High fill rates are less of a priority whenever mixtures of bulk materials need to be produced and filled in relatively small batches in a flexible manner.
It is far more important to be able to use a compact, versatile system that satisfies customer requirements in a practical way. The final process step prior to the transfer for despatch is also a crucial step where quality assurance is concerned.
The filling and weighing station for small receptacles can be positioned directly under mixers or buffer hoppers or can be fed from containers and big bags. Either a dosing screw or a cyclone screener type DA is used as the dosing unit. The screener has the advantage that foreign particles can be eliminated and small agglomerates broken down at the same time during the dosing process.
Depending what form of receptacle is being filled (sacks, boxes with inliner, tubs etc.), the station can be fitted with different filling heads and functions. The machine operator enters and maintains filling and weighing parameters either locally on the operating unit (basic equipment) or sends these to a master control system.
In the case of sacks or boxes with inliners, handling of the receptacles at the station is only carried out manually. The machine operator still has both hands free for docking the receptacle at the filling head and starts the dosing process using the foot-operated switch. Dosing is carried out automatically until the specified fill weight has been obtained. Then the receptacle can be disconnected using the foot-operated switch again. The system can also be designed for fully automatic operation when filling rigid receptacles like tubs, for example, and small drums.
There is an option to connect the system to an aspiration unit in order to vent the displaced dust-laden air during filling. Operation is possible in compliance with ATEX depending on the defined zone.
The filling unit including accessories satisfies stringent hygiene requirements and guarantees simple handling. Bespoke solutions are available for complete inline wet cleaning.
