20 Feb Verdés Laboratory: A very busy first year

Talleres Felipe VERDES is reinforcing its commitment to service and the search for solutions tailored to the client by setting a new brand facility housing a totally renewed Laboratory. This space started operation towards the end of 2015 and has consolidated during 2016 as a reference point also to explore a wide diversity of materials other than just clays for the Red and Structural Bricks. With the creation of this new Laboratory, VERDES underlines its commitment to offer all existing as well as potential customers an increasingly comprehensive range of services.

EQUIPMENT AND TESTING:

The Laboratory offers a broad range of tests for in-depth analysis of all aspects related with the Preparation as well as Moulding of clays and other minerals. The Laboratory premises include also a newly renovated Equipment to test the behaviour of the product during the Drying and Firing process.

Grinding as well as Moulding Equipment in this Laboratory is entirely designed and manufactured by VERDES and it is in fact regularly sold to Research Centres and Universities as well as Engineering Companies and of course other professionals in different fields of investigation.

Main units on site are:

• Hammer Mill mod. 030: Specially designed for Laboratory purposes, this Mill replicates the principal of the VERDES VB series. It is specifically meant to grind Dry products permitting rapid replacement of the build-in grid to test different Ø’s and screening configurations so that particle size distribution obtained from the Lab can likely be compared to industrial results.
• Disintegrator mod. 120: Suitable to grind Wet or Semi-Wet product, the Disintegrator is a replica of an industrial unit fitting one smooth cylinder against a second rapid shell provided with easily replaceable cutting knives to crush incoming materials down to a maximum < 3mm.
• Roller Mill mod. 080: This is roller Laboratory Roller Mill following the principal of industrial refining Mills. Two smooth cylinders working against each other admitting working gaps of 0.1 mm and above.
• Batch Mixer mod. 040: Basically a self-contained unit gathering the stainless steel tank, mixer paddles, drives and control panel. Ingredients, materials and additives, are carefully measured for accurate control of the recipe. Mixer Paddles as well as tank scrappers, also made in stainless steel, spin over to help emptying and further cleaning of the tank.
• Extruder mod. 050C/O: This is a self-contained assembly of Extruder, Drives, Vacuum Pump and Control Panel. The auger body of the machine opens all the way back to the edge of the augers to allow full access for cleaning purposes and prevent contamination from different products. Auger speed is controlled by Variable Speed Drives to match any shaping conditions up to 40 bars in its standard configuration.

The Laboratory is additionally equipped with other Measuring and Testing units to check materials upon reception and advice for best alternatives once the tests have been carried out.

Every aspect of the product, starting from Moisture Content upon arrival to the lab premises up to the final Report is carefully measured and examined: Particle Size Distribution, Extrusion Moisture and Pressure requirements, Plasticity, Drying and Firing behaviour of the different samples and recipies, as well as other issues regarding their mechanical resistance or water absorption are carefully examined.

All along this last year of operation, the VERDES Laboratory has tested many different materials opening the field of research to other products beyond Clay, to include other non-ferrous minerals as well as biomass and waste from different sources, to gather the experience and further understanding about the Grindability, Pelletization, Extrudability and behaviour in general of a wide diversity of products.

VERDES has now available an improved tool to service its Customers. This new Laboratory increases the capabilities of VERDES to check and study every possible alternative in depth to provide best advice to both, future investments as well as existing installations looking for improvement and optimization of their current processes.