A bulk material handling system can look flawless in a design review yet struggle once it reaches the plant floor. The reason is often not equipment selection alone. It’s the disconnect between how a system is designed and how it actually operates, is maintained, and evolves over time.
Here are five common design mistakes that create this gap between design intent and operational reality.
1. Designing Around Equipment Instead of Process Flow
A frequent issue in system design is focusing on selecting individual pieces of equipment before fully understanding overall process flow.
While equipment may meet specifications on paper, the system can still underperform if material movement, upstream/downstream interactions, and throughput requirements are not fully considered.
Gerhart’s approach emphasizes starting with the full process flow. By understanding how material moves through the entire system first, equipment selection becomes a result of system design rather than the starting point.
2. Leaving Operations and Maintenance Out of Early Design Discussions
Operational and maintenance needs are often introduced late in the design process, after layouts and equipment decisions are already set.
This can lead to systems that are difficult to service, inefficient to maintain, or require unplanned downtime for routine work.
Gerhart incorporates operations, maintenance, and serviceability considerations early in the engineering process so that access, safety, and long-term usability are built into the design rather than adjusted after installation.
3. Underestimating Real-World Material Behavior
Bulk materials rarely behave exactly as expected in controlled design conditions. Changes in moisture, particle size, density, or environmental exposure can significantly impact system performance.
When these variables are underestimated, systems may experience inconsistent flow, reduced efficiency, or unexpected stoppages.
Our approach accounts for real-world material variability during the design phase, helping ensure systems are built to handle actual operating conditions rather than ideal assumptions.
4. Treating Controls as an Afterthought
In many projects, controls and automation are developed separately from mechanical design and introduced later in the process.
This separation can create gaps in system logic, limited visibility into performance, and reduced coordination between equipment and automation.
We integrate controls and automation considerations early in the engineering process so that mechanical design and system logic are developed together, resulting in more cohesive and reliable system performance.
5. Focusing on Startup Instead of Lifecycle Performance
Some systems are designed primarily to achieve successful startup, with less emphasis on long-term operation, maintenance cycles, or future changes in production needs.
While startup is important, true system success is measured over years of operation.
Gerhart’s approach emphasizes lifecycle performance, ensuring systems are designed not just to start successfully, but to remain reliable, maintainable, and adaptable throughout their operational life..
Closing the Gap Between Design and Execution
The gap between design and execution typically comes from misalignment between engineering assumptions and real-world operating conditions.
By addressing process flow, maintenance needs, material behavior, controls integration, and lifecycle performance early in design, these gaps can be significantly reduced before a system is ever installed.