Proven Silo Discharge Technology for Sludge & Biomass Storage Silos

Sliding Frame silo discharge technology was developed and patented by Saxlund in the 1960’s as a pioneering method of discharging non-free flowing materials from a round flat bottom silos. Since then the Saxlund Sliding Frame has been successfully used extensively around the world in thousands of installations. The Sliding Frame can come in a number of configurations depending on the silo diameter and the material being discharged.

Operating Principle of the Saxlund Sliding Frame Silo Discharger

Non-free flowing materials will generally form a bridge across any hole or chute used to discharge the material and require some form of device to “dig” the material out and break any bridges that form. The Saxlund Sliding Frame is a cost-effective way to provide efficient silo discharge.

Design of the Sliding Frame Silo Discharger

The Saxlund Sliding Frame Silo Discharger is driven by powerful hydraulic cylinders that reciprocate the Sliding Frame(s) across the silo floor.

The Saxlund Sliding Frame is designed with a cross-section that when travelling in one direction, slides under the stored material, in the other direction will push the material. Therefore the Saxlund Sliding Frame is designed to break any bridges when moving in one direction, and slide under the material when moving the opposite direction, thereby promoting bulk material flow. Because of this bulk material flow the Saxlund Sliding Frame is a “First in, First out” technology, which is an added benefit for materials that can degrade over time such a Sewage Sludge Cake.

Material removed by the Saxlund Sliding Frame is then discharged into one or more screw conveyors, the control scheme of the Saxlund Sliding Frame is to ensure that these screws are always kept full of product, to ensure accurate metering.

Advantages of the Sliding Frame Silo Discharger:

Effective and simple operation to prevent material bridging
Uniform drawdown of material on “first in, first out” principle
Accurate silo discharge and metering of stored material on demand
Enclosed design – no odour
External maintenance possible – even with the silo full.
Sliding frame moves only required loose materials resulting in –
- Low power usage
- Low maintenance costs
Flat bottom silos – more economical to manufacture /maximized storage