Automated measurement of powder flow rates through apertures
GranuFlow is a powder flow tester following the standards “Flow Through an Orifice” (USP 1174, EP 2.9.36) and is an improvement of the Hall Flow Meter (ASTM B213, ISO4490). GranuFlow combines a 500 mL stainless-steel silo and a rotating plate featuring 7 different holes with diameters ranging from 1 to 28 mm, and customizable to meet specific application requirements.
The plate can be manually rotated to adjust hole diameter for measurements. The system includes a dedicated electronic balance that automatically measures powder mass flowrate, eliminating the need for user intervention and ensuring an efficient and user-friendly experience.
The mass flowrate is computed automatically from the slope of the mass temporal evolution measured by the weight scale.
The aperture size can be easily and rapidly adjusted using an innovative rotating plate. Software assistance is provided for both measurement and result analysis. The flowrate is measured across various aperture sizes to generate a flow curve. Subsequently, the complete flow curve is fitted with the well-known Beverloo theoretical model to determine the flowability index (Cb), which is related to powder flowability, and the minimum aperture size required for flow (Dmin).
The entire measurement process is carried out effortlessly, swiftly, and with precision.