The cast aluminium line of Smart Elbow® deflection elbows from HammerTek® is now offered in tube and pipe sizes from 3.8 cm up to 30.5 cm in diameter. Suitable for dilute-phase and dense-phase pneumatic conveying systems, the deflection elbows are said to eliminate problems associated with material impacting conventional elbows at high speed including: abrasive wear, breakage of friable materials, plugging of heat-sensitive materials and generation of fines, plastic streamers, snake skins and angel hair.
The elbows feature a spherical chamber that protrudes partially beyond the desired 90º or 45º pathway, which causes a ball of material suspended in air to rotate, gently deflecting incoming product around the bend without impacting the elbow wall or generating heat.
Other deflection elbows, offered in varying size ranges up to 45.7 cm, are available in cast iron, carbon steel, stainless steel and specialised alloys, which additionally prevent elbow wear when conveying sharp, hard or highly abrasive materials.
According to the manufacturer, conventional sweep elbows and "plugged tee" elbows are typically replaced with deflection elbows to eliminate the cost of elbow replacements, ensure product quality, allow directional changes in restricted spaces and prevent unscheduled system shutdowns due to elbow maintenance or repair.