Article by FormPak, Inc.: Bulk Bag Handling for Height-Restricted Environments

FormPak, Inc. (United States) - Flexible intermediate bulk containers, also known as FIBCs or bulk bags, are commonly used in the production of food, chemicals, plastics, pharmaceuticals and numerous other goods.

Traditional vertical-style plants with tall ceilings provide a good environment for filling and unloading FIBCs. This type of application lets gravity guide the process by allowing dry powdered materials to flow easily into or out of the bag. However, vertical plants do have potential inefficiencies, such as a need for extra stairs and elevators, which make them less than ideal for some operations.

Low-ceiling plants offer good temperature control and other operational advantages for manufacturers of meat and poultry products, in particular. With less space to keep cool, low ceilings allow for more efficient refrigeration on the plant floor. The challenge with low ceilings is that bulk bags must be positioned high over downstream equipment (such as conveyors and blenders) for unloading. Forklifts have low effective lift in these applications, due to the backrest and L shaped forks. This requires a lower than ideal access point for operators, or a specially built system to accommodate.

Unloaders for Low Ceilings:

Bulk bag unloading presents a significant challenge. When designing equipment for low-headroom environments, taller components are often omitted or re-imagined to keep the bag as low to the ground as possible. For example, equipment designers must allow for appropriate distancing between hopper and blender, and easy operator access to bag openings.

Unloader support frames can be customized for ceiling height. Design options include a split-frame arrangement in which the top frame is omitted, allowing the bag to be lifted from the bottom and set on top of the base frame.

Another alternative involves a cantilever arrangement that facilitates positioning of the bag over the frame for disharge. 

Fillers & Adapters:

Head models allow for bulk bag filling in reduced headroom environments. Shorter fill heads and customized holder arms for multiple bag heights are other helpful features.

Low-head lifting devices support transport and storage of filled bags in low-ceiling areas. These devices can be used in combination with a fork truck to stack bags safely. Properly designed lifting devices or spreader bars can also be paired with a crane or hoist to allow the FIBC to fit in tight spaces while lowering the draft of the bag from the hoist hook.

Low-head lifting devices support transport and storage of filled bags in low-ceiling areas. These devices can be used in combination with a fork truck to stack bags safely. Properly designed lifting devices or spreader bars can also be paired with a crane or hoist to allow the FIBC to fit in tight spaces while lowering the draft of the bag from the hoist hook.

Other equipment, including flexible screw conveyors, can also be configured with horizontal outlets and other features that allow for low-headroom operations. 

At FormPak, our experts have designed bulk bag handling systems for a wide array of manufacturing environments across multiple industries. We have the knowledge and experience to build low-headroom solutions that will facilitate safe and efficient operations.

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