As a thoughtful, careful facility manager, you know you need to obtain the most appropriate equipment for the job to support your forklift operators as well as those employees responsible for loading large, heavy super sacks full of the raw materials for your products.
Measuring and processing various materials in your company as efficiently as possible is easier once you have identified the characteristics of your new bag unloader. Criteria to keep in mind are worker safety and time savings.
Here is some insight to help you find the correct bulk bag unloader today.
Forming a Dust-Tight Seal Each Time
One of your priorities when evaluating the potential use of a bulk bag unloader will be its ability to form a tight seal every time you connect the bulk bag and the bulk bag unloader.
Look for a configuration where your forklift operator seals the bag clamp to the clean side of the spout of the bag on the containment tube. The idea is to lower the sealing clamp and then pull it taut before clamping down. At this point, your operator can untie the bag to let material flow freely, without allowing hazardous dust to escape into the air.
Safety at the Worksite
It’s imperative to maintain the highest standards of safety in your workplace. You do not want to have to adjust the “X number of days without an accident” sign in your facilities.
So, when you are working with light materials that involve a great deal of dust, your bulk bag unloader must be designed to avoid dust build up. Experienced operators are aware that dust can accumulate inside an otherwise empty bag, meaning you must tie it off before you remove it from the unloader.
Also, the issue of pinch points becomes increasingly important to keep in mind. You must use a bulk bag unloader that is designed so that there are no areas in the connection between the valve or seal and the bulk bag’s spout that workers might be able to get their hands pinched or crushed.
The last thing you want is for employees to reach into the spout’s sealing mechanism or the equipment used to stretch the bag.
Efficiency During Unloading Operations
Ideally, you will source a bulk bag unloader that is convenient for workers to secure the bags to, with less mess involved for each bag unloading session. Less cleaning time is part of your efficiency calculations.
Naturally, the safety and well-being of employees and visitors to the facility take precedent over all other concerns. But you don’t have to sacrifice speed and efficiency when you have a bulk bag unloader designed by industry experts with many years of experience, such as the team at CAMCORP.
One challenge you face daily is balancing maximum efficiency with maximum safety in your facility. The correct equipment plays a big role in maintaining operations efficiency as well as protecting workers and equipment from accidents, fires, and explosions.
The larger and more secure the bags are in your operations, the more quickly and efficiently your team can work. This underscores the need to find large bulk bags that work with your bulk bag unloader.
After all, your managers will prefer to work with a large bag capable of accommodating one ton instead of using dozens of 50-pound bags. A switch to using larger bags will lead to more efficiency while keeping new safety considerations in mind.
Minimize Contact Between Your Operators and the Bulk Bag
You may have occasions where an operator will be tempted to use a knife to cut into the bulk bag’s spout to facilitate the discharge of materials. That’s to reduce direct contact, but it’s not the best approach because of the risk it adds to the equation.
Instead, you want a bulk bag unloader setup that makes it easy just to untie the bag.
Addressing Dust
The threat of fire is always present when you work with potentially volatile bulk materials, especially those that can generate a significant amount of dust into the air. To control dust and avoid a dust-prompted fire, you will surely have a strong ventilation system in place. The bulk bag unloader’s frame design also plays a role in controlling dust. An iris valve or a spout seal that matches correctly with the bulk bag are ideal options.
Connect with Bulk Bag Unloader Experts Today
If you have more questions or concerns about selecting the correct bulk bag unloader for your facility, the professionals at CAMCORP are standing by to assist. To learn more about how we can help you with bulk bag unloaders, get in touch with us today.
