In food processing, bulk-bag discharge systems are used to transfer food ingredients such as flour, sugar, and spices from bulk bags to mixing and blending equipment. However, when not designed or installed properly, bulk discharge systems can become a production bottleneck.

Complicating the issue, bulk-bag dischargers are often integrated with other equipment such as conveyors that move ingredients downstream for further processing. In some cases, workers may still manually transfer material using totes or carts. The weakest—or the slowest—link in this chain can slow production dramatically.

“A poorly designed bulk-bag discharger (or discharger system) can decrease downstream process efficiency, and what should take five minutes might end up taking half an hour,” says Don Mackrill of Automated Handling Solutions (AHS), which provides engineering solutions that incorporate specialty conveyor, material handling, and automation technologies. “Upgrading to better equipment can help food processors boost their overall processing rate by tackling a potential bottleneck.”

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