Bulk Material Handling Blog » Integrated Automation, Bulk Material Processing, Bulk Bag Filling and Container Discharging Industry News and Insight

Bulk Material Packaging Operation Uses Three, High-capacity Storage Vessels To Ensure 50,000 pound/hour Process Rate

John Vargo — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 20:12:00 +0000

Self-contained, high-volume bulk material packaging system processes combustible materials of varied physical characteristics.

This self-contained, high-volume bulk material packaging system processes up to 50,000 pounds/hour of combustible materials of varied physical characteristics, including: interlocking flakes and free-flowing, friable rods. Process operations include: material discharge from bulk bags; material introduction from belt flaker units; enclosed, vertical conveying; high-capacity bulk storage; material conditioning; and packaging into bulk bags. Integral to providing a reliable, consistent, high-volume material supply to the downstream bulk bag packaging operation are three, 1,060 cubic-foot capacity storage vessels. Built to ANSI and ASME standards, each 12-foot diameter vessel is constructed of 304 stainless steel, and is internal pressure rated to 116 PSIG. Material is supplied to each vessel from a 50-foot tall bucket conveyor through a 3-way flange inlet that directs material to size reduction units then into the storage vessel. Material is discharged from each storage vessel to the bulk bag filling systems using 12-inch, cast stainless steel rotary airlock valves rated to 150 PSIG and 400ºF material contact. Conditioned material is packaged using three, bulk bag filling stations, each at a process rate of 17,000 pounds/hour. Integrated, NTEP-certified hang-weigh scale systems (Cert. No. 07-108) ensure each filled bulk bag package weighs accurate to +/- .01% of total bag capacity, up to 4,500 pounds.

System-wide process automation and controls communication are managed from the facilities supervisory control and data acquisition system (SCADA). Equipment-level automation and controls are centralized to a single, menu-driven, touch-screen HMI, designed and built by NBE. Operator exposure to caustic material was eliminated, and operator physical ergonomics were optimized as a result of rigorous NBE risk assessment procedures. NBE expertise in specifying, designing, and manufacturing process systems to application-appropriate codes, standards, and regulations ensured system compliance at start-up.

New Bulk Bag Unloader System with 5-station Cluster Design Processes 12 Million Pounds per Year

timw — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 15:11:16 +0000

Recently commissioned, this new, 5-station bulk bag unloader system provides automated, high-volume bulk material introduction.

Recently commissioned, this new, 5-station, bulk bag unloader system combines high-capacity structural construction with a centralized controls and automation architecture to safely and accurately supply to downstream process operations a total of 12 million pounds/year of five, combustible input ingredients.

Each new bulk bag unloader station, included in the 5-station cluster, is constructed of thick-wall, 6-inch by 4-inch carbon steel structural tubing, and heavy-gauge carbon steel plate to meet, or exceed, ANSI and ASME specifications and ensure reliable, low-maintenance operation during virtually continuous-duty operation. The controls and automation architecture of the 5-station system uses custom PLCs and HMIs engineered, programmed, and built by NBE to integrate to the process facility’s central control system, while also complying with international standards. The five different material types range in bulk density from 150kg/m3 to 630kg/m3, each with varied, non-free flowing material characteristics. Each of the new NBE bulk bag unloaders uses two integrated, hydraulic massage paddles with 2,200 pounds of paddle pressure to condition the material and aid material flow. The combustible materials move from the bulk bag through the NBE E3™ enclosed bag spout interface where, with the closed-cycle dust collection system, migrant material generated during bag unloading is collected and re-introduced to the process flow. The E3™ also works during bulk bag unloading to elongate the bulk bag to further ensure complete material discharge.

Operator exposure to these materials is eliminated, and operator physical ergonomics are optimized as a result of rigorous NBE risk assessment procedures and NBE expertise in specifying, designing, and manufacturing process systems to application-appropriate codes, standards, and regulations to ensure optimal compliance contribution (OCC) at start-up.

Protecting Fragile Food Product During Bulk Food Processing Operations

timw — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:44:48 +0000

During material discharge, optical sensors ensure a maximum drop height of no more than 5 inches throughout the entire 150º tote rotation.

