S. HOWES
Enhancing the efficiency and environmental footprint of process equipment
, an industrial processing equipment manufacturer based in Silver Creek, NY, developed a next-generation thermal screw conveyor technology to address the rising demand for value-added heating and cooling screw conveyors that offer significant environmental benefits by minimizing emissions. The company partnered with UB’s Center of Excellence in Materials Informatics to connect with research experts and student talent to design, manufacture, and prototype the equipment to help move it to market.
How S. Howes collaborates with UB
Accelerates R&D
Recruits Talent
Collaborates with Experts
Accesses Supercomputers
Obtains Funding
CHALLENGE & OPPORTUNITY
Direct heat-transfer equipment leads to uneven heating and high emissions
Direct heat-transfer equipment rapidly heats or cools materials by bringing the heating or cooling medium, such as steam, hot air, or direct flame, into direct contact with the material, allowing efficient but sometimes uneven temperature transfer. While this equipment offers advantages in terms of speed and simplicity and is used across numerous industries for processes that require efficient and rapid heating or cooling, it poses challenges such as environmental emissions, product contamination risks, and potential material degradation, which must be managed to optimize industrial processes and meet regulatory standards.
SOLUTION & OUTCOME
High-efficiency, environmentally friendly thermal screw conveyor
In response to the demand for value-added heating and cooling screw conveyors in process industries, S. Howes worked to advance their next-generation thermal screw conveyor technology by designing, manufacturing, prototyping, and optimizing computer testing of a thermal screw conveyor. This equipment transfers heat to or from bulk materials as they are conveyed along a rotating screw within a trough, providing precise and efficient heating or cooling through indirect heat transfer. This is significant because, prior to purchasing expensive capital equipment, customers require testing to quantify the heat transfer coefficient of their material in the thermal conveyor, which depends on both the material characteristics and equipment design. The ability to test customer materials on a scaled-down version of a newly-designed high-efficiency, environmentally friendly thermal screw conveyor was critical to S. Howes and offered them a significant competitive advantage.
UB SUPPORT
Faculty expert collaboration leads to significant sales
Through a partnership with the Center of Excellence in Materials Informatics and UB’s Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, S. Howes received a FuzeHub Manufacturing Grant which allowed the company to improve and test their equipment before selling to their customer base. UB’s Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships lent advanced manufacturing experts, student talent, and high-tech facilities and equipment to help S. Howes fine-tune their prototype. This collaboration aided in S. Howes’ ability to deliver specialized equipment to meet customer’s needs, which ultimately helped the company close more sales, with $1.5M sales during 7/1/2021-6/30/2022 and $8M in new sales from 7/1/2022-6/30/2023.
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