Case Study: Vee-Type Diverters Eliminate The Spills At Missouri Mill

The problem revolved around the oldstyle, two-way, flop gate diverters in use at various places around the mill, says Plant Superintendent Stan Speer. After a while, these "A" valves would begin to leak product.

These traditional diverters featured a metal or plastic flop gate that flipped back and forth to divert the product stream down one spout or another. Over time, the abrasiveness of the grain or flour against this gate plus the friction of metal or plastic against metal caused wear. Eventually, the seal inside the diverter was no longer tight, and product would leak, creating a sanitation problem in the mill and adjacent 1-million-bushel grain elevator.

In addition, the old flop gates had a certain amount of inefficiency. The gate could not be operated while product was flowing through it – the flow had to be stopped. In some cases, a second diverter was required directly over the first one in order to divert the product stream into a surge bin or other location so the first gate could be operated.