like all Laarmann products, operator safety is paramount so the mortar grinder has integrated safety switches that mean the machine may only be operated when the safety cover is closed.

Download the six page technical brochure (pdf)

Sample Preparation General Information

For full product information, current prices and availability, please call us on 01858 464246 or email our product specialist Iestyn Pocock

Laarmann’s cutting mill from Orthos is often the first machine used in any sample prep laboratory handling cuttable materials.  The model CM 500 (pictured) is often used for granulating solid materials like plastic or wood waste, but has been used successfully for more unusual applications like cut Maize for animal feed.

The material you wish to process falls into the cutting chamber via a guide chute and is shredded by the cutting action between rotating and fixed knives, until it passes through the bottom screen as ground product.  You can adjust the final particle size by selecting an appropriate screen aperture.  The screen extends over the lower half of the grinding chamber and is easily exchanged.

No other Cutting Mill is easier to clean then the Laarmann CM 500.  When you finish grinding, the front door and the infeed hopper can be swung open for easy access to the milling chamber and cutting blades.

Typical applications include: Linoleum, Carpets, Cloth, Secondary fuels and Bio Mass, Animal food, Wood, Paper, Cardboard, Cellulose, Rubber, Domestic Waste, Industrial Waste, Computer and Electronic Scrap, Plants, Twigs, Roots, Herbs, Spices, Grass, Straw, Bones, Technical Plastics such as ABS, PA, POM and PE …the list goes on and on!

Sample Preparation General Information

For full product information, current prices and availability, please call us on 01858 464246 or email andrew.reynolds@orthos.uk.com

Laarmann’s Lab Wizz from Orthos is a micro ball mill for grinding, blending and cell disruption of two samples at once, in jars between 0.2 – 160 ml.

Put your sample material inside a grinding jar and fasten the lid, place the jar in the safety clamp, close the cover, set the speed/running time and away you go – easy!

An array of different jars are available depending on what you’re trying to achieve, whether it’s wet or dry milling, cell disruption, mixing for XRF preparation, turbulent blending with a tiny internal static mixer, even cryogenics.  Using a special adaptor plate you can even prepare samples in micro vials, ideal for applications where cross contamination between samples cannot be tolerated.

Due to the combination of high energy vibration and the punch of the grinding balls, the Lab Wizz is not restricted only to brittle materials, you can also use it for soft and elastic materials too.

Download the six page technical brochure (pdf)

Sample Preparation General Information

For full product information, current prices and availability, please call us on 01858 464246 or email our product specialist Iestyn Pocock

As UK distributors for the Laarmann Group, Orthos can offer you a comprehensive collection of sample preparation and processing equipment.  Within Laarmann’s range of pulverisers, mills, crushers and grinders, you’re sure to find the right equipment to convert your bulk material sample into a form ready for analysis.  An array of sample dividers and test sieves completes their product line up.

Typical applications are precious metal recovery (catalysts, circuit boards), glass, biomass fuels, plastics, drill cores, soil samples, minerals, ores, slags, clinker, concrete, ceramics, coal, coke and industrial waste.

Select a topic from the list below to learn more about individual Laarmann products:

Orthos to tour with Laarmann’s mobile laboratory

The test sieves produced by Laarmann for Orthos are high quality and economically priced.  The stainless steel frame has a rolled rim for strength so you can stack them easily without distortion.  A chamfered corner from the body frame to the sieve mesh stops your material hanging up like it can do with some other sieves.  The sieve mesh is accurately tensioned during manufacture and then soldered in place.  To optimise external sealing e.g. for vacuum or liquid applications, Laarmann supply an O-ring seal.  Every sieve comes with an individual inspection certificate (not just a general certificate of conformity) included at no extra change – does your current test sieve supplier do that for you?

Each Laarmann sieve has its size specification and serial number laser etched on the frame for hard-wearing, easy identification.  You can choose from the following sieve body diameters: 45, 75, 100, 150, 200, 203 (8″), 250, 315, 400, 450mm.  With mesh apertures between 20 micron and 125mm.

A range of accessories includes: sieve cover, collection pans (for dry or wet sieving) intermediate collection pan (for multiple sieving in one process) and intermediate cylinders (for increasing the space between sieves).  Laarmann also produce sieve shaker machines as well, in three sizes depending on the size of test sieve you prefer.

Download the four page technical brochure (pdf)

…Orthos also offer a range of production-scale sieves from our partners Allgaier Process Technology

Sample Preparation General Information

For full product information, current prices and availability please call us on 01858 464246 or email our product specialist Iestyn Pocock

Orthos are delighted to report we can now offer you the comprehensive range of solid materials processing and sample preparation equipment from our new partners the Laarmann Group.  Within their variety of mills, crushers and grinders, you’re sure to find the right equipment to convert your bulk material sample into a form ready for analysis.  An array of sample dividers and test sieves completes Laarmann’s product range.

Orthos sales manager, Andrew Reynolds, explains “for many years Orthos have supplied the British and Irish process industries with automatic samplers from our principals Sentry Equipment and M&W Jawo Handling, but we never had anything in our line-up before to process the material collected by our samplers.  Now that all changes thanks to our partnership with Laarmann, extending our scope to include not only the sampler but also the downstream equipment to prepare samples for analysis”

Further details and product information can be found on our sample preparation pages or visit Laarmann’s website.

As Christmas approaches we’d like to inform you that the following principals of Orthos will be closed for the holidays as listed:

- Alexanderwerk: 26th Dec only
- Allgaier: 26th Dec until 9th Jan 2012
- Eirich: 26th Dec until 5th Jan 2012

Bear this in mind if you’re planning to carry out any maintenance on your granulator, sieve or mixer during the holidays, as any spare parts required will need ordering soon to ensure their timely arrival.

Contact Liz on the number above with your spares requirements.

Orthos will close on the 23rd Dec and reopen on the 3rd Jan 2012.