Professional Articles

Ship Unloading

Pneumatic or Mechanical Unloaders for Grain

Unloading of grains from vessels is a very old operation known already since the antiquity, when grains were transported in amphora, up to the modern most sophisticated continuous ship unloaders (CSU).
Two main categories of equipment for the unloading of grains are presently manufactured: pneumatic and mechanical systems. Among the mechanical CSUs, the most common are (drag-) chain, screw type or twin belt systems. They all have their own characteristics that make them more suitable for a specific port operation, but under certain circumstances they can also be quite complimentary.
Selecting the most appropriate equipment is a real challenge for executives because many parameters have to be taken into account and the relative importance of each one is variable according to project particularities and forecast working conditions.
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