This automated bulk material handling system provides a total process solution for moving highly fragile food product through multiple process operations into bulk storage for temporary holding prior to final packaging. At a process rate of 12,000 pounds per hour, bulk totes of food product are nested into a lift carriage; the tote is sealed to a custom-designed discharge hood. The tote is vertically conveyed, using 1-1/2 inch, solid 304 stainless steel track and cam rollers, to a 23-foot discharge height. During tilting of the tote, optical sensors ensure a maximum product discharge drop distance of no more than 5 inches throughout the entire 150º rotation. Additional material handling occurs as three stages of vibratory conveyor move the highly fragile food product through two stages of high-speed image processing and sorting to ensure the material maintains its original characteristics throughout processing. The finish-processed food product is then moved into a storage tote using a reverse-tilt fill method to, again, ensure the product drop does not exceed 5 inches during filling. The final take-away conveyor section includes an integrated, NTEP-certified weigh system to ensure the filled tote weight is accurate to +/- .01% of the tote’s 4,000-pound total capacity.

Conveyor and container routing is directed from a single, menu-driven HMI designed and built by NBE. NBE automation expertise integrated the system-wide control, communication, monitoring, and data reporting to the facility’s central control system architecture. NBE integrated automation and performance-proven construction increased material processing rates while reducing material reject rates.

Sanitary Bulk Material Handling Equipment Accessibility: Bringing Speed, Safety, and Confidence to Cleaning

timw — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:36:52 +0000

Processing and packaging operations are becoming acutely aware of the significant cleanability and product safety advantages that result from the use of sanitary, application-specific material handling equipment versus force-fit, general industrial units. With the increased awareness and importance given to cleanability, plant operations, supervisory staff, and management are, now, looking for methods to improve equipment cleaning effectiveness and efficiency without compromising outcome. A priority method these professionals have identified for improving equipment cleaning effectiveness and efficiency is: accessibility. "If equipment manufacturers can figure out how to do open areas with CIP, that would save time and money," says Lee G. Johnson, Ph. D., vice president of technical services, West Liberty Foods. This post, the fourth in a series regarding sanitary bulk material handling equipment, will address how equipment accessibility must be included as an original equipment and operating environment design criteria to ensure the highest level of cleaning effectiveness and efficiency.

Regardless of clean-in-place (CIP) or open plant cleaning (OPC) applications, enabling quick and safe access by personnel to enclosed areas of the equipment, and aiding simple and safe access to components for disassembly prior to cleaning will: [i] shorten the duration of cleaning events, [ii] reduce the number of staff required for equipment cleaning, [iii] improve the outcome of cleaning and validation, and [iv] contribute to greater product safety.

The sanitary-specific construction of this bulk material tote dumper exemplifies OCC design.

This bulk material tote dumper, designed and built by National Bulk Equipment, Inc. (NBE) specifically for sanitary application, exemplifies a proactive equipment design focused toward improving accessibility. To ensure the accuracy and relevance of the design, NBE, first, performed a pre-production HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) assessment. The HACCP assessment guided the framework and component designs, the materials of construction, and the protections for personnel. Two examples of this sanitary tote dumper's designed-in accessibility to enclosed areas of the system are:

Enclosed hydraulics system enables easy viewing; simple access for cleaning and service.

• Easy Access to Enclosed Hydraulics Systems: A 9.525mm-thick, shatterproof viewing shield enables quick visual inspection. When access is required, simple tools can remove the shield. And, a tool-free clamp provides quick, and safe access to the reservoir. The hydraulic systems on this sanitary tote dumper are positioned below a seven-foot height and are, therefore, fully guarded on all six sides to protect personnel from moving parts. Though located well below, and separate from, the product contact area, this fully enclosed cabinet design also protects the product and the operating environment from fluid contaminants.

Discharge hood gate design enables easy and safe accessibility for disassembly and cleaning.

• Simple and Safe Component Disassembly: To speed cleaning, validation, and inspection of the internal surfaces of the sealed discharge hood, the hatch gate can be removed by one person, without tools, in less than 20 seconds. Easy reach to the discharge hood and quick removal of the hatch gate enables safe, visual validation and inspection; and, if necessary, obstruction-free, physical access to internal surfaces.

The sanitary processing and packaging marketplace has recognized that equipment cleanability, while a critical factor in the attainment of product safety and personnel safety, must be achieved with maximum equipment accessibility effectiveness and efficiency in order to provide optimal compliance contribution (OCC).

Additional posts in this series on sanitary bulk material handling equipment design include topics of: Equipment Cleanability, Structural Design and Contaminant Removal, Materials of Construction, and Product Safety Guidelines.

Sanitary Bulk Material Handling Equipment Cleanability: Value, Risk & Outcome

timw — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:13:04 +0000

Can a typical, industrial bulk material handling system in a sanitary processing operation be thoroughly cleaned, even to the microbial level? Probably. But, with every cleaning event of a process-inappropriate bulk material handling system comes increased costs for labor, consumables (such as detergents and water), and energy. And, more importantly, with hard-to-clean equipment in sanitary applications comes a greater risk for inspection failure and product contamination. This post, the third in a series (Part 1 and Part 2) regarding sanitary bulk material handling equipment, will address several structural design features to look for in the construction of application-specific, sanitary bulk material handling equipment. To proactively specify these cleanability design features into sanitary bulk material handling equipment will reduce the costs and time of cleaning events, will aid in improving validation and inspection outcomes, and will ensure optimal compliance contribution (OCC).

