What to know before selecting your big bag crusher system / big bag massage cage

A massage cage or “big bag conditioner” allows manufacturers to unload big bags containing solid materials that have agglomerated, hardened or have poor flow characteristics. The advantages of a massage cage are numerous: worker safety, increased productivity, reduced operating costs, etc.

Different big bag crusher systems exist for various applications depending on the material handled. It is therefore important to consider a number of criteria before choosing the system that will suit your needs. Palamatic Process gives you the 7 points to take into account before selecting your big bag crusher system.

For any bulk bag packaging operation it is essential that your equipment has a solid structure. The frame must be robust and withstand heavy loads and repeated use to guarantee the strength, level of safety and durability of your machine. A metal frame of the correct thickness and welding is strongly preferred over a thinner frame assembled by bolts. A preliminary study with our design office will provide you with a proposal that best suits your process requirements.

The conditioning arms of your massage cage must be strong, robust, durable and easy to clean depending on the material being processed. Different types of conditioning arms exist:

• pivoting conditioning arms
• direct compression conditioning arms, often requiring guide rods to prevent opposing arms from deviating

The shape and profile of the conditioning arms are also parameters to consider before making your decision. Conditioning arms with a wedge or V-shaped profile can be more efficient with breaking up agglomerated material more easily than arms with flat profiles. Swivel arms offer the advantage of not managing any residual crushing force from the big bag. Compared to the direct compression arms style solution which can generate residual forces counter-productive to the deagglomeration of the big bag.

The hydraulic system of your big bag crusher is also an element to consider before making your final choice. A massage cage operating continuously and at maximum speed imposes strong pressure on its hydraulic system. The latter must therefore be of good quality in order to operate efficiently over time. Rigid hydraulic lines wear less quickly than flexible hoses. In addition, double hydraulic pumps have the advantage of being smooth and quiet compared to a system using only one pump, which can generate more noise and heat.

Many highly agglomerated powders require you to massage all sides of the big bag and at different height levels. However, in the case where the material is solid but the arms of the cage only exert pressure on a small area of the big bag, the agglomerates may not be completely broken and flow problems will remain present.

To avoid this problem, a lifting table can be integrated for raising and lowering the big bags to several height levels and allow pressure to be applied on the entire big bag. A turntable can also rotate the big bag and provide operator time savings and packaging efficiency.

Another criterion to consider is the degree of automation of the big bag massage cage operation. Some big bag crushers have manual control systems while others have remote programmable controllers, which provide more speed and flexibility for operators. The PLC integrated into the Palamatic Pal'Touch® solution meets this need for automation and allows control of packaging variables and the condition of the equipment throughout the production process.

The big bag crusher cage must be fitted with a safety system to avoid any risk for production operators. The equipment must therefore be equipped with safety guards on all sides. Options can be added such as the locking of the hydraulic enclosures, the installation of a mesh enclosure, plinths for the lifting tables, containment enclosures with dust removal, etc.

It is also possible to have a metal cage or one equipped with a transparent acrylic system to see the inside of the machine.

Carrying out tests with your bulk materials in a test center will allow you to ensure the efficiency of the crumbling equipment of your bulk bags. Palamatic Process has a powder laboratory as well as a test center. Our experts can provide you with a full test report of your bulk bag massage cage products with photos and videos.
Make an appointment now for a big bag crusher test.