Fertilizer Production By Mixing Three Ingredients,K+S
K + S
K+S is one of the world’s leading suppliers of standard
and special fertilizers.
K+S’s factory facility located at Korinthos, Greece was
recently upgraded. Kinematik planned, manufactured
and executed a solution for mixing three different
types of fertilizer ingredients to produce specific
fertilizers, defined by numerous recipes.
System Operation Description
There are three silos which are filled with different
types of fertilizer ingredients. Each silo dispenses the
right percentage of fertilizer ingredient, through its
hatch to the underlying conveyor, which forwards the
produced fertilizer mix to the production and storage
line.
Each silo is weighted with a scale, which controls
the hatch by opening and closing with very small
increments monitored by encoder.
The almost unified fertilizer is then forwarded to a
mixer for better results and then stored, waiting for
packaging.
The Solution
• Three unloading Silos on scales with encoder
monitored hatches
• Bulk material handling conveyors
• Engineering, Automation, Integration
Product Quality
Throughout the process each granule is being gently handled. The final fertilizer product mix is uniform, maximizing the product quality and value.
Accuracy
Product quality relies mainly on the mixing process. Through PID control the hatch opening is controlled regulating the exact supply of the specific ingredient. Hatch opening and closing is activated by gearmotors monitored by precice absolute encoders. The actual fertilizer ingredient supply is calculated from silo weighing scales.
Simple Use
The system works with the minimum possible supervision. It is operated by a touchscreen, which controls the mixing process. The system can store multiple recipes, which are entered easily through an intuitive menu.
Flexibility
Numerous production recipes can be defined directly on the touchscreen and activated immediately. The silos can be refilled while the system is running, without having to stop, decreasing downtimes.
Safety
Personel and equipment safety is guarded with emergency buttons and pull-ropes.
Reliability and Minimum Maintenance
The system was designed especially to cope with the harsh and corroding environment. In fact the mixer is manufactured from top quality corrosive resistant steel alloy. Special paints are used to protect equipment from corrosion.