In high-speed recycling and manufacturing environments, efficient material movement drives productivity while supporting safety, cleanliness, and profitability. While traditional mechanical conveyor systems have served their purpose for decades, they come with challenges like higher maintenance, dust, and noise.
Modern facilities are increasingly turning to pneumatic conveying systems, also known as air conveying systems or airveyors, as a cleaner, quieter, and more flexible alternative for scrap and trim handling.
What Is Pneumatic Conveying?
Simply put, pneumatic conveying uses air movement to transport materials through enclosed ductwork rather than relying on mechanical belts or chains. It’s ideal for industries such as packaging and paper converting, corrugated box manufacturing, printing and finishing, and recycling, where lightweight byproducts like paper trim, corrugated scrap, dust, and plastic films and bags must be moved quickly and safely.
Key Features of Pneumatic Conveyors
Unlike open mechanical systems, pneumatic conveyors use controlled air pressure or vacuum to move materials through sealed ducting. This design minimizes dust, reduces maintenance, and provides flexibility for routing across different facility levels.
Key advantages include:
- Enclosed design: Prevents contamination and airborne dust
- Low maintenance: Fewer moving parts mean reduced wear and downtime
- Flexible configuration: Suitable for long distances, multiple pickup points, or complex plant layouts
- Fast and efficient transport: Air-powered movement supports continuous operation
These features make pneumatic conveying an ideal choice for facilities prioritizing speed, automation, cleanliness, and uptime.
Common Airveyor Applications in Manufacturing
Airveyors are used across manufacturing operations where materials must be collected, transported, or separated as part of a continuous process. Common applications include:
- Transferring trim waste from converting lines to central scrap collection points
- Moving dust and debris from shredders or grinders to filters or separators
- Integrating with centralized scrap systems to streamline workflows and reduce manual handling
- Feeding material into balers or compactors for recycling
How a Pneumatic Conveying System Works
While every pneumatic conveying system is customized to fit a facility’s layout and materials, the principle is the same: air moves material through sealed piping at controlled velocities and pressures.
Components of a Pneumatic Conveyor
A typical pneumatic conveyor system includes:
- Blower or fan: Generates the airflow to move materials
- Conveying line: A ducting network connecting pickup and discharge points
- Pickup points: Where materials enter the airstream
- Receiver or material separator: Uses centrifugal force, rotors, or screens to separate solids from air before collection in a centralized baler or compactor
- Filtration system: Captures dust and particulates from conveyance air, reducing emissions and improving plant safety, cleanliness, and efficiency
When airflow, pressure, and loading are properly balanced, the result is smooth, clog-free transport and consistent performance.
Airflow & Material Separation
In pressure systems, air pushes material through the pipeline, which is ideal for longer distances. In vacuum systems, air pulls material toward a central collection point, which works well for multiple pickup locations. Material separators, such as cyclones or rotary separators, then remove solids from the airstream before clean air is released or recirculated.
Efficient airflow management is key to maintaining throughput, minimizing dust, and supporting safe production environments.
Types of Pneumatic Conveying Systems
Every facility’s conveying needs are unique. Different pneumatic conveying systems are engineered to handle specific materials and production demands. The two most common are dilute phase and dense phase systems.
Dilute Phase Conveying
This method suspends materials in a high-velocity airstream, making it well-suited for lightweight, non-abrasive materials such as paper trim, film, and fine plastic scrap. It’s simple, continuous, and flexible.
Dense Phase Conveying
Dense phase systems move heavier materials in concentrated pulses at lower air speeds, ideal for fragile or abrasive materials like pellets or glass fragments. They use less air and cause less wear on equipment.
Benefits of Pneumatic Conveying
The advantages of pneumatic systems go beyond efficiency. They improve facility safety, reduce maintenance, and enhance automation, helping manufacturers move more material with less effort.
Cleaner & Safer Operation
Because it is fully enclosed, a pneumatic conveying system eliminates many risks associated with open mechanical conveyors. It reduces airborne dust and contaminants and prevents them from spreading through the facility, minimizes fire hazards, and promotes a quieter, cleaner workspace, supporting operator safety and regulatory compliance.
Increased Efficiency & Automation
Pneumatic conveyors enable continuous, automated material transfer. They integrate seamlessly with shredders, balers, and material separators for end-to-end scrap handling. By automating scrap removal, facilities reduce manual labor, prevent bottlenecks, and keep production running smoothly.
Space Savings & System Flexibility
Pneumatic pipelines can run at ceiling level or above the roof, freeing up valuable floor space for production equipment. They can route around obstacles or across multiple floors, making future system modifications or expansions simpler and more cost-effective.
