Self-cleaning rotary valve
We used 3D CAD software to model the way the cleaning paddle is driven by the main rotor for a rotary valve handling sunflower seeds which leave an oily deposit in the rotor, eventually blinding it and preventing any further product from getting through the valve.
The components were laser cut from the CAD model, fabricated and assembled with some fitting to make the gears run smoothly and quietly. All 10 units went together smoothly with the scraper bar moving across the bottom of the rotor pocket with only the minimum of clearance.
We have, since producing the original 500mm unit, expanded the designs to cover our complete size range from 150 to 600mm units, with made to fit units also easily manufactured.