Swiss technology group Bühler unveiled a new 8-inch TUBO tubular push conveyor. With the new solution, customers in the animal feed processing industries can benefit from an increase of 80% in throughput capacity, reaching up to 43 tons per hour.

“The new addition builds on the success of the revolutionary TUBO system with push technology. With the new 8-inch tubes we offer a system for an even broader range of applications with higher capacity requirements,” said Stefan Anshelm, product manager Grain Quality & Supply at Bühler.

Up to now, the system has been available with tubes in 5-inch and 6-inch diameters with a throughput ranging from 12 tons per hour to 24 tons per hour. The new TUBO with 8-inch tubes allows for capacities of 40 to 43 tons per hour. The system transports products gently over distances of up to 50 meters in all directions. “With lighter loads and fewer bends in the system’s configuration this can be increased to 70 meters,” said Markus Huber, product engineer at Bühler.

Pushing instead of pulling

Like previous releases, the new 8-inch TUBO follows the simple and effective principle of pushing instead of pulling. Loose pusher elements called TUBITs are pushed inside the tubular construction moving material gently from inlets to outlets.

“The TUBO concept has many advantages over conventional pneumatic systems or mechanical conveyors such as bucket and chain conveyors. These conventional systems require more space, more conveying components to transport material in different directions, and additional explosion protection such as decoupling devices,” said Anshelm.

Low energy consumption and maximum flexibility

The TUBO significantly lowers energy consumption through reduced friction in the conveying process and offers maximum flexibility and efficiency in the setup and retrofit of plants. Its unique push technology allows configurations in three dimensions. Thanks to its modest space requirements TUBO also reduces investments in building costs.

More flexibility and higher levels of food safety

Thanks to the modular construction and low weight of individual components, the system can be easily assembled by a small team. The plug-and-play TUBO comes equipped with its own controls and is fully operational within a minimum of time.

Low transportation speeds prevent damage to the conveyed goods. The TUBO transports sensitive materials at speeds as low as 0.2 to 0.3 meters per second. This is ideal for sensitive products.

Conveying products with TUBO ensures a system free of residues. As some dust can build up over time, a specially designed drive station enables the removal of particles during operation. This is particularly important for operators that use one conveying line for different products and need to avoid contamination.

TUBO has proven its reliability in operation at many plants around the world. Offering great cost savings, flexible design, and gentle product handling while maintaining the highest sanitation and safety standards, TUBO helps operators in several industries improve the efficiency of their production lines.

“With the option for greater capacity, TUBO is now available for even more applications in the feed industries,” said Anshelm. “This means that even more customers can benefit from cost savings and unparalleled efficiency and flexibility.”