Bulk Material Storage Transfer

By Greg Washburn and Joshua Belisle · Edited by Dana Gardner
Published August 6, 2024 · Reviewed by Greg Washburn · September 17, 2026

Summary

How do I plan bulk resin storage and transfer?

Bulk storage and transfer belong in any resin handling plan. The goal is to get resins, regrind, additives and colorants off the production floor into one or more segregated storage areas and let the central system bring only what the process calls for. Silos, railcar unloading equipment, and surge or day bins cover the storage side, and buying in bulk cuts waste and improves margin.

Bulk storage and transfer should be part of any resin handling system plan.

The more materials you can get off the production floor, the better. That means not only your basic resins but your regrind, additives, colorants etc. Talk to your system designer about the volume of each of these materials that you use. Consider how you might store all your materials in one or more segregated areas to get them off the production floor and let the central resin handling system bring only the quantities the process calls for to the production area.

Dedicated or common lines may be used for transferring material from silos or surge bins – depending on whether the materials are similar or not. Get advice from your systems engineer on the best approach for your application.

To satisfy your storage needs there are silos for high volume resins and railcar unloading equipment plus surge bins or day bins of all sizes. Besides clearing your production area, you gain the opportunity to buy in bulk and reduce waste – further increasing your profit margin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I use dedicated or common lines from silos?

Either can work. Dedicated or common conveying lines may be used to transfer material from silos or surge bins, depending on whether the materials are similar or not. Get advice from your systems engineer on the best approach for your application and the volumes of each material you use.

What equipment is used for bulk resin storage?

The storage options are silos for high-volume resins, railcar unloading equipment, and surge bins or day bins in a range of sizes. Plan for regrind, additives and colorants as well as base resins, and tell the system designer the volume of each material you use.

Why move resin storage off the production floor?

The more material you can get off the production floor, the better. Central storage clears production space, and the resin handling system brings only the quantities the process calls for to the machines. Bulk storage also opens the opportunity to buy in bulk and reduce waste, which improves profit margin.

About the Authors

Greg Washburn

Vice President of Operations, Novatec

Greg Washburn is Vice President of Operations at Novatec and has been with the company for more than three decades. He is involved in all phases of engineering design and product manufacturing, giving him a broad perspective on how resin drying and conveying equipment moves from engineering concept through production and into real-world processing environments. Greg holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and an MBA from Loyola University Maryland. His experience spans engineering, manufacturing and operations across Novatec’s material-handling technologies.

Joshua Belisle

Technology Manager, Novatec

Joshua Belisle is Technology Manager at Novatec, where his work focuses on simulation and technology development for resin drying. He earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Engineering Business from the University of Virginia in 2023 and joined Novatec that same year. Joshua uses simulation tools to investigate previously difficult-to-measure aspects of the drying process, helping Novatec better understand airflow, heat transfer and other variables that influence resin-drying performance.