{"id":4952,"date":"2026-02-02T16:43:57","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T16:43:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hapman.com\/?p=4952"},"modified":"2026-02-02T18:52:58","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T18:52:58","slug":"understanding-material-handling-in-powder-and-bulk-solids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hapman.com\/understanding-material-handling-in-powder-and-bulk-solids\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding Material Handling in Powder and Bulk Solids"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Material Characteristics Influence Conveying and Processing Performance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Material handling problems rarely start with the equipment\u2014they start with the material. In this webinar, Hapman Vice President Matt Richardson explains how material characteristics such as flowability, aeration, particle size, bulk density, moisture, and particle shape directly affect the performance and reliability of conveyors and bulk material processing systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using real lab testing, application examples, and field experience, the session walks through why materials that appear similar on paper can behave very differently in practice\u2014and how those differences influence conveyor selection, system layout, and long-term operation. This webinar is intended for engineers, operators, and project teams responsible for specifying, designing, or troubleshooting bulk solids handling systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-wistia-inc wp-block-embed-wistia-inc\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" title=\"Understanding Material Handling in Powder and Bulk Solids Video\" src=\"https:\/\/fast.wistia.net\/embed\/iframe\/inypm9ck1x?dnt=1&#038;seo=true&#038;web_component=true#?secret=O2Tm2dvxCF\" data-secret=\"O2Tm2dvxCF\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Webinar Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This webinar explores how fundamental material properties drive the success\u2014or failure\u2014of bulk material handling systems. Topics include flow behavior, aeration and fluidization, particle size and shape, bulk density variation, packing and smearing tendencies, and the impact of air movement within conveying systems. The discussion highlights why understanding these characteristics early is essential to selecting the right conveyor type, minimizing wear, preventing plugging, and achieving consistent process performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Drawing on decades of application experience and in-house testing, Hapman demonstrates how material behavior influences everything from feeder and conveyor selection to hopper design, discharge methods, and system maintenance requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Material flowability and angle of repose strongly influence hopper design and inlet performance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Aerating and fluidizing materials require special consideration to prevent backflow, flooding, and loss of control<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Particle size, shape, and size distribution affect packing, segregation, and conveyor clearances<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bulk density can vary significantly between loose and compacted states, impacting throughput and equipment sizing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Packing, smearing, and cohesive materials demand slower speeds, agitation, and specific design features<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Air movement\u2014displaced, induced, or generated\u2014plays a major role in dust control, accuracy, and system stability<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Conveyor selection should account for material behavior over time, not just initial performance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote has-large-font-size\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:0;margin-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\"><blockquote><p>&#8220;If you don\u2019t understand how your material behaves, no conveyor design is going to fix the problem.&#8221;<\/p><cite>Matt Richardson, Vice President, Hapman<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Have a material handling challenge you\u2019re trying to solve?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Hapman works with processors and engineers to evaluate material behavior, test real-world conditions, and design bulk material handling systems that perform reliably in production. If you\u2019re planning a new system\u2014or troubleshooting an existing one\u2014our team can help assess material characteristics and recommend the right approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc49<a href=\"https:\/\/hapman.com\/contact\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/hapman.com\/contact\/\"> <strong>Contact Hapman<\/strong><\/a><strong> to discuss your application or request material testing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How Material Characteristics Influence Conveying and Processing Performance Material handling problems rarely start with the equipment\u2014they start with the material. In this webinar, Hapman Vice President Matt Richardson explains how material characteristics such as flowability, aeration, particle size, bulk density, moisture, and particle shape directly affect the performance and reliability of conveyors and bulk material [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4955,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[82],"tags":[],"post_products":[],"post_industries":[],"post_solutions":[51],"class_list":["post-4952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insights","post_solutions-process-inefficiencies"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How Material Characteristics Impact Bulk Material Handling<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how 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