Big 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 a preparation tank with the material packed in big bags.

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

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

As the customer's objective is to achieve a dust-free installation, the Palamatic Process team oriented itself towards a vacuum emptying solution as well as a pneumatic vacuum conveying system VFlow®.

The EasyFlow® Flex emptying station represents the ideal solution to improve containment during big bags emptying phases. The emptying flow rate is perfectly controlled by the suction pipe which enters the big bag from the top. The sleeve of the big bag initially intended for filling is connected to the head of the station ensuring a tight connection via an inflatable seal.
Once connected, the operator can open this cuff and thus authorize the controlled descent of the suction pipe.
These operations are managed by the supervision PLC on board the station.
The whole station is installed on scales to measure the quantity of oxide extracted from the big bag. When the set weight is reached, the rod stops the suction and retracts in order to release the big bag. This solution permits the partial emptying of the big bag as well as the change of product at any time.
Due to the poor flow characteristics of the oxides used by our customer, pneumatic massage, vibration and tension systems have been integrated into the big bag emptying station. The suction of the oxides is ensured by a pneumatic vacuum conveying system. A cyclone with a filter cartridge with pneumatic counter-current cleaning ensures the reception of the oxides at the level of the customer's preparation tank. The use of pneumatic transfer by suction avoids any emission of oxides into the environment in case of leakage due to the use of vacuum.
Similarly, taking into account the products conveyed, the technology used to create the vacuum is a high vacuum pump. This technology avoids any risk of blockage and allows a dense phase transfer.