Page 47 - HUB-4 Magazine Issue 86

Hillhead 2024
Preview
Martin Engineering celebrates 50 years of air cannon technology
Martin Engineering Business Development Manager Mike Masterson and Product Manager Sid Dev working at the Air Cannon test stand at the company’s industry- leading Center for Innovation.
The world leader in bulk handling solutions Martin Engineering is marking the 50th anniversary of its invention of the world’s first low-pressure air cannon.
Air cannons have transformed material flows in bulk processing systems, eliminating problematic internal buildups and blockages. After five decades of continuous innovation, Martin Engineering remains at the forefront of air cannon advancements, enabling industrial plants to run more profitably, efficiently and safely than ever.
The company launched the world’s first low-pressure pneumatic air cannon – its legendary Big Blaster® – in 1974. It was devised and developed by Carl Matson, a member of Martin’s senior team and cousin of the firm’s founder Edwin F. Peterson.
The patented technology was designed to dislodge stubborn material stuck to the inside walls of hoppers and silos by firing precisely timed bursts of compressed air to keep bulk material flowing and preventing the growth of serious build-ups and blockages.
The air cannon was originally aimed at the same quarrying applications as the legendary Vibrolator®, the Martin- patented industrial ball vibrator on which the company’s success had been built since its inception in 1944.
By the 1980s, as Martin Engineering expanded its global presence, the Big Blaster was already being reimagined for use in high-temperature industrial applications to maintain the flow of sticky materials through the process and minimise unscheduled downtime.
Martin air cannons soon proved to be a game-changer for sectors such as cement, for the first time signalling an end to workers having to access the interior of preheater vessels to manually break off hefty material build-ups using a high pressure water jet – one of the most unpleasant and hazardous jobs on a cement plant.
By the 1990s Martin Engineering had developed an extreme heat and velocity version of the Big Blaster, the XHV, with an all-metal construction capable of withstanding the harshest of conditions. In the 2000s Martin became the first to introduce safer positive-pressure firing valve with its Tornado air cannon – technology that prevents unintentional firing if there’s a drop in system pressure, and also allows solenoid valves to be positioned up to 60m (200 ft) from the air cannon for easier access and maintenance. Designed with safety in mind, the positive firing valve also delivers a more powerful blast.
Soon after that came the introduction of the Hurricane valve, located in the rear of the air cannon tank rather at the tank and nozzle junction, greatly improving safety and ease of maintenance. The exterior-facing design eliminates the need for removal of the tank so maintenance is a simple one-worker operation requiring only minutes for replacement. >
Air Cannons like Martin’s Hurricane are in widespread use around the world in industries such as cement, steel, lime, coal, biomass, fertilizer and more.
www.hub-4.com May/June - Issue 86
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