Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1252179
June 2020 / 19 CASE HISTORY ADVERTISEMENT Top-mounted POP-TOP ™ bag stretching devices grad- ually elongate the bag into a cone shape to promote flow and complete discharge. In recent inspections by the American Institute of Baking, Snyder moved up from an "excellent" to "superior" rating. AUTOMATED CORNMEAL UNLOADING YIELDS 7-MONTH R.O.I. Berlin, PA – To feed a packaging line with cornmeal, Snyder of Berlin replaced manual dumping of bags and two galvanized steel augers, with automated bulk bag unloading and three flexible screw conveyors from Flex- icon, increasing yield by 4.5% while improving cleanli- ness, safety, product quality and accuracy. The new system paid for itself in seven months from the savings of buying cornmeal in 2000 lb (907 kg) bulk bags instead of 100 lb (45 kg) bags, and of freeing one operator per shift for more productive duties. Previously, two operators dumped 100 lb (45 kg) bags of cornmeal into a vertical blender. From the blend- er's discharge port, two enclosed galvanized steel inclined augers car- ried the moistened cornmeal to the two-extruder receiver hoppers. With the new system, a bulk bag discharger, under loss-of-weight control, introduces precise amounts of cornmeal into a 1000 lb (454 kg) capacity vertical blender via an 8 cu ft (0.23 cu m) hopper and 5 ft (1.5 m) long, 4 in. (102 mm) diameter flexible screw conveyor. Moistened cornmeal exits the blender into a 5 cu ft (0.14 cu m) Flexicon hopper equipped with discharge adapters that charge two 12 ft (3.7 m) long flexible screw conveyors that are inclined at 45 ° and discharge into the surge hop- pers of two extruders. Yield (cornmeal usage to the amount of finished product) improved by 4.5% as the loss-of-weight control measures the precise weight of cornmeal discharging from the bulk bag. Previously, weights of 100 lb (45 kg) bags as received from the sup- plier varied as much as 5 lb (2.3 kg). Accurate weights also ensure consistent moisturizing in the vertical blender, improving product quality. Safety improved by relieving workers from manually cutting open, lifting and dumping 100 lb (45 kg) bags. The operator cleans the flexible conveyor tubes by reversing the screw rotation and unscrewing the bottom clean-out cap to remove the remaining material. As the bulk bag discharges, load cells placed under each leg of the unloader frame transmit weight-loss sig- nals to the controller, which stops the flexible conveyor once the batch weight has been discharged. Flexicon Corporation 2400 Emrick Blvd. Bethlehem, PA 18020-8006 1 888 FLEXICON • (1 888 353 9426) sales@flexicon.com • www.flexicon.com Bulk bag weigh batch unloader (right) feeds weighed batches of cornmeal into vertical blender. Moistened cornmeal flowing into floor hopper at left of blender is fed to two extruder surge hoppers by two Flexicon flexible screw conveyors. Moistened cornmeal discharged from vertical blender into floor hopper is transported by Flexicon flexible screw conveyors that feed two extruders. Flexicon bulk bag unloader with 2000 lb (907 kg) bag of cornmeal discharges into a Flexicon flexible screw conveyor that, in turn, discharges into a vertical blender for moisturizing.