Smart Molding International 1-2022

39 peripherals & automation www.smart-molding.com F lexicon's newBULK-OUT® BFCBulk Bag Discharging System promotes the flow of bulk solid materials that have solidified during storage and shipment, automatically dischargesthe material, and allows manual addition - sof ingredients from sacks, drums and other containers. A cantilevered I-beam with electric hoist and trolley lowers a bag lifting frame to floor level for rapid attach - ment of the bag to patented Z-CLIP™ bag strap holders, and then hoists and rolls the bag into the safety frame, eliminating the need for a forklift. The integral conditioner consists of two hydraulically-actuated rams with specially contoured conditioning plates that press opposing sides of the bulk bag. A Human-Machine-Interface (HMI) housed in a NEMA 4 (IP 56) enclosure controls the stroke and number of ram actuations. The electric hoist can be used to raise and lower the bag for conditioning at varying heights. For bulk bag discharging, the bag outlet spout is pulled through an iris valve mounted atopa dust hoodover the hopper. Once the bag outlet is se - cured and the iris valve is closed, the bag spout drawstrings can be untied, the dust-tight, snap-action access door closed, and the valve released slowly, reducing uncontrolled bursts of mate - rial into the hopper and dust into the plant environment. For manual dumping in conjunction with or independent of bulk bag dis - charging, the operator raises the hinged door and adds the material from small - er capacity containers through a coarse screen into the hopper. A fold-down support tray serves as a bag rest. The hopper can be configured to connect to pneumatic or mechanical conveyors, or directly to downstream process equipment. The discharger can also be config - ured for weigh batch discharging with the addition of load cells and a pro - grammable controller. Models are available in carbon steel with durable industrial coating and stainless steel material contact points, or in all stainless steel finished to in - dustrial, food, dairy or pharmaceutical standards. Flexicon also manufacture other con - figurations ofbulkbag dischargers,bulk bag conditioners, and bag dump sta - tionsas well as flexible screw convey - ors, tubular cable conveyors, pneumat - ic conveying systems, bulk bag fillers, drum/box/container tippers, drum fillers, weigh batching and blending systems, and engineered plant-wide bulk handling systems with automated controls. Flexicon www.flexicon.co.uk BULK-OUT® Bulk Bag Dischargers provide dust-free loading, untying, retying and removal of bulk bags. Flexicon BULK-OUT® BFC Bulk Bag Discharger with integral Bulk Bag Conditioner and Bag Dump Station conditions materials prone to solidifying during shipment or storage (picture: Flexicon) Bulk bag discharger with integral conditioner and bag dump station