Based on real time measuring of liquid components, the ILB system is an effective approach to high-throughput production. Components are mixed at the blend header and routed to specific destinations within the plant. This unique in-line mixing capability eliminates the need for bulk storage tanks and speeds up the rate of production, minimizing inventory, reducing capital cost, and making on-spec finished products ready to package or ship.

In-line blending is a term used to describe real time measurement of liquid components using a series of flowmeter streams to automatically control the flowrate at the proper ratio. An ILB system simultaneously meters 4-10 such streams (or metering legs), each sized to accommodate a specific blend percentage range. The largest leg can be sized to handle 15% to 100% of the blend, while the smallest leg measures drummed additives from 0.02% to 0.1%. Each skid mounted metering leg is made up of an air eliminator, a precision flowmeter, a control valve or variable speed pump, a check valve, a temperature transmitter, and air blowback piping and valving.

When the ILB system is in operation, the metering legs must be arranged with the largest entering at the upstream end of the header and the smallest at the downstream end, thus allowing the larger volume streams to carry the smaller amounts out of the header. The flowrate of each component is maintained simultaneously in its proper ratio and passed into a common header outlet where it is met by an in-line mixer. With this in-line mixer, the output of the blend header is homogenous and on-spec from start to finish.

ILB FEATURES

• Typically used for a plant'slarge volume (>2500 gallons) or frequently produced blends with sizes ranging from 100-300 GPM
• Direct mixing in the line allows for on-spec product from start to finish; no downstream mixing is required
• Error detection can be automatically adjusted by sampling blend at the header even as the operation is in progress
• Blends can be sent directly to shipping vehicles or containers, eliminating storage tank capacity thus reducing capital costs and decreasing production time
• Capable of blending additives or cocktails directly from drums
• Versatile -- easily adapts to formula changes