Choosing an air cannon is not a one-stop-shop and there are many different types which are made for specific problems. Before you buy an air cannon, you need to establish what the issue you are trying to solve is, and then you will be able to get the proper tools to make sure this issue gets fixed quickly. When it comes to air cannons there are three major reasons why you would want to purchase one: ratholing, caking and simply sticking to the sides. Here is a brief explanation of each issue so that you can see whether it applies to you or not.

Sticking To the Sides

This is perhaps the most common issue in many different bins and machinery. Every now and then the material you are sending through your machine will get stuck to the walls of the bins and hoppers they are being pumped through. If you have even a tiny bit of moisture in your material this can become far more prevalent a problem as well. Luckily, installing an air cannon at specific junctions can eliminate this problem and make sure that any material stuck to the sides is quickly dispersed and back on its way.

Ratholing

Ratholing is a term for when a material becomes lodged in a manner that it cannot naturally be funnelled out because it is so compacted against the sides. The material forms its own secondary funnel and will not naturally be flushed out. This is very common in larger funnels, and it often does require at least one air cannon, if not two, to properly deal with. If you don't fix ratholing it can slow down your production schedule significantly, and it will be hard to figure out exactly why as it will not cause blockages but simply slow the flow down. 

Caking

Caking is slightly different from the above two problems in that it is not a uniform problem that runs along the entire silo or funnel but only occurs in specific parts. These caked parts will be thick and strongly attached to the side of the machinery, refusing to be budged even when thousands of kilograms of material flow alongside it. Caking can be exceptionally hard to dislodge without an air cannon, and often it will remain for days or even weeks without anyone noticing it. If this has become a consistent problem for you then you need powerful air cannons to combat it and to stop caking from slowing down your production.

For more information, reach out to an air cannon supplier.