Invention of pneumatic tubes dates back to the 1st Century. It has improved various forms of transportation in many organizations and business units. The pneumatic tube system itself is a complex combination of carriers, tubes, blowers, delivery stations, diverters, a computer control center and other controls. Manufacturers have special units for handling each of these parts.

Pneumatic tube system carriers are reusable plastic containers which hold and secure items to be sent via the pneumatic tube system. It may be made of steel in a few other instances. Perhaps the carrier is the most significant part of the pneumatic tube system because it carries the load. It can work a little bit much easier when foam inserts have been placed in order to provide more cushioning that provides safety for items being transported via the pneumatic tube system.

A number of factors are considered in coming up with the pneumatic tube system carriers. The professional facility engineers determine the size and material of the carrier taking into consideration the density of materials to be transported, size of diverters and the user’s specifications as well. It is quite affordable because the material components are readily available.

Different pneumatic tube system carriers are suited for different purposes. The types of systems in consideration are pressure carriers, vacuum or pressure-vacuum carriers. The pneumatic tube system carriers can be easily operated because of the computer control system which can be set to send the carrier and then return it after delivering the items. They move at very high speeds and are therefore very convenient. Pneumatic tube system carriers are used in pharmaceuticals, hospitals, medical laboratories, colleges and campuses, retail and commercial businesses, banks among others. The items in pneumatic tube systems are also very safe because they are transported via a stream of gas.

Invention and use of pneumatic tubes dates back to the 1st Century. Since then there have been some significant improvements. Every pneumatic tube, in practice, makes use of ducts or pipes commonly referred to as transportation lines. They have a mixture of materials such as fly ash, dry cement and others. These materials are then moved through pneumatic tubes by means of air pressure hence creating great versatility.

Pneumatic conveyor systems are either dense phase or dilute phase carrier systems. Dilute phase carrier systems push or pull the contents to be transported while dilute phase carrier systems push items to the destination just like in banks where items and cash are pushed from one counter to another.

The pneumatic conveyor systems work with the principle of an air stream which allows for pushing or pulling the contents in carriers. The three basic systems which create high velocity to move the load include:

·         Vacuum Systems- they can be used to convey light materials from one point to the other

·         Pressure Systems- these pneumatic conveyor systems apply pressure to push or pull the load. They can then be used to convey material from one point to the other

·         Combination Systems- they can be used to carry a load from several loading and offloading points

Manufacturers have several other criteria that guides in the design and manufacture of a specific pneumatic conveyor system. Emphasis should therefore be laid in considering the nature of items you have before purchasing the pneumatic conveyor system. They are cheap, easy to operate and with high surveillance because they can be modified and then carried away with ease.

The history of pneumatic tubes can be traced back from the 1st Century AD. They have been widely used in transport systems, postal delivery systems together with other applications as glimpses of their numerous uses. Pneumatic conveying has now become prominent owing to the convenience enjoyed. And pneumatic conveying simply refers to the process of moving solids which are suspended by a stream of gas through either vertical or horizontal pipes.

Pneumatic tubes can be used to convey heavy items safely. It is important for the user to consider the nature, size and weight of items to be carried so that the manufacturer can determine whether you will need a dilute phase or dense phase conveying system. Its design may involve pressure or vacuum operations depending on the density of materials to be transported. Other sets of equipment involved include air locks, pulse jets, diverters, cyclones, bin vents and others.

Improper pneumatic conveying design could also lead to safety and environmental risks, equipment failure, frequent, unscheduled and usually uncalled for maintenance along with extremely abnormal utility as well as operating costs. One should therefore conduct some proper research before actually contacting a professional company for any assistance in the manufacture or purchase of a good conveying system that is first designed and then manufactured according to the specifications.

Some of the uses of pneumatic conveying systems include:

·         Hospitals- they are mostly used in hospitals to transport medicine as well as other items from the laboratory to the nurse’s place, floor or one office to another.

·         Banks- pneumatic conveying is used to transfer correctly weighted batches of ingredients from the store to the manufacturing plant. This actually saves the company any human labor that could have been used for the same purpose.

·         Industries- pneumatic conveying is common in factories and industries as it can be used to convey heavy materials such as iron and steel from one process to another. It could be used to convey plastics from one process to another.

It not only cuts on costs but also assists in other uses.

There are several benefits associated with the invention of the pneumatic conveying system. Each pneumatic system actually uses ducts or transportation lines to carry a stream of materials by means of compressed air. These pneumatic conveying systems can be either dilute phase or dense phase systems. The carrier systems push the items through the system while the dense phase system either pushes or pulls in order to make the delivery.

Pneumatic conveying systems usually have a complex make up owing to their indispensable application. A number of companies involved in the manufacture of the pneumatic conveying system usually employ state-of-the-art technology so as to provide meaningful service to the users. Several material handling techniques are employed in the pneumatic conveying systems.

As a user you therefore need to specify the nature of items which you need to transport, the size and source of power, cyclone and filter. The pneumatic conveying system is designed and then fabricated according to these specifications. If the services require portability then the manufacturer will also design for you a trolley to enable you to achieve this.

Benefits associated with the pneumatic conveying system include:

§         Speed- it is a fast means of transportation as it can move as a speed of 28 km/h and 25 feet per second

§         Safety- the pneumatic conveying system is one of the safest methods of transportation free from fire and explosions like gases

§         User friendliness- it is very simple and relatively easy to use

§         Housecleaning- the pneumatic conveying system assists the cleaner to move items and gadgets from one location to another in the large houses

There are several applications of the pneumatic conveying system:

·         Blood banks use the pneumatic conveying system to transport blood from the blood bank to the point where needed.

·         The food industry applies it to transport ingredients to the processing plant.

·         Industries such as aluminum, cement, chemicals and fertilizers among others use the pneumatic conveying system to transport ingredients as well as molten material to the site.

Heard of pneumatic air tubes? Well, a pneumatic air tube is basically a network of numerous hollow tubes through which a number of cylindrical containers with small items like mails and documents are actually sent. They are driven by a stream of compressed gases. They can then be constructed using simple materials that include materials such as metal, wood and many others.

A pneumatic air tube is manufactured according to the weight of the materials it will be used to transport. The history of pneumatic air tubes ranges back from the 1st century AD. Even though they had numerous uses then, increased innovation and creativity has seen their uses rise over the years.

Manufacturers design and construct pneumatic air tubes from simple and easily available materials that have been mixed according to scientific principles. They are easily affordable and have a lower running cost compared to vehicles that consume a lot of fuel and also subject to explosion.

There are two major categories of pneumatic air tubes:

·         CT1- this pneumatic air tube is majorly suited to carry out one way transactions that involve numerous loading and offloading points. These tubes do not involve return communication hence only require push technology. This actually makes them highly suited for laboratory use because it involves sending drugs as well as other items to the nurses’ preparation room. It is actually useful to retailers when sending carriers of various goods to some given safe.

·         CT2- this is a reversible pneumatic air tube which carries loads from one point to another. This includes both “pull and push” application such that it can send several points and also receive from many other points. It can serve industries with several interdependent processes such as the food industry.

Pneumatic tubes can thus be put to several uses. They are also very cheap and affordable. They are user friendly and environmentally friendly because they are not driven by fuel.