Gala Industries. Inc.

Maag Gala, Inc.

Gala Industies, Inc.

Duane A Boothe

Kerry Patrick Morris

David E Bryan

George Norman Benoit, Jr

Samuel F Hannah

Charles E Aaron

Thomas C Wenrich

Richard Thrasher

John M Linkenhoker

Wayne L Smith

J Wayne Martin

Dwayne Free

Roger Blake Wright

Wayne J Martin

Jeff Rose

John Bolton

Ed Beckner

Melinda Kay

Keith Colls

Keith “Kipp” Colls

Tomas C Wenrich

A centrifugal dryer that has improved throughput capacity resulting from the combination of a high angle agglomerate catcher with optional overflow, increased dewatering capacity, a cylindrical dewatering feed chute, a modified rotor design with positionally and structurally modified lifters in the feed and dewatering section, the drying and propagating section, as well as the pellet discharge section, and an efficient circumferential foraminous membrane.

Dryer system with improved throughput

A bagging film includes two resins blended with a modifying agent. The first resin, making up about 60%-85% of the formulation, is a copolymer, polymer, elastomer, or combination thereof. The second resin, making up about 14%-39% of the formulation, is a different copolymer, polymer, elastomer, or combination thereof that is physically softer than the first resin. The modifying agent, making up about 0.25%-3.5% of the formulation, is compounded with the resin formulation such that the modifying agent creates a lubricant between the successive layers of the film.

Film for bagging tacky materials

A tumbler may be used as defluidizer, dryer, coater, classifier, or dynamic filter. The tumbler includes a rotatable drum that receives a solid/fluid slurry through an inlet chute. As the slurry travels through the drum, fluid exits the drum through a plurality of apertures in screens attached to the sides of the drum, while the solids continue along the drum's length until they reach one or more openings and exit the drum into an outlet chute. The outlet chute includes ridges that wrap around rings extending from the openings of the drum to prevent solids from escaping the outlet chute. To further dry the solids before they exit the drum, an air tube at least partially disposed within the drum is configured to introduce a flow of air into the drum.

Tumbler systems and methods

Methods and systems for continuously bagging pellets formed from a tacky and/or polymer containing formulation include improved drying systems and techniques. The methods and systems may include directing a flow of air to help contain moisture within a dryer, transport pellets out of the dryer, and/or dry pellets as they move away from the dryer. The methods and systems may include conditioning (e.g., drying, coating, classifying) the pellets using a conditioning unit prior to bagging the pellets.

Continuous bagging processes and systems

A tumbler may be used as defluidizer, dryer, coater, classifier, or dynamic filter. The tumbler includes a housing for rotatably supporting a removable screened drum on a plurality of rollers. The drum receives a solid/fluid slurry through an inlet chute. As the slurry travels through the drum, fluid exits the drum through a plurality of apertures in screens attached to the sides of the drum, while the solids continue along the drum's length until they reach one or more openings and exit the drum into an outlet chute. The outlet chute includes ridges that wrap around rings extending from the openings of the drum to prevent solids from escaping the outlet chute. To further dry the solids before they exit the drum, an air tube disposed within the drum is configured to direct air through the screens to an air blower intake positioned outside of the drum.

Disclosed herein are processes for continuously bagging pellets. The pellets can be formed from a tacky and/or polymer-containing formulation. Other embodiments relate to systems for continuously bagging pellets. Still other embodiments related the individual components of the processes and systems for continuously bagging pellets.

A melt cooler and valving system for an underwater pelletizer has a diverter valve that facilitates multiple modes of melt processing. The cooler has a cooler inlet line that conveys the melt to the cooler, and a cooler outlet line that conveys the cooled melt from the cooler. The diverter valve is configured to convey the melt to and from the cooler during a cooling mode of operation, to convey the melt around the cooler during a bypass mode of operation, and to drain the melt from the cooler and the diverter valve during a drain mode of operation. The diverter valve is compact and therefore contains a minimum of product inventory. The valve is streamlined and direct in its bypass mode, and includes a drain capability to allow for faster, easier cleaning of the process line, which in turn provides a fast changeover time with less lost product.

Melt cooler and valving system for an underwater pelletizing process

The various embodiments of the present invention are directed to improved processes and systems for continuously bagging materials. In particular, the improved processes and systems can be used to bag tacky materials with improved throughput. The systems generally include at least one of a feeding section, mixing section, pelletizing section, transport piping, agglomerate catcher, defluidizing section, drying section, pellet diverter valve, and/or bagging assembly.

Continuous pelletizing, drying and bagging systems with improved throughput

An apparatus and process maintain control of the temperature of low-melting compounds, high melt flow polymers, and thermally sensitive materials for the pelletization of such materials. The addition of a cooling extruder, and a second melt cooler if desired, in advance of the die plate provides for regulation of the thermal, shear, and rheological characteristics of narrow melting-range materials and polymeric mixtures, formulations, dispersions or solutions. The apparatus and process can then be highly regulated to produce consistent, uniform pellets of low moisture content for these otherwise difficult materials to pelletize.

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Clifton Forge, VA, United States of America

Duane A Boothe