I would suggest that your best option would be to discuss the system design with specialist pneumatic conveying supplier.

It sounds from your note as if you have limited experience of this type of system.

This is a relatively small system, the conveying vendors will of course put a mark up on the equipment that they purchase but they will have negotiated good discounts with the suppliers of the components. When you include the cost of your own time to learn how to design a system, purchasing all the equipment independently and the risk of you missing something and having commissioning problems, I am sure the most cost effective solution will be to purchase this as a package.

Using an analogy, if you want a new car, unless you are an experienced mechanic and want to customise it to match your exact needs, you would buy a car. You wouldn't buy a body shell, wheels, an engine, etc. separately and bolt it all together would you?

I didn't see a location on your post but if you let people know where you are, I am sure you will be flooded with offers of assistance from suppliers.

I am sure you will also flooded with offers of assistance from consultants as well, but suppliers will do the system design for free and give you a quote and guarantee. Consultants will charge for the design and if it doesn't work they will apologise and help you spend more of your own money putting it right ! OK, I know this is over cynical, consultants do of course have their place but on what appears a relatively simple system such as this, I wouldn't see any real benefit of paying for a consultant.

Good luck with it ■

Jack,

My comments about consultants were intended to be tongue in cheek. I have worked for suppliers, for users and as a consultant and I am essentially working as a consultant at the moment !

As I said in my original response, consultants have their place but I see it as in avoiding mistakes in difficult areas, novel technology, impartial advice and problem solving.

If a client came to me asking how to handle a project such as this, I would, and in the past have, suggested that he approached suppliers direct and if he was concerned or wanted help with interpreting the offers he received, to come back to me. I believe that this is the most cost effective way of handling a project such as this.

I apologise if my comments caused you or anyone else any offence, that was certainly not the intention ■