Test Facilities

State-of-the-art testing facilities

Our extensive, advanced testing facilities offer valuable support to our bulk handling systems development.

In our Technical Innovation Centre, laboratory tests enable our specialists to determine the properties of any material, so that our engineers can specify the best combination of silos, dischargers and conveyors to efficiently store and handle that product. For more than 50 years Portasilo has supplied solutions for a huge array of materials and has built up vast knowledge of the properties of most bulk materials.

The materials testing facilities at Portasilo include:

• Shear cells - to determine the cohesive strength of a material and specify the minimum silo outlet size and rathole diameter.
• Wall friction tests - to determine the friction between the hopper wall and the material. Tests can be carried out on different surfaces, such as carbon steel and UHMWPE.
• Sieve analysis - to determine the particle size distribution within the material.
• Equilibrium relative humidity - to determine the hygroscopic properties of the material to ascertain the optimum storage conditions and avoid caking within the silo.
• Thermo gravimetric analysis - to measure the moisture in the material.
• Density test - to determine the bulk densities of the material.

Full-scale test rig

We also have a full-scale on-site test rig, which enables us to trial new bulk handling system configurations - facilitating continuous innovation in the systems we develop for customers.

Using our test facilities we can carry out a whole range of trials, including:

• Vacuum, lean-phase and dense-phase pneumatic conveying
• Full-scale silo discharge trials (supporting our discharge products)

We can also provide off-site proving trials to ensure that our systems meet your requirements once they are operational on site.

Find out what our customers think

Take a look at our case studies to find out how our silos and supporting systems have fulfilled the bulk storage and handling requirements of customers in all sectors.

Want to know more?

For more information about any of our products and services, please contact us today.

Telephone: +44 (0)845 60 11 276