GREIF-VELOX Maschinenfabrik GmbH
Sustainable Bagging of Carbon Black for the Electromobility Revolution
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Greif-Velox VeloVac
Sustainable Bagging of Carbon Black for the Electromobility Revolution
(Lübeck, 26.09.2023) Messy and difficult to handle – but crucial for many industries: carbon black is a necessity for the production of manufactured goods such as tires or lithium-ion batteries – and is therefore also particularly important for future industries such as electromobility. But this ultra-light powder is a huge pain for manufacturers since it is a potential workplace hazard and too expensive to waste. The market-leading and innovative VeloVac vacuum packers from Greif-Velox ensure dust-free, clean and safe bagging of this difficult-to-handle product.
B agging of carbon black: mostly a dirty business
The characteristics of carbon black cause problems when using conventional bagging methods (especially pump packers): heavy contamination of the plant environment bringing along with it high cleaning costs, high logistics and complaint costs due to contaminated bags and increased risk for employees’ inhaling airborne dust. The bags and pallets themselves can also be contaminated, resulting in high cleaning and quality costs as well as damaging the brand’s reputation.
Greif-Velox VeloVac: dust-free and safe for a high-purity product
Greif-Velox VeloVac technology eliminates this problem by enclosing the process in a vacuum chamber, making the bagging of ultra-light powder entirely dust-free. Further features such as intelligent aspiration functions and the high performing, ultrasonic sealing unit Greif-Velox ValvoSeal ensure a safe process and handling. In addition, a cut-off device in the system automatically separates valve overhangs that may still have product residue on them so that neither the bag nor the pallet is contaminated. This ensures a clean working environment for operators and prevents loss of product. All of the named features result in a high-purity product, which is essential for battery production, for example. This is because metallic impurities and moisture can lead to undesirable side reactions and negatively affect the performance and durability of the battery.
Saving space and logistics costs
Unlike conventional methods that involve dirty and bulky bags (filled with a lot of air), operators can safely stack twice as many layers. Thanks to the dust-free vacuum process, the bags are highly compacted and clean, saving up to 75% on storage and logistics costs. Due to their brick-like, stable positioning, transport is safer and cheaper – and thus enables a significantly lower CO2 footprint.
Filling larger containers – with Greif-Velox VeloVac XL
With Greif-Velox VeloVac XL, users can now also fill FIBCs (“Big Bags”) with the vacuum method and benefit from the same advantages as with the VeloVac system for smaller containers: efficiency, cleanliness, employee safety, reduced storage, logistics and quality costs. Plus: while the capacity for carbon black in valve bags is 7.5 kilograms, an FIBC holds 200 to 230 kilograms – up to almost 70 times more. End users can process and empty larger bags faster, using up to 30 percent less packaging material.
Providing carbon black for the electromobility revolution
The optimized filling and packaging process of carbon black using a vacuum method ensures that a high-quality material such as carbon black is made available to the end customer in more significant quantities faster, and in high-quality packaging. The process reduces the CO2 footprint for battery production, for example, and thus provides sustainable support for the electromobility revolution.
Carbon black: ultra-light powder with exceptional qualities
Carbon black is a type of paracrystalline carbon characterized by its elevated ratio of surface area to volume. It has a grain diameter of 60 to 110 nanometers, as well as a low bulk density and high air-holding capacity – but its range of application is very wide: The primary application, constituting 70% of carbon black utilization, involves its role as both a pigment and a reinforcing agent in automotive tires. Carbon Black serves the additional function of dissipating heat from the tire’s tread and belt section, thereby reducing thermal damage and extending the lifespan of the tire. Its cost-effectiveness has established it as a prevalent inclusion in cathodes and anodes, serving as a secure alternative to lithium metal in lithium-ion batteries. Approximately 20% of global production is allocated to the manufacturing of belts, hoses, and other rubber-based products unrelated to tires. The remaining 10% utilization of carbon black encompasses its use as a pigment in inks, coatings, and plastics, as well as its role as a conductive additive in lithium-ion batteries as an essential component of electric vehicles.
Greif-Velox @ Powtech 2023
Greif-Velox presents the solutions for bagging ultralight powders at the Powtech 2023 from 26 to 28 September in Nuremberg at booth 1-253 in hall 1.
For press inquiries:
arentz förster OHG Lena Modrow An der Untertrave 17 23552 Lübeck | Germany Tel.: +49 451 546 923-73 E-Mail: modrow@agenturhoch3.de
For business inquiries:
GREIF-VELOX Maschinenfabrik GmbH
Sebastian Pohl Director Sales Kronsforder Landstraße 177 23560 Lübeck | Germany
Tel.: + 49 451 53 03-0 E-Mail: s.pohl@greif-velox.com
About Greif-Velox Maschinenfabrik GmbH
Greif-Velox Maschinenfabrik GmbH (www.greif-velox.com) sets global benchmarks in the field of packaging machines and is on the way to becoming the technological leader in the industry. The company designs and develops innovative bagging machines and filling systems – always focusing on maximum efficiency for the customer. Innovations such as the VeloVac vacuum packer have revolutionized the bagging of extremely lightweight powders. The product portfolio is further complemented by palletizing robots, allowing Greif-Velox to offer complete full-line systems. With a focus on customer requirements, the company continues to develop new systems and patents that solve long-standing problems in the industry. With a company history stretching back almost 1000 years, Greif-Velox has continuously demonstrated its three corporate values – efficiency, innovation, and reliability. Greif-Velox Maschinenfabrik GmbH is currently active globally with more than 150 experts in 89 countries. Ralf Drews has been the Chairman of the Board since 2015.