FIBCs & Bagging
May/June 2016
BULKDISTRIBUTOR
21
Flexicon goes low-profile
A
spate of innovations has recently been
introduced by Flexicon.
A new series of Bulk-Out half-frame bulk bag
dischargers features low-cost frames of variable
heights and offsets to fit restricted areas previously
used for dumping smaller containers, such as
sacks, pails, drums, boxes and bins.
The low profile dischargers are engineered to
straddle downstream blenders, feeders, tanks or
other equipment in areas with limited headroom,
restricted floor space and/or obstacles that would
preclude the use of conventional discharger
frames.
Lacking an upper frame, the discharger provides
overhead space for suspending bulk bags using a
forklift or plant hoist. It can also be configured to
support new or existing bulk bag lifting frames
that can be connected to bags at floor level and
then forklifted onto the half frame within
centimetres of the ceiling.
The bag-to-discharger interface consists of a
Spout-Lock clamp ring positioned atop a
pneumatically-actuated telescoping tube, allowing
dust-tight connections. The ‘Tele-Tube’ raises the
clamp ring assembly that seals the clean side of
the bag spout to the clean side of the telescoping
tube, and applies constant downward tension to
the bag as it empties and elongates, promoting
complete evacuation.
A dust-tight seal between bag spout and clamp
ring allows fully open discharge from bag spouts
of all popular diameters, eliminating the need for
iris valves commonly employed to lessen escaping
dust inherent with bag spouts hanging loosely
within intake chutes.
The discharger is also equipped with Flow-Flexer
bag activators that raise and lower opposite
bottom edges of the bag at timed intervals,
loosening compacted materials and promoting
material flow through the bag discharge spout. As
the bag lightens, the stroke of the bag activators
increases, raising the bag into a steep ‘V’ shape,
and so eliminating dead spots for total evacuation
of material with no manual intervention.
Product contact surfaces are of stainless steel,
with frame construction of carbon steel, or
stainless steel finished to industrial, food, dairy or
pharmaceutical standards.
Full-frame dischargers offered by Flexicon include
BFF models with a lifting frame for forklift loading
of bulk bags, and BFC models with a cantilevered
I-beam and electric hoist and trolley for positioning
of bags