Lower Maintenance & Lifecycle Costs
With no belts to jump out of alignment, fewer moving parts, and enclosed operation, pneumatic systems experience minimal wear and require less upkeep than mechanical conveyor systems. That means less downtime, lower repair costs, and a longer overall system lifespan.
Pneumatic Conveying vs. Mechanical Conveyor Systems
Both pneumatic and mechanical systems play an important role in material handling, but each offers distinct benefits.
When to Choose Pneumatic Conveyors
Opt for pneumatic systems when cleanliness, automation, and flexibility are top priorities. They’re especially effective for lightweight scrap, dust, and trim materials in high-speed manufacturing. Unlike a mechanical conveyor system, which relies on belts or chains to transport material, pneumatic conveying uses controlled airflow within enclosed ducting for a cleaner, more flexible operation. However, pneumatic systems aren’t always the best choice.
When Mechanical Conveyor Systems Are a Better Fit
A mechanical conveyor system may still be the right choice for short-distance transport or heavy, abrasive materials. These systems use belts, chains, or rollers to move dense or bulky materials efficiently over limited distances. While they require more maintenance than pneumatic conveying systems, mechanical conveyors remain reliable and cost-effective for simpler, single-line operations.
Energy Efficiency & Sustainability Considerations
Modern pneumatic systems are designed with sustainability in mind. Features like variable frequency drives (VFDs) allow blowers to adjust based on system load, and “fresh air” systems that draw in outdoor air for conveyance can help reduce overall energy use. Optimized duct designs minimize resistance, maximizing airflow efficiency and lowering the system’s carbon footprint.
Some facilities may also qualify for energy-efficiency incentives or rebates through their utility providers, making these systems a wise investment for both sustainability and cost savings.
Airveyor Integration with Scrap & Material Handling Systems
A pneumatic conveying system works best as part of a fully integrated scrap handling solution. Airveyors, in particular, can be integrated directly with centralized scrap systems to continuously remove trim waste, dust, and light debris from production lines, improving overall plant safety and efficiency. When connected to shredders, die cutters, balers, and separators, the airveyor system streamlines scrap removal and keeps materials flowing without interruption. Proper integration improves both uptime and overall facility efficiency.
Common Pneumatic Conveyor Challenges & How to Overcome Them
Even the most efficient pneumatic conveying systems require precise design and proactive maintenance to ensure long-term reliability. Proper sizing of ducting, fans, and separators keeps airflow steady, minimizes downtime, and prevents costly disruptions. It’s smart to plan for future growth by building extra system capacity to handle added equipment or higher volumes.
Airflow Balancing & Pressure Drops
Uneven airflow can cause material to settle or clog inside the ducting. To prevent this:
- Ensure fans are appropriately sized for the required CFM
- Maintain consistent air velocity throughout the system
- Regularly inspect ducts and elbows for leaks or wear
- Use smart control systems that monitor and adjust pressure automatically as needed
Wear & Tear from Abrasive Materials
Abrasive dust or shredded scrap can erode ducting and fittings over time. Wear-resistant elbows, smoother routing, and protective coatings extend system life and reduce repair frequency. These small design choices add up to significant long-term savings.
Fire Safety Considerations
Certain processes can introduce sparks into the pneumatic ducting, which can quickly travel through the system, igniting combustible materials. Installing flame and spark detection systems, extinguishing units, and high-speed abort valves helps prevent fires and explosions, making them critical safeguards for any air conveying system handling combustible materials.
Maintenance & Access
Ease of access makes ongoing maintenance faster and safer. Design systems with inspection ports and clean-out doors, schedule regular filter and separator servicing, and track performance data to identify issues early. A proactive maintenance plan helps ensure reliable, consistent conveying performance.
Choosing the Right Pneumatic Conveying System
The right system depends on your material type, conveying distance, and layout. Experienced engineers will work with you to select the ideal configuration to deliver consistent performance, energy efficiency, and long-term value tailored to your operations.
Why Partner with AES
When it comes to pneumatic conveying systems, experience matters. Advanced Equipment Sales (AES) designs, builds, and maintains complete air conveying systems that enhance safety, productivity, and sustainability in manufacturing and recycling operations.
We provide:
- Custom design and engineering to fit your specific materials and workflow.
- Expert fabrication and turnkey installation for quality control from start to finish.
- Comprehensive maintenance programs to keep your system running efficiently.
With AES, you get a single-source partner for your entire conveyance system engineered for performance and backed by decades of expertise.
Contact AES today to discuss a pneumatic conveying system designed for your facility’s performance, safety, and sustainability goals.