TXI Cement is the largest producer of cement in Texas and a major cement producer in California. TXI is also a major supplier of construction aggregate, ready-mix concrete and concrete products. At their New Braunfels, TX plant they run 100 tons per month of iron ore into the clinker feed from one line.

When the iron ore would come in wet, or it would rain, the iron ore got very sticky, and would stick to the inside of the silo. TXI would shut down for regular 24 hour periods so they could manually air lance the resulting blockage that was causing low feed rates.

Working with Martin Engineering, they developed a plan to install a series of air cannons in an ascending spiral on the cone section of the silo, keeping the material flowing at a constant feed rate. With the powerful discharge from the reservoir of compressed air, the Martin^® Hurricane Air Cannons successfully removed the material from the silo walls.

Martin^® Hurricane Air Cannons were designed for simple maintenance. The complete valve assembly can be removed in one easy step, working from one side of the tank. The Martin^® Hurricane Air Cannons also deliver the maximum discharge strength from high velocity output with half the air volume, for a highly effective discharge and reduced operating costs. The four air cannons, including blow pipes, air lines and control systems were installed by a MartinPLUS^® Service Team.

The air cannons eliminated the blockages. The timed discharge of the air cannons has successfully prevented the accumulation that impacted the process efficiency and required frequent interruptions for manual clean out. Since the installation, TXI has not had to stop production, saving time and money. “The air cannons have been a success,” declared Sudhanva Bhat, Maintenance Manager at the plant.