A new manual dump system from Flexicon (www.flexicon.com) collects dust generated during manual dumping, compacts empty bags, and conveys bulk material downstream. The dust-free system is comprised of a receiving hopper, dust collector, bag compactor and flexible screw conveyor.

A bag infeed chute through the sidewall of the hopper hood allows the operator to pass empty bags directly into the bag compactor, causing dust generated from both dumping and compaction to be drawn onto the system's two cartridge filters. An automatic reverse-pulse filter cleaning system releases short blasts of compressed air inside the filters at timed intervals causing dust build-up on the outer surfaces to fall into the hopper, conserving useable product. Filters are readily accessed by removing the interior baffle, and replaced rapidly using quick-disconnect fittings.

The compactor employs a large pneumatic air cylinder to compress bags into a removable bin that accommodates 50 to 80 bags. The main door, and a flapper door within the bag infeed chute, are equipped with safety interlocks that prevent operation of the compactor unless both doors are closed. The hopper discharges into an enclosed, flexible screw conveyor designed to handle a broad variety of materials including free- and non-free-flowing bulk materials from large pellets to sub-micron powders, including products that pack, cake, seize, smear, fluidize, break apart or separate, with no separation of blended products.

The company also manufactures pneumatic conveying systems, bulk bag dischargers, bulk bag conditioners, bulk bag fillers, drum/box/container dumpers, drum fillers, weigh batching and blending systems, and engineered plant-wide bulk handling systems with automated controls.