Continuous weld seams are ground to a No. 4 finish, hand-burnished to eliminate pits, dimples, and crevices.

• Continuous-weld seams, ground smooth to a No. 4 finish: Weld seams, particularly in product contact areas and adjacent areas, must be free of pits, dimples, and crevices that could harbor contaminants such as material residue, microbes, and allergens. In addition to the No. 4 finish, hand-burnished weld seams will improve gross soil removal and resistance to microbial build-up during operation and cleaning.

Non-obstructing raceway contains unbundled utility lines; reduces material build-up, eases cleaning, inspection.

• Unbundled Utility Lines and Hoses: Counter to the typical, industrial machine design philosophy, the utility lines and hoses should be left unbundled. Unbundled utilities will minimize the accumulation of food, dirt, or other organic matter; and therefore reduce the opportunity for growth of microorganisms. Unbundled does not mean uncontrolled. A non-obstructive raceway contains the utility lines and hoses and enables fast and thorough cleaning, promotes material release, eliminates re-cleaning, and aids validation and inspection.

• Laser-cut, Single-plate Sideframe Construction: Typical, industrial machine design often builds substructures using square-tube framework. However, inherent with square-tube construction is the significant number of internal angles, corners, and welded seams that will often block contaminants from cleaning procedures. Laser-cut, single-plate frameworks provides significant cleanability and sanitary operating advantages over square-tube framework. By eliminating the internal angles, corners, and weld seams, laser-cut, single-plate framework reduces cleaning steps, reduces water and detergent use, improves cleanability, and protects product from contamination.

Sure, process-inappropriate equipment can be put into sanitary processing operations, and it may perform its mechanical operations effectively. But, for the sanitary process operation that is driven by external influences such as regulatory compliance, or internal influences such as HACCP programs, application-specific sanitary equipment construction will provide OCC without compromise to the equipment's mechanical operation.

Sanitary Bulk Material Handling Equipment: Structural Design and Contaminant Removal

timw — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 23:46:23 +0000

As part of an ongoing series regarding sanitary bulk material handling equipment, this post will address the specific issue of structural design of sanitary bulk material handling equipment, and the critical role structural design has in ensuring the safety of sanitary product. Of course, sanitary structural design and sanitary materials of construction are equally important factors effecting the ability of bulk material handling equipment to provide optimal compliance contribution (OCC). For detailed information regarding materials of construction in sanitary equipment, please see this previous post.

In the matter of sanitary bulk material handling systems' structural design, it is worthwhile to restate an essential premise, that premise being: it is possible for two different pieces of equipment, placed into perfectly matching sanitary applications, performing the same mechanical function, and each having achieved compliance, for a unit designed to the specific, sanitary requirements of the application to have a significantly greater ability to prevent contaminants from entering the sanitary process stream than a general, industrial unit force-fit into the application. Let's take a look at several application-specific, sanitary design features that improve cleanability, improve validation and inspection outcomes, protect product safety, reduce consumables use, and ensure improved OCC.

Rounded cross members and angled flat surfaces eliminate material accumulation and pooling of liquids.

• Rounded framework beams and angled, rounded cross members: The use of rounded structural framework in sanitary construction, rather than square tubing common in general industrial equipment construction, eliminates flat surfaces where material accumulation and pooling of liquids can occur. The rounded cross members are also angled away from product contact areas to move material and liquids away from product and speed drainage and drying during cleaning.

• No internal angles or corners; flat surfaces angled 45˚ to horizontal: Notorious for accumulating contaminants and being difficult to clean, validate, and inspect; internal angles and internal corners in structural elements and component construction should be cut out during fabrication to eliminate areas where contaminants can gather. If flat surfaces are present, on controls enclosures, for example; these surfaces should be angled, at least to 45˚ to horizontal, and directed away from product contact areas.

Material release openings remove foreign materials from the sanitary process stream.

• Material release openings: With force-fit, general industrial dry bulk material handling systems, foreign materials (materials other than the intended process material) are often inadvertently directed into the sanitary material process stream because no accommodation has been made to collect and remove them. An application-specific, sanitary bulk material handling equipment design must proactively integrate foreign material release openings at every handling action point; from input to final packaging.

