BETHLEHEM, PA — A new Bulk Bag Weigh Batch Eductor System engineered by Flexicon loosens bulk solid material that has solidified during storage and shipment, discharges the material by weight, and blends it into a liquid stream.

The skid-mounted system incorporates two Bulk Bag Unloading Frames, each with an integral Bulk Bag Conditioner comprised of a hydraulic pump and two rams with contoured end plates that press opposing sides of bulk bags. The unloaders' cantilevered hoists and motorized trolleys allow conditioning of bulk bags at various heights, as well as loading and unloading of bags without the need for a forklift. Safety interlocks disallow operation of the conditioner when the unloaders' doors are open.

Integral configuration of the conditioner eliminates the time, labor and equipment needed for separate loading of bulk bags into a stand-alone conditioner, while consuming significantly less floor space than two

separate pieces of equipment and reducing capital cost, according to the company.

The unloaders also feature a SPOUT-LOCK^® clamp ring that forms a high-integrity seal between the clean side of the bag spout and the clean side of the equipment, while a TELE-TUBE^® telescoping tube maintains constant downward pressure on the clamp ring and bag spout, elongating the bag as it empties to promote complete discharge.

Immediately above the clamp ring is a POWER-CINCHER^® flow control valve employing a series of curved, articulated rods that cinch the bag spout concentrically, allowing dust-free retying and removal of partially-empty bags.

The unloaders' surge hoppers are equipped with the company's flexible screw conveyors that gravimetrically feed bulk solids into a central solid-liquid eductor that blends the material into a liquid stream in variable ratios set by the user.