We accompany our machines from the planning stage through commissioning to spare parts management. Hereby, it is particularly exciting to see them in action. Like at Salinen Austria AG, a salt producing company, that also relies on material handling technology from IFE – and has done so for 45 years!
Salinen Austria AG is one of the leading producers of salt in Europe. At its three mining sites in the Austrian Alps, brine is mined for the production of evaporated salt as well as untreated rock salt (natural salt).
Industry-specific quality standards must be complied with during both the preparation and the recovery of this valuable resource. Machines from IFE´s conveying, screening and magnetic technology portfolio make an important contribution in terms of grain size, purity and food grade quality.
The constructural limitations and diverse applications of this raw material also require customized solutions. Durable equipment that can withstand decades of harsh operation and corrosive environments is in demand. That means all machine parts that come into contact with salt must be made of special stainless steel.
Natural salt processing in Austria's largest active salt mine
In the natural salt plant located underground, natural salt is processed for sale. At the highest point of this plant, an IFE multi-deck unbalanced screening machine (see picture below) separates the mined salt into five grain fractions in only one pass. Several electromagnetic feeders ensure controlled feeding.
Located further down, an IFE magnetic roll separator removes weakly magnetizable particles from natural salt. It is part of a unit consisting of a feed hopper, a hopper discharge feeder and a 3-stage magnetic pulley.
IFE conveying and screening technology above ground
An 8.4 meter-long IFE vibrating tubular feeder bridges the conveying distance between two bagging areas. This machine is ideal for fast, gentle and dust-free transport.
Above ground, also various IFE hopper discharge feeders (with screen insert) and an IFE unbalanced screen are used for control screening. Accumulating salt crystal conglomerates that have not yet dissolved sufficiently are sifted out and recirculated. The salt fraction can then be packaged.
Another IFE unbalanced screen is used to prepare salt tablets. They are cleaned of dust and breakage. Later, they will be used for water treatment. And new tablets can in turn be produced from the breakage.
Salt waste generated during production is treated with the same level of care. It accumulates at various points in the plant, for instance during loading or when bags burst open.
An IFE unbalanced screen is then responsible for separating coarse foreign parts and removing them from the salt. A special IFE screen panel ensures blockage-free screening.
The entire application is dust-tight.
Kind permission by Salinen Austria AG!
Industrial salt photo credit: Monika Löff
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