Sanitary suspension design offsets controls enclosure from equipment framework.

• Controls enclosures offset from structural framework: The necessary proximity of control enclosures near to the process stream, and their numerous inherent right angles, make controls enclosures a challenge to thoroughly clean and inspect. Beyond simple standoffs (also common to force-fit equipment), a highly sanitary enclosure management design uses a cut-out inset area and suspension to offset the enclosure from the structure. This design creates material release openings and visual inspection openings, and eliminates right angles, welded joints, and flat surfaces where microbes, allergen residues, and proteins associated with gluten can accumulate.

Structural design of application-specific, sanitary bulk material handling equipment must be a proactive effort. A pre-production HACCP assessment of the application will effectively guide the framework and component designs as well as the selection of the materials of construction. Avoiding the common design errors associated with force-fit, general industrial bulk material handling systems will ensure the protection of product and personnel, reduce cleaning and sanitizing times, and enable the highest levels of optimal compliance contribution.

Sanitary Bulk Material Handling Equipment: Materials of Construction In Process-specific Applications

timw — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:13:27 +0000

The sanitary-specific construction of this bulk material tote dumper exemplifies OCC design.

In an earlier post, some of the risks of integrating process-inappropriate equipment into sanitary bulk material handling applications were presented. In that post it was noted that many sanitary processing operations settle for force-fit, general industrial equipment rather than process-specific, sanitary bulk material handling equipment. "Clearly, there are degrees, or relative levels to sanitary compliance," says Tom Krueger, CMC, president of Summit Laboratory. "It is critical to recognize how the sanitary-specific construction of process-appropriate, sanitary bulk material handling equipment can translate to improved product safety, and a greater optimal compliance contribution". (OCC)

Materials of construction is referenced in industry guidelines, third-party standards, and in government regulations as an important aspect of sanitary equipment construction. Yet, with such vague references as, 'adequately cleanable', 'appropriate', and 'compatible', it is common for minimally sanitary equipment to be in use despite the negative effects this process inappropriate equipment may have. National Bulk Equipment, Inc. (NBE) has taken a proactive effort to ensure that it's process-specific sanitary bulk material handling equipment provides optimal compliance contribution.

These weld seams, in the product contact area, are continuous and ground to a No. 4 finish.

Regarding materials of construction, NBE uses findings from their pre-production, HACCP assessment to guide the framework and component designs and the selection of the materials of construction. This step puts in priority the protection of personnel and product; reduces cleaning, validation, and inspection times; and enables the highest compatibility with the environmental conditions specific to the process operation. For example, as appropriate, the structural framework, located below the product contact zone can be carbon steel. However, that carbon steel will be sandblasted, fabricated with smooth-ground continuous welds, and then primed and painted with FDA-approved epoxy paint. Materials in product contact and adjacent areas, are constructed of Type 316L stainless steel, also with continuous-weld seams. These stainless steel seams are then ground to a No. 4 finish to eliminate any divots, crevices, or other imperfections in the weld seam where microbial contaminants could accumulate.

In materials of construction, as in every aspect of process-specific sanitary bulk material handling equipment design, specifications beyond the standard are what achieve OCC and the resulting process advantages of: reduced time targets for cleaning, validation, and inspection; minimal labor allocation for cleaning and validation; limiting of consumables (water, chemicals, power) during cleaning; and increased repeatability of positive inspection outcomes.

Sanitary Process Equipment: Product Safety Guidelines and Standards

timw — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 20:50:58 +0000

Processing industries, such as: food, pharmaceutical, chemical, petfood, and many more recognize, everyday, their primary objective is to produce safe product that is free of microbial and physical contaminants. This is no mystery. It's a matter of fact. And, often, a matter of survival. Sure, their objective is clear, and the various industry guidelines, third-party standards, and governmental regulations are in place to, supposedly, assist in achieving the objective. Yet, with all the clarity of objective, and instruction for its achievement, a glance into these processing industries would seem to indicate a willingness to tolerate the integration of functionally inappropriate process equipment -- even at the risk of: [i] creating an unnecessary hindrance to cleanability and validation, [ii] increasing the likelihood of non-sanitary operation, [iii] heightened exposure to contaminates, [iv] incompatibility with sanitary facility design principles,[v] greater hazard for operators, cleaning and maintenance staff, and validation/inspection personnel, and [vi] reduced overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

Sanitary tote dumper with application-specific, functionally appropriate design and construction provides definitive compliance with industry guidelines, regulatory standards.

