Silo protection made simple as new system shields takes the pressure from tanker deliveries

Two years since the launch of the ground-breaking SHIELD silo protection system, Hycontrol Ltd are proud to announce the launch of the SHIELD Lite SPS, which protects powder storage silos from the hazards created by excessive pressure during tanker deliveries. Using purpose-designed, cutting edge pressure monitoring and control equipment, SHIELD Lite exceeds best engineering practice and current guidance from the Mineral Products Association. The new, compact panel is specially designed for simple operation and to be easily understood, giving operators an array of new monitoring and diagnostic tools and indicating when the system is suffering from blocked filtration or is being jeopardised by poor delivery driver behaviour.

Powder storage silos are ubiquitous in many industries but are at risk of over-pressurisation during tanker deliveries. The root causes of this are invariably either driver error resulting in uncontrolled air pressure being discharged during the fill procedure, or a failure of the filter venting unit. Pressures from as little as 1 or 2 psi are enough to rupture a silo or blow its filter unit off the top. This poses serious risks, which is why a comprehensive, failsafe safety and control system is vital.

SHIELD Lite incorporates essential high-accuracy pressure safety components into a modular design that can be adjusted to suit site requirements. Maintenance is simplified and the long-term cost of ownership is significantly lower than any other system on the market. Along with many new features, SHIELD incorporates Hycontrol’s pioneering Ground Level Testing, in which a single key-turn enacts a full-function test of all the crucial safety components, dramatically reducing the need for working at height. Importantly the system is also completely failsafe, a vital feature that’s often overlooked.

“Building on the success of the first SHIELD system has allowed us to develop new tools for site personnel to improve safety,” said Hycontrol Managing Director, Nigel Allen. “We have insisted for many years that simplicity is the key to safety, and now with developments like ratio alarms, filter blockage warnings and tanker driver delivery behaviour diagnostics, we can effectively remove the risk of human error completely. Hycontrol has led the silo protection field for more than a decade through both innovation and product performance. The purpose of developing SHIELD Lite is to make sure that every single pressurised powder delivery into every single silo is completely safe. We anticipate that customers in the ready-mix and concrete sectors will be impressed by both what this new system can do and the price we are able to offer it at.”

He adds: “We are determined that safety for staff, contractors and drivers should be the number one priority across all industries. With SHIELD Lite, Hycontrol is showing that true, failsafe silo safety is not only achievable, but with the right equipment it’s easy, too. We understand that human errors in maintenance and testing are inevitable. Our philosophy is to accept this, and to provide a system that monitors and safely alerts you when these errors occur. As we say – safe silos are tested every time.”