Martin Engineering
Martin Engineering, the world leader in bulk material handling solutions, proudly celebrates the 50th anniversary of the invention of the world’s first low-pressure Air Cannon. Martin® Air Cannons improve the flow of bulk materials, preventing losses due to discharge blockages, buildups ratholes helping industrial plants to operate more profitably, efficiently and safely.
In 1974, Martin Engineering revolutionised the industry with the introduction of the world’s first low-pressure pneumatic Air Cannon. Designed and developed by Mr. Carl Matson, cousin of company founder Mr. Edwin F. Peterson, the legendary Big Blaster® Air Cannon was introduced to improve material flow and prevent blockages in plants.
Over the years, Martin Air Cannons have been a game changer in industries such as cement. In cement plants, the use of high-pressure water jets to manually remove heavy and bulky material buildups in preheater towers, cyclones has eliminated hazardous work. With the use of Martin Air Cannons in these areas, the cement process has become safer.
The company’s continuous innovation approach expanded the use of the Big Blaster in industrial applications in the 1980s. By the 1990s, Martin Engineering developed the XHV, an allmetal, extreme heat-resistant, high-speed version of the Big Blaster that could withstand the most extreme conditions. In the 2000s, Martin was the first company to introduce the safer positive pressure firing valve with the Tornado Air Cannon. This technology prevents unwanted firing in the event of a drop in system pressure and also allows solenoid valves to be installed up to 60 m away from the Air Cannon. It allows for easier access and maintenance. Designed with safety in mind, the positive firing valve also provides a more powerful force output.
Over the years, Martin Engineering’s Air Cannon technology has been continually developed and improved in parallel with changing industry conditions and needs, Used especially in sectors such as the cement industry, Air Cannons have revolutionised production processes. These technologies have improved health and safety standards by reducing hazardous manual cleaning tasks for workers.
Martin Engineering’s Air Cannons and other products are the product of research and development at the company’s Innovation Base in the United States. Launched in 2008, the Martin Engineering Innovation Base step up the advances in Air Cannon technology.
Smart™ Series Nozzles with multiple nozzle tips allow the nozzle to be inspected, replaced or serviced without removing the Air Cannon from its mounting location and without further deterioration of the refractory.
The Martin® Thermo Safety Shield acts as a safety barrier to allow timely and safe maintenance of Air Cannon systems. It protects workers from exposure to severe temperatures so that maintenance can be carried out safely and production can continue as planned.
Mr. İlker Tan, Martin Engineering’s General Manager for Turkey and Air Cannon Product Manager for the EMEAI region, highlights about the company’s Air Cannon technology: “From the outset, our Air Cannons were specifically designed to remove buildups and increase material flow by discharging compressed air in plants, silently but powerfully at high speed. This technology is developed with low maintenance requirements and low costs for extreme conditions such as high temperatures, extreme gases and abrasive, corrosive materials used in heavy industries. Since the introduction of the Big Blaster 50 years ago, we have continued to improve efficiency, productivity and safety by continually developing smarter and more powerful Air Cannon systems.”
“We are particularly take pride in that Martin Air Cannons have become so important in reducing the health and safety risks associated with manual clearance of obstructions such as working in confined spaces, working at height, falling materials, working in hot and dusty environments. Our team is always working on new developments and we operate in many countries around the world to bring the next generation of Air Cannon technologies to our customers around the world.”