Why the risk tolerance? Why the willingness to accept degrees of functionally appropriate equipment? Why the willingness to compromise and trade-off process equipment performance variables? "It's a common misperception within many processing and packaging operations that the necessity for truly sanitary equipment design increases only as material gets closer to the center of process operations," says Tom Krueger, CMC, president of Summit Laboratory. "Unfortunately, as a result, many processing operations have settled for force-fit, general industry bulk material handling equipment. In doing so, they have done little to eliminate the presence of contaminants at the point of material introduction, and possibly put their entire, downstream process operation at risk," says Krueger. "Likewise, without functionally appropriate sanitary bulk container filling and packaging equipment, the introduction into the marketplace of contaminated finished product can become an increased risk."

Bulk Bag Unloaders Integrate Material Metering and Blending Processes

timw — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 20:10:58 +0000

The bulk material packaging and processing marketplace is expected to reach $134.9 billion in 2011. And, according to a research report published by Visiongain, much of this will be driven by consumer-level market demand for pharmaceutical and chemical products. Naturally, the complexity of end-use product formulations and packaging configurations will increase as bulk material packagers and processors compete to most effectively respond to the increasing demands of their end-market customers and gain market share.

This dual bulk bag unloader integrated material input, metering, and blending into a single equipment footprint, with a central HMI and controls architecture.

Bulk material processing and packaging operations responding to these market pressures are looking to remove, and/or optimize production processes within their bulk material unloading and manufacturing sequences. This integrated, bulk material handling system feeds, meters, and blends very free-flowing dry bulk material and liquid minor ingredients at a 12,000 lb./hr. blended-material process rate; centralizing multiple dry and liquid material handling steps within a single equipment footprint, and within a single controls architecture. Built by National Bulk Equipment (NBE), the dual bulk bag unloaders; constructed of 4" x 4" x 5/16" structural framework, each have a 4,000 lb. frame capacity and meet or exceed ANSI and ASME specifications. NBE bulk bag conditioning systems, built into the framework of each bulk bag unloader, also optimize total bag cycle process times by 25% compared to free-standing bag conditioning designs. The liquid supply tank, built of 304-2b stainless steel and built into the system footprint, discharges the minor ingredient into the blending hopper based the specific recipe and control instruction from the system HMI. The 250 cu. ft. capacity blending hopper is constructed of 3/8", 304-2b stainless steel and has an integral, 14 ga., 304-2b stainless steel dimpled jacket that is ASME inspected and code stamped for –20°F to +400°F, and 125 PSIG. A thorough material mix is provided by the blending hopper’s 10" solid mainshaft and double-ribbon agitator design.

The NBE bulk material handling controls and automation architecture enable standardized system integration to the facility’s SCADA system. Application-specific, operator interaction and process operations risks were identified and properly mitigated by NBE throughout the design, testing, and commissioning stages. NBE expertise in application-appropriate codes, standards, and regulations ensured system compliance at start-up.

Bulk Bag Filler and Bulk Bag Unloader: Automated, Single-system Process Operation

timw — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 17:54:39 +0000

This bulk bag filler system; receiving input material from an integrated bulk bag unloader, an integrated bag dump station, and a vibratory conveyor system, enabled the material processing operation to effectively transition to an automated, 20,000 lb./hour, bulk bag filling process from a relatively low-capacity, operator-intensive, 50 lb. bag filling system.

Multiple materials, all with differing characteristics, including: fast-flowing, dusty, sticky, and static-charged, enter the process operation based on the specific recipe selected at the system HMI by the operator. The NBE bulk bag unloader, receiving bulk bags of severely agglomerated material, starts an integrated, automated material conditioning sequence, including: massage paddles with 2,200 lbs. of paddle pressure, and an agitator hopper to prepare the material for supply, via screw conveyor, to the bulk bag filler. For secondary ingredients, a bag dump station, integrated to the bulk bag unloader, enables manual introduction of material to the agitator hopper for conditioning, blending, and supply to the bulk bag filler. The primary ingredient, supplied from downstream pneumatic conveying, is introduced to the bulk bag filling process through a 24” wide, 304-2b stainless steel, vibratory conveyor with a total material supply capacity of 20,000 lbs./hour.

This automated, bulk bag filler and bulk bag unloader system was built to be compliance-ready at start-up and to conform to the specific, regulated processes and practices of the Class II, Div. 2, Group G process area, as well as explosion protection and control features for venting, directlng, and releasing overpressure. NBE was the single-source provider of the system’s controls and automation, and was singularly responsible for integration of the system controls to the facility’s supervisory control and data acquisition system (SCADA). This NBE bulk bag filler and bulk bag unloader system significantly increased line capacity, improved resource management, reduced operating burden, increased labor efficiency and safety, and extended equipment contribution and performance lifecycles.