Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1212417
March 2020 / 53 ACAMPO, CALIFORNIA –The Lange Twins, Randall and Brad, have automated the wine- making process, especially the filtration step, to produce a full line of rich, robust wines ranging from table varietals to Single Barrel vintages. Once the grapes have been crushed and fer- mented, filtration removes dead yeast and solids known as "lees," from the wine. Since some of these particles can be extremely small, diatoma- ceous earth (D.E.) is used as a filtration aid. D.E. is added to the unfiltered wine in any of three 300 gal (1136 l) holding tanks, and is then filtered out along with the fine particles of lees that adhere to it. LangeTwins Winery former- ly purchased D.E. in 50 lb (23 kg) bags, which were emptied manually into the holding tanks. Repetitive lifting of the bags, and the possibili- ty of airborne dust from dumping and disposal activities posed safety risks. To prevent these problems, while reduc- ing D.E. material cost, the winery installed a BULK-OUT® bulk bag weigh batch discharg- er with integral flexible screw conveyor from Flexicon Corporation. A forklift positions a removable bag lifting frame with suspended bulk bag, onto a receiving cradle atop the dis- charger frame. A Spout-Lock® clamp ring makes a high-integrity, dust-tight connection to the bag spout, while a Tele- Tube® telescoping tube maintains constant down- ward tension on the spout as the bag empties and elongates, promoting complete discharge. Concur- rently, Flow-Flexer® bag activators raise and lower the bag's bottom edges into a steep "V" shape, directing material into the outlet spout. Flexible screw conveyor feeds D.E. to any of three tanks The 9 cu ft (0.25 cu m) capacity hopper has a mechanical agitator that promotes the flow of material into the inlet of the 25 ft (7.6 m) long, 4.5 in. (114 mm) diameter flexible screw conveyor that moves the D.E. at a 45-degree angle to a height of 14 ft 7 in. (4.44 m). The material discharges through flexible downspouting that the operator clamps to the inlet port of the steel tank in use, allowing en- closed transfer of the potentially dusty powder. Case History BULK BAG WEIGH BATCH DISCHARGER CUTS LABOR AND DUST OF D.E. FILTRATION AT LANGETWINS WINERY System dispenses D.E. automatically by user-selected weight The system provides the flexibility to program varying amounts of D.E., accurately delivering the amount re- quired for each batch. The entire bulk bag discharger rests on load cells that transmit loss-of-weight infor- mation to a controller that stops the conveyor once the preset batch weight has been discharged, and flashes "Batch Complete." A "Low Weight" indicator flashes when the bag is nearly empty and needs changing. Flexicon Corporation 888-353-9426 610-814-2400 sales@flexicon.com www.flexicon.com ADVERTISEMENT Diatomaceous earth flows from the bulk bag through the dust-tight bag spout interface, hopper and flexible screw conveyor to the holding tank. Flow-Flexer® bag activators on opposite bottom sides of the bag promote complete discharge. Load cells allow automated weigh batching. The bulk bag spout attaches to the dis- charger inlet by means of a Spout-Lock® clamp ring positioned atop a Tele-Tube® telescoping tube, which maintains a high-integrity, sealed connection to the bag spout. Diatomaceous earth moves from the bulk bag through the hopper, flexible screw conveyor and downspout to a 300 gal (1136 l) tank before filtration of the wine. The completely enclosed system eliminates dust and reduces costs from manual dumping of small bags.