KSU breaks ground on bulk solids research centre

AFTER its announcement last year, Kansas State University, along with government officials, university staff and industry partners, broke ground on the 1,200sqm Bulk Solids Innovation Centre, on 10 July 2014.

Rendition of the Kansas State University Bulk Solids Innovation Centre

The KSU research centre, which opens in April 2015, will be place of collaboration between university and industry with the aim to increase understanding of bulk solids materials handling and to enhance the competitiveness of those businesses that use bulk solid materials or manufacture the systems that convey, store and dispense them.
“This project started five years ago and will soon become reality,” said Todd Smith, general manager of Coperion K-Tron. “It is a great example of cooperation between government, industry and university.” He also said the centre will be invaluable to many companies because bulk solid plants are an issue with many of them, and there is no independent research in North America to address concerns in this area. 
The university will be the main tenant, and Coperion K-Tron and Vortex Valves are anchor tenants. Companies who will also work on research projects there include Exxon Mobile, Dow, DuPont, Cargill, P&G and ADM.