Automatic Feeding of Kieselguhr from bags into Dissolving Tanks

Handling bags filled with kieselguhr is a constant daily challenge for breweries. Manually opening bags, emptying them and feeding kieselguhr into the dissolving tanks is very time-consuming, and generates considerable dust and product wastage.

We provide a unified solution to automate this process. This comprises an automatic bag emptying machine to automatically open and empty the bags, with integral compacting of the emptied bags, a pneumatic conveyor to carry the Kieselguhr into the dissolving tanks, and

an extraction and filtering unit for the pneumatic conveyor and dust extraction for the dissolving tanks. Plant is available for this process with different performance ratings, mainly in the range of up to 120 bags per hour and up to 250 bags per hour.

The operators merely have to place the bags on a conveyor belt as a component of the automatic bag emptying machine. This then transports the bags into the automatic bag emptying machine, and separates the packing material from the kieselguhr. The packing material passes through a chute into an empty bag compactor where it is stuffed into a tubular film. The kieselguhr falls through the emptying drum into the discharge hopper and flows into the inlet of the pneumatic conveyor. The kieselguhr is fed to the pneumatic conveyor by an injector that has the advantage of having no mechanically moved parts and no input power. The product is conveyed along the pipeline by compressed air into the appropriate dissolving tank, which is selected automatically by means of two-way diverter valves. These are remotely activated, and set to the dissolving tank to be filled.

The number of bags to be fed into each dissolving tank is set on a digital counter at the control cabinet. When the pre-set number of bags is reached, the automatic bag emptying machine switches off automatically, and the kieselguhr remaining in the system is conveyed to the dissolving tank. The system is absolutely hygienic since no product deposits are possible in the injector and the downstream pipeline to the dissolving tank.

There is a central filter for dedusting the air of the automatic bag emptying machine and in the pneumatic conveyor. The filter surfaces are cleaned automatically during operation after a pre-set time interval or after completion of a conveying process.

This compact solution reduces manpower costs, humanizes the workplace, avoids product and dust extraction losses, disposes of packing material in an environment friendly manner, providing an economically more attractive process.

You will find us at BRAU Beviale in Nuremberg in Hall 7 on Stand 416.