Economical deagglomeration of Bulk Bags with the SmashR Eco

In its food syrup manufacturing process, the client uses bulk bags of sugar and maltodextrin. During storage and transport, some of these bulk bags experience temperature and humidity variations, leading to product caking despite the addition of anti-caking agents in their formulation. This compaction significantly complicates their discharge at the designated stations.

When hardened sugar blocks impede flow, operators must intervene directly at the bulk bag discharging station, often by striking the material with tools like mallets or metal bars, sometimes even having to cut open the bulk bags with cutters or other sharp tools. These repeated actions expose workers to injury risks, including musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and accidents. Likewise, sugar quality can be affected by the presence of foreign bodies or pieces of bulk bag fabric due to rough cutting. Furthermore, using unsuitable tools to break up agglomerates increases the risk of product contamination by foreign bodies, jeopardizing finished product quality.

Prolonged and repetitive interventions also delay the production process by extending discharge times, reducing the line's overall throughput and potentially causing production stoppages.

Facing these issues, the client sought an economical solution guaranteeing 100% powder flow restoration without manual intervention. Their challenge: eliminate operator risks and ensure optimal product quality by removing any contamination risk.

To address the caking issues with sugar and maltodextrin bulk bags, Palamatic Process proposed integrating a SmashR Eco, a hydraulic lump breaking system specifically designed for caking powders.

The SmashR Eco is an economical automated deagglomeration solution that massages the bulk bag at multiple heights using an integrated lift table with an 870mm stroke and a 2-tonne lifting capacity. This system delivers a pressing force of up to several tens of tonnes, applied via high-power hydraulic paddles, ensuring effective product flow restoration without human intervention.

The device operates with several adaptable massage cycles based on the bulk bag's degree of caking:

Standard mode:

activation of the hydraulic paddles on two sides, with three massage points (top, middle, and bottom of the bulk bag).

Intensive mode:

option for the operator to turn the bulk bag using a forklift to treat the other sides.

Automatic height management:

the lift table is equipped with a laser sensor to adjust the height and thus the number of massage points based on the caking level.

The design of the articulated paddles on pivot points ensures bulk bag massage without risk of tearing the fabric. This unique concept is the key element for choosing the SmashR solution.

The client's choice to install the SmashR Eco in their logistics area allows treating the bulk bags just before they enter the discharge stations. This upstream installation from the production area ensures a smooth and continuous production flow. This system completely eliminates the need for manual intervention, thereby reducing accident risks for operators and product contamination risks linked to the use of unsuitable tools.

The installed system relies on the integration of the SmashR Eco, equipment designed for lump breaking and deagglomeration of caked bulk bags. This solution is built around several technical elements ensuring optimal and safe operation.

1. SmashR Eco - High-Performance Hydraulic Lump Breaking

• High-pressure hydraulic paddles: apply a force of several tens of tonnes to the bulk bags to effectively break up sugar or maltodextrin blocks. => ensures extraction
• Motorized lift table: allows multiplying and adjusting the massage height based on caking level and bulk bag dimensions using a controlled laser sensor.
• Adjustable treatment modes:
  • Standard mode:
    3 massage touches and progressive pressure on two opposite sides of the bulk bag.
  • Intensive mode:
    increase to 5 or 6 massage touches + option to rotate the bulk bag a quarter turn via forklift for comprehensive treatment.

2. Automated Massage Cycle Management System

• Ergonomic control interface allows selecting different pressure levels and cycles based on the product's degree of compaction via the ergonomic and simplified touchscreen.
• Automatic cycle control ensuring treatment homogeneity and the absence of manual intervention.

3. Benefits of the Palamatic Process SmashR Eco Solution

• Increased operator safety: elimination of dangerous manual interventions (hitting, shaking, direct handling and cutting of bulk bags, using forklifts as anvils).
• Preservation of product integrity: elimination of contamination risks from foreign bodies by avoiding the use of unsuitable tools or cutting bulk bag fabrics.
• Production throughput optimization: reduction of discharge times thanks to prior preparation of bulk bags in the logistics area.
• Adaptability to different types of bulk bags: flexible solution with automatic pressure and height adjustment according to the packaging.
• Simple and quick installation: plug-and-play equipment, easily integrated into an existing line.

In summary, facing critical safety, quality, and fluidity challenges related to sugar and maltodextrin caking in bulk bags, the integration of the SmashR Eco by Palamatic Process provided a complete and effective response. This case study demonstrates how an automated and economical lump breaking solution, judiciously installed upstream from production, not only eliminates dangerous manual interventions and preserves product integrity but also significantly optimizes production rates and process continuity. The SmashR Eco thus stands out as a major asset for improving the reliability, safety, and profitability of operations in the food and beverage industry.