Six years after a Flexicon
bulk bag discharger and
screw conveyor operation
went live at The Plastics
Group’s production facility in
Woonsocket, Rhodes Island
the company has invested in
a second Flexicon system that
feeds additives to a new twinscrew
compounding line
used in the manufacture of
thermoplastics.

Flexicon’s bulk handling
systems have enabled the
company to keep all its
processing lines on a single
floor level.

One of the constraints
affecting installation was
plant headroom – 5m
maximum – however with
careful planning the original
single screw compounder
was replaced by a twin,
70mm diameter screw
compounder, the use of a
Flexicon bulk bag discharger
and conveyor enabling the
company to fit everything on
one level. This configuration
worked well so when the
company wanted to boost
productivity with the
introduction of a high-speed
twin screw line it ordered
another bulk bag discharger
and flexible screw conveyor
from Flexicon Europe.

Additives arrive at the
plant in bags weighing 450 to
1130kg, but some are shipped
at 1360kg. Therefore Flexicon
ensured that the BFC Bulk
Bag Discharger frames had a
safety load ratingof 1800kg.

Each bag is attached to a
four-cornered low-profile
lifting cradle with Z-Clip
bag-strap holders, and raised
into position by an electric
trolley hoist mounted on a
cantilevered I-beam. A
pneumatic Power-Cincher
flow-control valve regulates
flow through the bag spout,
while a Spout-Lock clamp
ring that attaches the bulk
bag spout to a Tele-Tube
telescoping tube maintains
downward tension, keeping
the spout taut.

The dischargers also have
pneumatic Flow-Flexer
agitation plates that lift and
lower the bottom of a bag to
maintain positive flow and
achieve full discharge.