A new Half Frame Bulk Bag Unloader from Flexicon Corporation offers total dust containment at low cost by eliminating upper frame components to lift and/or position the bag, instead relying on the user's forklift or plant hoist to suspend the bag above the unit during operation, according to David Boger, sales manager.

The bag-to-hopper interface consists of a SPOUT-LOCK^® clamp ring positioned atop a pneumatically actuated TELE-TUBE^® telescoping tube, allowing dust-tight connections and unrestricted flow between the bag spout and hopper, as well as automatic tensioning of the bag as it empties to promote flow and evacuation. The telescoping tube raises the clamp ring assembly that seals the clean side of the bag spout to the clean side of the telescoping tube, and then lowers until the bag spout is pulled taut. Once the spout is untied, the telescoping assembly exerts continual downward tension on the spout, elongating the bag as it empties.

The high-integrity, dust-tight seal between bag spout and clamp ring allows full-open discharge from bag spouts of all popular diameters, eliminating the need for iris valves commonly employed to lessen dust escape inherent with bag spouts hanging loosely in hopper 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 into the bag discharge spout. As the bag lightens, the stroke of the bag activators increases, raising the bag into a steep "V" shape, eliminating dead spots for total evacuation of material with no manual intervention.

The transition hopper is equipped with pneumatic flow promotion devices, and an optional Flexible Screw Conveyor capable of elevating free- and non-free-flowing bulk materials including

products that pack, cake, plug, seize, smear or fluidize, and blends that separate.

Other options include a POWER-CINCHER^® flow control valve that cinches the spout concentrically for leak-proof retying of partially empty bags, and a BAG-VAC^® dust collector integral to the dust-tight system that creates negative pressure to collapse empty bags prior to retying and disconnection, eliminating dust emitted during manual flattening of empty bags.

Full-frame bulk bag unloaders offered by the company include BFF Series unloaders with bag lifting frame for forklift loading, and BFC Series unloaders with cantilevered I-beam and electric hoist and trolley for positioning of bags without the aid of a forklift.

Construction is of carbon steel with durable industrial finish, or stainless steel finished to industrial, food, dairy or pharmaceutical standards.