Silo s. m. [from the spanish. silo, as from anc. provencal sil, and from lat. sirus, "granary"] (pl. sili or, in spanish, silos). - 1. Construction intended for fodder, food, perishable products and minerals conservation. Mostly located in ports, railway junctions, and production sites or processing plants, formed by cylindrical towers with a flared bottom.
Historical Background
In ancient Rome, the Romans used to bury the wheat in dry and tightly closed pits, in the shape of a truncated cone of about 5 meters diameter and about ten meters deep. This process happened in order to protect the wheat from possible theft, daily and seasonal weather variations, humidity and temperature change. The pits were half filled and, once closed, the stored goods (wheat, barley, millet, broad beans) remained isolated from the external environment. The plant transpiration of the deposited mass soon depleted the oxygen in the air remaining in the upper part of the pit, thus creating carbon dioxide (CO2) which caused the death of larvae and parasites buried with the same food. However, before being able to take off the grain, a period of about 3 hours was necessary for the CO2 to evaporate. Otherwise, it could be dangerous to immediately lower the workers assigned to emptying the pits, without exposing them to the danger of fatal suffocation due to the presence of CO2 in the environment. Then the pits were left open and with a rope, periodically, a lit lamp was lowered which, in the presence of CO2, was immediately extinguished. When the light did not go out anymore, it was the sign of pits reclamation and finally the workers were allowed to start the emptying operations.
Nowadays, steel silos are the most widely used and guarantee a long life over time; they are waterproof and resistant to atmospheric agents. Very hygienic with a high level of conservation of the raw material.
Concrete silos are mainly used in port areas as they are of great height and large containment capacity. They are more permeable than steel ones. Concrete storage warehouses have the advantage of being large and can be open space or divided into cells.
Fiberglass silos are those that have high thermal resistance, high mechanical strength and good thermal insulation, usually built with a circular section, do not require special maintenance and are used a lot for animal feed. This material can be used to contain the most diverse products, from liquids to solids.
Silos Features
Silos are storage systems that are used in various industrial situations. Today, factories often need solutions for the storage of finished products, but also of semi-finished products or raw materials. The silos walls must be rigid such as to withstand the strong internal pressures when the silo is full, external, due to the wind and when the silo is empty; internally they must be smooth so as not to create obstacles to regular storage. Colour, graphics and accessories are aspects that are customizable. The ad hoc realization is always an important aspect for companies and industries that are constantly looking for customized solutions for their needs. The loading method is also another important aspect that defines an industrial silo. There are several methods that allow you the silo loading and unloading, one of the simplest ways is the top cover or there are feeding systems integrated into the supporting structure. Another possibility are the transportable external augers to fill the silos. In addition, the silos volume is another fundamental aspect that must be customized according to the production rate.
Volume and quantity: together with the type of product to be stored, it is essential to define its volumes and quantities. The Poggi production technique offers the possibility to choose the same model of silos in different possible cubic sizes to ensure the most suitable solution for each customer's consumption. The silos construction can also easily take into account specific needs such as particularly windy areas or areas with high seismic risk. As for the assembly: the silos are supplied in the time and manner required by the customer and their installation requires specialized personnel able to position the machines in order to avoid any kind of problem after installation.
Quality and duration of the investment: by purchasing a silos or a Poggi product, you have the reasonable certainty of having invested in equipment designed to last over time, guaranteeing high levels of performance. Furthermore, the silos lower component, responsible for the content distribution, has a conical shape. This design facilitate the emptying of the silos itself and can be equipped with different extraction systems: from a simple shutter to different types of augers, it is possible to adapt the silos to the specific needs of the content and of the system to be built. The most suitable shape of the silos is the cylindrical one developed in height; this makes storage easier and is the best for resisting pressure. The stronger pressure given by the greater height allows better storage, increases the capacity, and leads to the exclusion of a great volume of air.
Poggi Vertical Silos
Vertical silos are made of carbon or stainless steel for the storage of large amount of powders, granules and / or liquids. The wide range of silos available is able to satisfy every type of need, both in terms of volume and in terms of materials that can be stored. They can be customized according to the customers’ needs who can choose the colour, where to apply their logo and any other type of customization. Furthermore, internally, each silos can be divided into two or more compartments to be able to contain different mixtures or different liquids.
Vertical Monolithic Silos
They are circular silos suitable for medium-small storages, made of both carbon and stainless steel and guarantee quick and safe assembly on site. They are suitable for both solid and liquid materials; they can be transported via normal road trailers. Furthermore, they can be divided internally into two or more compartments, in order to store different materials within the same silo. In addition, many high quality accessories are available, such as ladder for roof access, top parapet, valves, filters, screw conveyors, sensors, weighing and control systems in order to meet the needs of our customers.
Vertical Telescopic Silos
They are circular silos suitable for medium-small storages, made of both carbon and stainless steel, designed to reduce the bulk during transport, while maintaining rapid assembly on site. They are suitable for both solid and liquid materials; they can be transported via normal road trailers or standard sea containers. Many high quality accessories are available, such as ladder for roof access, top parapet, valves, filters, augers, sensors, weighing and control systems. The silos are also customizable in colour, which the customer can choose at his discretion, as well as in the application of any customer logo or brand.
Vertical Panel Silos
Circular panels silos, also called divisible silos, are suitable for medium-large storages, made of both carbon and stainless steel, are realized into panels that allow them to be transported anywhere in the world. They can be used for both solids and liquids; they can be transported via normal road trailers or standard shipping containers. In order to guarantee the quality product, all our panel silos are prepared and packed using metal frames, which avoid damages during transport and loading / unloading phases. In addition, the silos can be divided internally into two or more compartments, in order to store different materials within the same silo. Are available together with the silo, many accessories of highest quality and international availability, such as a ladder for access to the roof, top parapet, valves, filters, augers, sensors, weighing and control systems. The silos are also customizable in colour, which the customer can choose, as well as in the application of any logo or brand of the customer.
Vertical Modular Silos
The wide range of silos available is able to satisfy every need, both in terms of volume (from 10 to 450 cubic meters) and in terms of storable materials. The silos can be customized according to the customers’ needs, who can choose the colour, where to apply their logo and any further type of customization. Internally each silos can be divided into two or more compartments in order to contain different products. Thanks to their shape, the storage volume is 25% more qith equal ground surface and also thanks to their modularity is possible to have a consecutive and close installation for lower ground dimension with the same volumes.