Product silos
A silo is a buffer and a quality control point. It lets the dryer run at a steady rate while the bagging line works to a different rhythm — and it lets a batch blend before it is packed.
What it buys you
Without a silo, the bagging line stops whenever the dryer is down for a knife change, and the dryer runs flat out whenever a truck is waiting. With one of two to four hours of buffer, both machines run at their own optimum and the operator stops being a human accumulator.
Design details that decide whether it flows
- Discharge cone of 60° or steeper on a smooth lined surface; 70° for fine powder
- Mass-flow rather than funnel-flow geometry, so the oldest material leaves first and there is no dead inventory in the corner
- Air cannons or a fluidising pad on the cone for product that has sat through a humid weekend
- Pressure relief valve and a dust vent to the extraction header — a silo filling with warm product pushes air out
- Level sensing by radar with a high-level alarm, plus a mechanical paddle as a backup
- Access ladder, roof handrail and a manway sized for a person with a sample scoop
Range and specifications
| Model | Volume | Diameter | Cone | Discharge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRS-10 | 10 m³ | Φ2.0 m | 60° | Φ250 mm |
| GRS-30 | 30 m³ | Φ2.8 m | 60° | Φ300 mm |
| GRS-60 | 60 m³ | Φ3.4 m | 65° | Φ300 mm |
| GRS-100 | 100 m³ | Φ4.0 m | 70° | Φ350 mm |
Volume at 0.5 t/m³ bulk density. Silos are workshop-fabricated in sections and bolted or welded on site; height is limited by transport, not by design.
Sizing the buffer
- 01
Match the bagging rate
Two hours of bagging output is the minimum useful buffer. Four hours lets you run a full shift without the dryer.
- 02
Allow for a blend
If you need to homogenise batches to meet a COA, the silo must hold at least three batches and be filled in layers, not all at once.
- 03
Check the headroom early
A 60 m³ silo is roughly 12 m tall including the cone. Roof height is a civil constraint that is expensive to change later — settle it at concept stage.
- 04
Decide the bagging interface
Direct to a bagging hopper, or through a weigher? The answer changes the cone height and the whole layout.
Questions we are asked
Why does the product arch and stop flowing?
Usually moisture, or a cone that is too shallow, or fines compacting at the outlet. A steeper cone with a larger outlet solves most cases; air cannons handle the rest.
Steel or concrete?
Steel below 150 m³ — it can be fabricated in the workshop and erected in days. Concrete becomes competitive at large volumes and where the silo doubles as structure.
Does the product need cooling before storage?
Yes. Flake leaving the dryer at 70–80 °C will condensate in the silo and cake. Either a cooling section on the conveyor or a short residence in an open hopper before the silo.