Flexicon Europe, Whitstable, UK, recently supplied a Block-Buster® bulk bag conditioner to Barcelona-based DSM Coating Resins Spain, the world's largest producer of polyester resins and one of the largest producers of speciality emulsions. This company receives large volumes of dicarboxylic acid and diol ingredients in bulk bags. Both materials have a tendency to agglomerate during shipment and storage, preventing them from flowing out of the bulk bag. Previously this problem had been tackled by workers using hand tools, but to eliminate the cost, mess, delays, and safety concerns of manual methods, the company decided to install the Flexicon conditioner that de-lumps the materials automatically.

 

From the unit's control panel, the operator programs the ram pressure, number of ram cycles, single or multiple turntable heights and degree of rotation, according to the dimensions of the bag and the conditioning required to loosen the material throughout the bag. After pressing ‘start’, the conditioning cycle is automatic: the bulk bag is raised hydraulically to the preselected height, the end plates press opposite sides of the bag to break down the agglomerates, and the bag and turntable rotate 90° to condition the adjacent sides. The unit can also be programmed to automatically repeat conditioning cycles at multiple bag heights. Since dicarboxylic acid is a main ingredient in most batches produced, the conditioner is in use daily. www.flexicon.co.uk 

 

 

A forklift loads a bulk bag into the conditioner, after which hydraulic rams fitted with specially contoured end plates (below) automatically press opposite sides of the bag to loosen solidified powders; in addition to ensuring greater safety and enhanced quality of the raw materials, the Block-Buster has cut de-lumping time by 75%