A new weigh batching system from Flexicon discharges material from bulk bags, de-lumps the product, and feeds it gravimetrically into rigid bins.

The unloader's bulk-bag-to-hopper interface consists of a manual SPOUT-LOCK^® clamp ring at the top of a pneumatically-actuated TELE-TUBE^® telescoping tube, allowing an operator to make a high-integrity, sealed connection between the clean side of the bag spout and the clean side of the hopper, and to automatically elongate the bag as it empties to promote flow and evacuation.

Above the connection point is a POWER-CINCHER^® pneumatically-actuated flow control valve that cinches the bag spout concentrically, allowing retying of partially empty bags with no dusting. The unloader 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 into the bag discharge spout.

The unloader's surge hopper discharges into a low-profile de-lumping device with dual rotors and three-point heads that break-up agglomerates that have formed in the bag. On-size material is discharged into a gravimetric feeder that is connected via PLC to a scale on the plant floor, allowing accurate batch weights to be loaded into rigid totes placed on the scale.

All material contact surfaces of the unloader, de-lumping device and gravimetric feeder are of stainless steel finished to sanitary standards.