Industrial balls
Galvanizing, anodizing, electrolytic refining plants and many other industrial applications work with chemical liquids that may seem impossible to cover. Generally, as things go, dipping technologies make it impossible to place a fixed cover over the baths. A rigid cover layer hinders the operation of the machine line and the in-and-out movement of treated parts.
To maintain a smooth operation, bathtubs with chemicals are generally left uncovered. Even though the operation of the machine line could be flawless, the result entails several consequences.
In most applications, chemical liquids get heated to higher temperatures. Therefore, they are affected by considerable evaporation. This evaporation may corrode the machinery and the plant's structure, resulting in additional maintenance costs.
The chemicals react with the air creating oxidation; what's more, while evaporating (and losing heat) concentration of chemicals may increase. So, there is another cost of refilling the bathtubs and controlling their heat.
Another vital aspect is HSE. How would you counter hazardous gases, mists, or unpleasant odors? Keeping the work environment suitable would require a high-performance extractor.
Many solutions result in significant investment, monthly overhead costs, and preventable expenditures! So what can be done?
Although a fixed layer is not an option for most plants, the possibility of cover is still there. From our experience and data provided, industrial balls perform to a T. The cover layer created by the balls is a flexible system that requires no compromises as it does not get in the way of the technology applied while providing the full benefits.
When a sufficient number of balls cover the surface, they naturally arrange themselves side by side to insulate >90% and adapt to any movement and changing levels. Of course, it's necessary to determine what material is suitable for what chemical first. Whether it's PP, HDPE, or PVDF depends on the temperature, concentration, and type of chemical used.
The layer of balls isolates the liquid from the environment, significantly reducing their interaction and creating an excellent heat insulation barrier. Data from the feedback proves energy savings of up to 75%. Suggesting a quick short-term ROI.
Balls also reduce the evaporation of chemicals by 85-90%, resulting in minuscule energy, time, and material loss when refilling the liquids.
Last but not least, applied ball cover provides a much safer work environment. Cutting out the accidents from splashing also eliminating the release of vapors into the air contributes to a healthier work environment. High-performance extraction systems that would be costly to install, operate, and maintain may not be needed at all!
Demister ball covers are also a perfect solution against the acid mist, but that is a story for another article.
Click here to view detailed specifications or contact us directly. Our industrial-grade balls offer a durable, long-term solution that requires minimal investment and upkeep.
Industrial balls offer an effective solution for covering various liquids in diverse industries.
Learn moreIf a sufficient amount of balls are placed on a surface, they self-arrange side by side by floating on the surface of the liquid due to the low density of the air and plastic inside them. They create a coverage of 91% of the surface. The layer of balls isolates the liquid and separates it from its surroundings, i.e. significantly reduces their interaction with each other. In practice, with just one layer of EURO-MATIC balls has many advantages, making it suitable for a wide range of effective uses.
Due to the good thermal insulation capacity of the plastic and the air inside the ball, our product saves energy cost up to 75%, as the heat loss is significantly reduced. In addition, it is an important safety aspect that, due to the thermal insulation, the area around the tanks and pools does not get hot.
All liquids evaporate, and as the temperature rises, evaporation becomes an increasingly rapid process and causes significant fluid loss that usually needs to be refilled. With the help of the balls, the rate of evaporation can be reduced by up to 90%, so much less liquid needs to be refilled. In many cases, the investment cost of the balls pays for itself in a short period of time, already from the avoided cost of compensating for fluid losses. In cases where lower humidity is important (e.g. due to drying of the workpiece), the return is even faster as higher productivity can be achieved.
In an industrial environment, the evaporation of liquids usually releases fumes and gases that are hazardous and harmful to the environment and the human body. For this reason, it is necessary to use a high-performance exhaust system that removes the harmful air from the production hall. By using industrial balls, direct and indirect cost savings can be achieved, and workers can work in improved and healthier working environment. Direct cost savings can be achieved with a drastic reduction in evaporation, thus significantly reducing the amount of harmful substances released into the environment, so the exhaust system can be operated at a much lower capacity, resulting in lower energy consumption, and in some cases, its ongoing operation can be even omitted. Indirectly, the heating costs of the plant can be reduced, as the air exchange in the hall is much lower. Furthermore, the often corrodent and highly corrosive vapor does not further damage the structure of the hall and the metal parts in operation, thus they require less maintenance and get a much longer service life.
From the point of view of occupational safety, business, in which components are immersed in liquids with high temperatures and/or dangerous to human beings are considered to be a major hazard. The reason behind it is that in a case of any accident occurred at any time with a equipment or any object falling into the liquid present a great danger for safety of workers. To prevent such accidents, a cover layer that can be created with EURO-MATIC balls makes the perfect solution, as it almost completely prevents liquid from splashing. Additionally, by reducing the release of hazardous and non-hazardous, but unpleasant-smelling gases and vapors into the air, a healthier and more pleasant working environment can be achieved.
By covering the surface of the liquid, the oxygen content of the air absorbs more slowly in the liquid because its open surface is reduced. This advantage can be exploited in industrial environments, because oxygen readily reacts with metals and acts as the engine for corrosion processes. If the dissolved oxygen level of the liquid decreases, the rate of corrosion processes slows down, and the service life of the parts increases. A layer of balls achieves 60% less dissolved oxygen content.
The installation of the balls is a very quick and easy process, with the investment costs being way lower than traditional covering methods. No maintenance is required after installation, so there are no operating and maintenance costs during its long service life. During use, it does not create obstacles to objects immersed or moving on the surface of the liquid. Hence, changes in the liquid level are not causing any problems. We can make a conclusion, that the simple layer formed with EURO-MATIC industrial balls is a flexible system, that performs its function almost unnoticed and does not cause any hindrances with the given technology.
HDPE | PP | PVDF | |
---|---|---|---|
Name | high density polyethylene | polypropylene | polyvinylidene fluoride |
Density | 0,95 g/cm3 | 0,91 g/cm3 | 1,78 g/cm3 |
Melting temperature point | 130 °C | 165 °C | 174 °C |
Application temperature range | -110 – 60 °C | 0 – 100 °C | -30 – 150 °C |
Strength | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Izod impact strenght | 5 | 4 | 4 |
Chemical resistance | 4 | 5 | 5 |
Price | 5 | 5 | 2 |
1 – bad, 2 – not good, 3 – acceptable, 4 – good, 5 – excellent |