Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1242780
May 2020 / 47 How and why two plants switched from manual bag dumping to bulk bag unloading with Flexicon dischargers C onsolidated Mutual Water of Lakewood, CO used powder activated carbon (PAC) that it received in 50 lb (23 kg) bags to absorb organic contaminants from the water. Manual dumping of the PAC required workers to carry as many as 20 sacks of the material per day up a ight of stairs, and dump them into a feeder, creating dust and exposing workers to potential injury. Now, the PAC is purchased in bulk bags which are emptied using a Flexicon BULK-OUT ® bulk bag discharger model BFC (top right), equipped with a canti- levered I-beam, trolley, hoist and bag lifting frame to load bags into the discharger without the need for a forklift. A SPOUT-LOCK ® clamp ring atop a pneumatically actuated TELE-TUBE ® telescoping tube seals against the bag spout and maintains downward tension as the bag empties and elongates, pro- moting total evacuation and dust-free operation. A POWER-CINCHER ® ow control valve cinches the bag spout closed, allowing gradual release of PAC after the draw- string is released, and allows re-cinching of the spout to retie partially empty bags with no dust. By automating the bag dis- charge process, the company not only eliminated dust and improved operator safety, but also freed operators to perform more productive tasks. Oplex S.A., a plastics cal- endering operation in Mexico City, mixes batches of PVC resin and calcium carbonate, plus liquid additions such as plasticizers, stabilizers and lubricants. In the past, lifting, opening and dumping of PVC resin from hand-held bags affected product quality, worker safety and production costs—problems the com- pany solved with the help of a bulk-bag discharging and conveying system from Flexicon. At the heart of the new system is a BULK-OUT ® bulk bag discharger (bottom) with electric hoist and trolley on a cantilevered beam for loading bulk bags without a forklift. A SPOUT-LOCK ® clamp ring creates a dust-tight connection to the bag spout after which a TELE-TUBE ® telescoping tube applies continuous downward ten- sion on the spout as the bag elongates, promoting complete evacuation. A pneumatically actu- ated POWER-CINCHER ® ow-control valve allows the spout to be opened gradually, or to be cinched for retying of partially empty bags. Dust generated during dis- charge of PVC resin is vented to an integral BAG-VAC ® dust collector. According to the company, the Flexicon system improved product quality and repeat- ability, while reducing the amount of oor space for materials storage. Flexicon Corporation 1 888 353 9426 sales@ exicon.com exicon.com ADVERTISEMENT