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Latest questions
Equipment for toasting soybeans?
What information do you have about toasting soybeans and suitable equipment? The aim is to lower the levels of urease and TIA in the soybean to make the product better adapted to poultry and pigs.
Minimum conveying velocities for various particle types
I am currently in the process of designing a dust collector. One of the first steps involves specifying the correct minimum conveying/pickup velocity at the inlet of the hood. It is to be used in the baking industry and can see anything from different flours, sugar, salt, seeds, whole buns, etc. After a couple hours of research I’ve realized it...
What Do Chutes And Hoppers Do In Pneumatic Conveying Systems?
A pneumatic conveying system can’t function without the combination of chutes and hoppers – they are integral and critical components that are inseparable because they act as a giant funnel that helps to get your material into your system.
What Is Saltation Velocity?
Saltation velocity is the speed below which particles being conveyed through a pneumatic conveying system lose suspension and begin to deposit at the bottom of horizontal pipelines.
Are All Moisture Sensors Equal?
When working with materials that can hold water, it is always important to know how much water is contained inside it. Depending on the size of the particles, storage method, temperature, and many other factors, some materials can hold more water than others.
Our experts
David Hyer has led Thayer Scale as President and General Manager since 2016, overseeing all aspects of daily operations and long-term strategic direction. He originally joined the company in 1985 as a college student writing machine-level code for the PI-164 instrument, returning in 2013 after a successful career in senior leadership at Teradyne and two venture-backed technology ventures.
Prior to rejoining Thayer Scale, David served as Division Manager for Teradyne’s circuit-board test and inspection business, where he was responsible for P&L and led global sales, engineering, and service teams. His broader background includes senior roles in sales, business development, and product strategy across high-growth technology companies.
David brings deep expertise in the design and manufacture of precision conveyor belt scales and gravimetric feeders. Under his leadership, Thayer Scale has strengthened its focus on product specialization, engineering excellence, and rigorous quality, delivering solutions tailored to the demanding needs of the Food, Energy & Building Products, and Chemical & Industrial markets.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Tufts University. David and his wife have three children, and he enjoys tennis, golf, and spending time on the water.
Chris Nawalaniec is President at Stedman Machine Company, the Aurora, Ind.-based manufacturer of size reduction equipment and systems, founded in 1834. Nawalaniec graduated from the University of Cincinnati (BSME, MBA) and has more than 30 years professional experience in size reduction and particle size separation.
John has been with Cablevey Conveyors for over 7 years and is currently in the position of Director of Engineering. In this role he oversees all engineering at Cablevey from R&D of New Product Design to reviewing of all system layouts designed by the applications engineering team. He also works closely with manufacturing/production and Quality Control at Cablevey to ensure that all product leaving our assembly plant meets the high standards Cablevey has become known for. With this knowledge of Cablevey equipment from conception to final production design, John brings an invaluable service to the Cablevey and AHS team.
Carrie Hartford is the Director of Business Development and Senior Project Engineer in Jenike & Johanson’s office in California. For nearly 2 decades, she has been solving challenging bulk material flow related problems around the world. Typical projects include the analysis and design of bins, hoppers, feeders, and transfer chutes. Previously, she opened and established an engineering office and laboratory facilities in Perth, Western Australia. Internationally she publishes and presents technical papers, participates in conferences, and presents numerous short courses in the field of bulk solids flow. Carrie has a Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara and an MBA from Azusa Pacific University in California. She is a licensed Professional Mechanical Engineer in the State of California.
