The UK’s Freeman Technology, a specialist in powder flow testing, has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Lenterra, based in New Jersey, USA, a company that specialises in the provision of optical technology for inline real-time flow measurement. Freeman now has global distribution rights for Lenterra products.
‘Moving into inline monitoring of both batch and continuous processes is a logical step for us as we strengthen and diversify our offering to meet industrial requirements,’ said Tim Freeman, MD of Freeman Technology. ‘Lenterra’s focus on process analytical technology for the powder processing industries and the strength of their engineering expertise makes them an excellent partner. Understanding the evolution of granules during a wet granulation process or blend homogeneity during mixing, in real time offers new opportunities for process control and optimisation. We’re delighted to be able to offer those benefits to our customers through the introduction of this new technology.’
Lenterra’s products include the drag force flow (DFF) sensor and the real shear wall shear stress sensor. These both use micro-optical technology to measure the forces in powders and multiphase flows, and are either immersed in the body of vessel or mounted flush to the vessel wall respectively. They feature fiber-optic sensing, a stainless steel construction and high measurement frequency. Early research indicates that the resulting data can be correlated with measurements of offline powder flow, using Freeman’s FT4 Powder Rheometer.
‘The FT4 Powder Rheometer is a powerful tool for giving a thorough understanding of powder properties,’ said Dr Valery Sheverev, president and CEO at Lenterra. ‘With Lenterra’s flow measurement technology we can employ similar measurements inline in order to continuously monitor material properties in process. The potential benefits include improved compliance, enhanced quality assurance, reduced cycle times and costs, faster scale up and improved equipment utilisation.’
This story is reprinted from material from Freeman, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
