A Pennsylvania inventor developed an unorthodox shape for pneumatic conveying systems to reduce clogging and product damage while saving space.
A native of Minneapolis, Paulson is a 1961 graduate of the University of Minnesota with a degree in mechanical engineering. He has designed a range of food-handling equipment throughout his career, from peanut transfer systems for major confectioners to dedusters for the breakfast cereal segment. In 1987, Paulson founded Lancaster, PA-based Pelletron, which collaborates closely with the University of Pittsburgh engineering department's small-business incubator program. Graduate students did much of the prototype testing of Paulson's new elbow design, and he expects to work with them and Professor George E. Klinzing, vice provost for research, in verifying results and establishing the design's limitations.