Bulk bag discharging and pneumatic conveying

Processed powders: Cobalt Carbonate, Cobalt Hydroxide & Cobalt Oxalate

Tank feeding

The customer is a manufacturer of raw materials for the production of batteries. The purpose of the installation is to feed the material into a preparation tank from bulk bags.

Palamatic Process Equipment:
Bulk bag emptying station EasyFlow® Flex 
VFlow® pneumatic vacuum transfer

Customer requirements are the containment and cleanliness of the discharge and the transfer operations.

Customer requirements for the tank loading operation involved total dust containment and spill prevention for general cleanliness of the material discharge and transfer systems. Therefore, the Palamatic Process team worked up a design that involved vacuum emptying the bulk bags and pneumatically transferring the material.

The EasyFlow® Flex emptying station represents the ideal solution to improve containment during the unloading phase of bulk bags. The emptying flow rate is efficiently controlled by the suction pipe which enters the bulk bag from above. The sleeve of the bulk bag, initially intended for filling, is connected to the head of the station via an inflatable seal ensuring a dust tight connection. Once connected, the operator can open the cuff and initiate the controlled descent of the suction pipe. These operations are managed by the Pal ‘Touch PLC on board the station.

The whole station is installed on weigh scales to measure the quantity of oxide extracted from the bulk bag. When the set weight is reached, the suction stops and the pipe retracts in order to release the bulk bag. This solution permits the partial emptying of the bulk bag, as well as the change of product at any time.
Due to the poor flow characteristics of the oxides, pneumatic massage, vibration and tension systems have been integrated into the EasyFlow Flex® bulk bag emptying station. The discharge of the oxides is ensured by a pneumatic vacuum conveying system. A cyclone with a filter cartridge and pneumatic counter-current cleaning ensures the reception of the oxides at customer's preparation tank.
he use of pneumatic transfer by vacuum VFlow® prevents any emission of oxides into the environment as well as system leaks. Also, taking into account the products conveyed, the technology used to create the transfer is a high vacuum pump. This technology avoids any risk of blockage and provides dense phase transfer, often used for abrasive or friable material.