Barrel Emptying – How to Extract Every Gram from the Barrel

The more viscous the material, the more complex the requirements for emptying. Standard technology quickly reaches its physical limits with highly viscous or solid substances. Those who rely on reliable processes need solutions that convey, heat, and permanently secure material quality.

Barrel Emptying: What Does It Really Mean?

Barrel emptying refers to the controlled process of extracting materials from barrels and preparing them for subsequent production or processing steps. A variety of media are used in this process – from low-viscosity substances like oils or paints to viscous or pasty materials such as sealants, bitumen, or special adhesives.

Regardless of the material type, the goal of barrel emptying remains the same: The medium should enter the next process as completely as possible, process-securely, and without quality loss. Depending on the properties of the respective substance, implementation requires different technical approaches – from simple conveying to supporting methods like heating or melting.

How Does a Barrel Emptying System Work Technically?

Different approaches are used depending on the material’s flow behavior.

Conveying Without Heating

Liquid or only slightly viscous media, such as thin paints, oils, or certain adhesives, can be directly extracted from the container using special barrel pumps.

Here, the natural material flow under moderate conveying pressure is sufficient, without the need for additional heating. The advantage: quick emptying with minimal energy use.

Conveying with Targeted Heating

For highly viscous or slow-flowing substances, simple pump technology is no longer sufficient. Materials like butyl masses, thick sealants, or certain adhesive systems must first be warmed to improve their flowability.

By controlled heating – for example, using heated following plates or tempered conveying lines – the viscosity is specifically reduced. This allows the material to be gently and evenly transported out of the barrel without compromising its quality.

Active Melting for Solid or Highly Viscous Materials

If materials are largely solid or very high-viscosity at room temperature – like hot melts, bituminous masses, or reactive adhesives –, processing requires active melting. In such cases, a so-called barrel melting system takes over the process: The material is heated directly in the barrel and reaches the necessary processing temperature. Once the ideal viscosity is achieved, a conveying pump transports it to the next processing step.

In all cases, the goal remains the same: An as complete, uniform, and material-friendly emptying of the barrel as possible – without material losses, without blockages, and maintaining constant product quality.

Steps of Barrel Emptying – Step by Step

1. Preparation of the Barrel

The filled barrel is safely placed into the reception device of the system and can be stably fixed there. Lids or seals are removed to prepare for emptying.

2. Placing the Conveying or Heating Plate

The conveying plate – heated if necessary – lowers onto the material in a controlled way. The medium is gently compacted in preparation for conveying.

3. Material Heating (Only When Necessary)

Targeted heating is carried out for highly viscous or solid substances. The viscosity decreases through controlled heat application, without compromising the material structure.

4. Start of the Conveying Process

A suitable feed pump (gear, piston, or screw pump) starts the process. The material flows under defined pressure and at a constant speed out of the drum.

5. Dynamic Tracking

During emptying, the feed plate descends evenly to ensure continuous influx of the material and to avoid air pockets.

6. Residual Emptying and Completion

Once the material is nearly fully dispensed, the system automatically ends the process. The feed plate lifts, allowing the drum to be removed and replaced with a newly filled drum.

When Traditional Drum Emptying Reaches its Limits

Not every material can be reliably conveyed with a traditional drum emptying method. Particularly with very viscous, stable, or solid substances, conventional systems – even with supportive heating – quickly reach physical and process-related limits.

Typical examples are:

High-viscosity Sealants

Butyl-based or silicone-containing sealants that have an almost paste-like consistency at room temperature.

Bitumen Compounds

Heavy-flowing or solid sealing materials that require high temperatures to be processed.

Reactive Adhesive Systems (e.g., Hotmelts)

Adhesives that are activated or made processable only through targeted heating.

Potting Compounds with High Stability

Electronics or construction potting compounds that are extremely viscous or almost solid at low temperatures.

In all these cases, mere heating of the drum wall or feed line is no longer sufficient to make the material flowable. The consequence: Pumps may block, material flows may interrupt, and quality losses may occur.

To address these challenges, the material must be actively melted directly in the drum. Only through controlled melting – with precise temperature management – can safe, continuous feeding be ensured, without compromising material properties or endangering the feed system with clogs.

The Solution for High-Viscosity Materials: Drum Melter Systems

When viscous, stable, or solid materials need to be safely conveyed from drums, traditional emptying systems quickly reach their limits. This is where specialized drum melter systems come into play – as developed by Deckert Anlagenbau.

Our systems combine precise temperature management, gentle melting, and powerful feeding in a compact, robust unit. The result: Even highly demanding media can be reliably liquefied and almost completely removed from the drum – without clogs, without quality losses.

Your Advantages at a Glance

Uniform Material Heating

Gentle and controlled heating of the entire drum content – ideal for sensitive or reactive substances.

Efficient Melting Process

No overheating or decomposition of materials – constant process quality guaranteed.

Nearly complete emptying

Minimal residual quantities reduce material costs and facilitate handling.

Process-secure material flow

Stable conveyance even with the most challenging media – for reliable further processing.

Maximum operational safety

Robust construction, maintenance-friendly components, and user-friendly control.

Deckert drum melting systems are characterized by their modular design and can be flexibly adapted to different production requirements. Whether for standardized applications or specific material and process conditions: We develop customized solutions that integrate seamlessly into your production environment.

Mr. Mario Becker

+49 4131 302346

mb@deckert.de

Your contact person

Do you have questions about our products or the application of our drum melters? Our staff will be happy to advise you.

Contact us now!

Deckert Anlagenbau has been developing systems for highly viscous materials for many years and supports companies from planning to operation. The systems can be integrated into existing production lines and adapted if necessary. Short coordination paths and high spare parts availability reduce downtimes and facilitate ongoing use.

Would you like to receive an offer, have a question about our system, or are unsure which solution is right for you? Then feel free to contact us directly.