UZWIL, SWITZERLAND — Bühler has launched a new 8-inch TUBO tubular push conveyor with an increase of 80% of throughput capacity, reaching up to 43 tonnes per hour.

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

Up to now, the system has been available with tubes in 5-inch and 6-inch diameters with a throughput ranging from 12 tonnes per hour to 24 tonnes per hour. The new TUBO with 8-inch tubes allows for capacities of 40 to 43 tonnes 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.

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,” Anshelm said. “These conventional systems require more space, more conveying components to transport material in different directions, and additional explosion protection such as decoupling devices.”

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.  

With its 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.

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 process 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, gentle product handling while maintaining highest sanitation and safety standards, TUBO helps operators in several industries to improve the efficiency of their production lines, according to Bühler.