In this article, you'll find everything you need to manage wear in pneumatic conveying systems for abrasive materials. We'll start with the basics, explaining what pneumatic conveying is and why some materials wear out pipes and bends faster than others. We'll then look at the main anti-wear solutions available (ceramic linings, rubber + ceramic combinations, and filled resins – and when it's advisable to adopt them. You'll discover how SARO solutions they can concretely reduce erosion, downtime, and maintenance costs, and you will learn the method by which SARO designs custom protections, both for new plants and for lines already in operation. In conclusion, an FAQ section will help you find the most suitable choice for your operational reality.
Pneumatic conveying is one of the most widespread technologies in industrial plants: it allows for the movement of bulk materials — powders, granules, fine inert materials — within pipelines using air pressure or vacuum, in dilute or dense phase. Simple in principle, but far from simple to manage when the materials being conveyed are highly abrasive. It is precisely in these contexts that wear becomes a concrete problem, with bends and pipelines wearing out much faster than expected, unplanned plant shutdowns, and maintenance costs that are difficult to control. In our experience at SARO, the sectors where these critical issues emerge most frequently are:
The materials transported in these plants are often among the most aggressive that exist:
When these materials travel at high speed inside pipelines, the combined action of erosion, abrasion, and impact progressively wears down the internal walls. Any change in direction concentrates the stress from the continuous flow of material on the line's components: each curve thus generates a weakness that impacts subsequent straight sections, causing thinning and perforations that occur much sooner than expected.
Working on the fluid dynamic parameters — transitioning from a dilute to a dense phase, reducing speeds, and adjusting flow rates — helps contain the phenomenon, but rarely resolves it entirely. When the combination of material nature, operating conditions, and piping geometry is critical, wear persists. That's why, at SARO, our approach is to intervene precisely where the flow exerts the most force on the walls, with protections sized according to the actual conditions of each plant — whether it involves Pneumatic transportmechanical or otherwise.
When managing wear in a pneumatic conveying line, the first question to ask is: where is the most wear occurring? In most cases, the trouble spots are always concentrated in the same places:
In our experience, for each of these critical points, we have identified three families of anti-wear solutions to rely on:
In SARO, these technologies are grouped into dedicated application areas—pneumatic transport and protective coatings—our concrete starting point for building the most suitable solution for each plant.
Among the materials we most commonly use to protect pneumatic transport lines are, Technical ceramics based on alumina these are the ones we rely on the most. Their high hardness and naturally smooth surface make a tangible difference:
In SARO, we use them in various forms, depending on the point to be protected and the line's geometry:
The most widespread application of coatings belongs to the family SARCER BENDS & PIPESa steel structure to protect the internal ceramic lining, designed for the actual operating conditions and needs of the lines. The choice of format, thickness, and installation pattern is adapted to these to ensure the best result in every application.
Abrasion isn't always the only enemy. In many plants we manage, impacts, vibrations, and mechanical shocks also occur on pipe walls — and in these cases, ceramic alone is not enough. This is where we at SARO resort to hybrid rubber + ceramic solutions, which allow us to combine wear resistance with the ability to absorb stresses:
One of the most concrete examples of this technology in our range are wear-resistant hoses HEXAGON & TETRAGON HOSE:
It often happens that we encounter complex internal geometries, or that we need to intervene quickly on a point that has worn more than expected. In these cases, waiting for the scheduled stop is not always possible. This is where we at SARO use filled resins: epoxy-based formulations with high-hardness ceramic fillers, designed for rapid and precise intervention:
In our range, the products we use most often in these contexts are:
The SARO experience shows that wear protection in pneumatic conveying is most effective when targeted: we start with the sections that generate the most problems (bends, direction changes, high-speed zones) and size materials and thicknesses based on actual stresses. This allows us to build tailored anti-usury strategy for each line. In practice, the protection focuses on where the particulate works the most on the walls, reducing:
| Appearance | Without specific protections | With SARO anti-wear solutions (ceramic, rubber + ceramic, filled resins) |
| Piping and fitting lengths | Shortened service life, frequent replacements | Longer useful life in critical sections thanks to ceramic coatings and wear-resistant components |
| Maintenance frequency | Recurring interventions, often unscheduled | More predictable maintenance, greater use of scheduled stops |
| Business continuity | Greater risk of ruptures and unexpected downtime | Increased plant availability, reduction of unplanned downtime |
| Behavior with abrasive materials | Rapid erosion of the most stressed areas | Targeted protections sized according to the intensity of wear experienced |
Choosing the right material is important, but it's not enough on its own. In our experience, a wear protection It really works when there's a precise method behind it. In SARO, we work in phases, and each phase has a specific role in the final result.
First, let's understand what's really happening on the line:
Only after do we move on to the solution:
The solution takes concrete shape:
The supply of components is only the starting point:
The main critical issues emerge in:
In these contexts, pneumatic lines are often included among the protected areas with ceramic coatings, ceramized hoses, and SARO's application portfolio of loaded resins.
Yes. Existing lines can be protected by:
The structure of the product families for pneumatic transport and protective coatings allows for interventions on existing systems, minimizing structural modifications.
The choice depends on parameters such as:
Based on these elements, we define the lining material (ceramic, rubber + ceramic, filled resins), the thickness and format of the inserts, and the fastening system, concentrating protection on truly critical sections.
A strategy that combines:
allows for protection to be adapted to each line section. The result is more precise wear control, with fewer unexpected downtimes and more predictable maintenance throughout the plant's lifecycle.
Reducing wear in pneumatic conveying lines with abrasive materials isn't a matter of luck—it's a matter of diagnosis. You need to know where the line wears the most: bends, high-speed sections, flexible connections, and match those points with the most suitable technology for the actual operating conditions. That's precisely how we work at SARO, where our families of pneumatic conveying products and protective linings are the foundation upon which we build ceramic linings, hybrid solutions, and filled resins, all tailored to each plant.
To arrive at the right solution without risking either under or over-dimensioning, the advice we always give is to start with data: flow rate and transport speed values, and a history of maintenance interventions, are already an excellent starting point.
If you want a free analysis of your plant's critical points, Contact our technical teamAn expert will respond to you promptly.
