Diatomaceous earth emptying

A company specializing in the exploitation and transformation of diatomaceous earth intended mainly for the chemical industry called upon ISERCO to provide a turnkey installation to be integrated into its production process.

The customer’s request

Within the framework of the development of one of its branches intended for the transformation of diatomaceous earth, our customer requires the integration of a big bag emptying station connected to a transfer screw. The purpose of this bulk handling equipment is to empty big bags filled with diatomaceous earth and to transfer it with an Archimedean screw to the rest of the process to be mixed.

Diatomaceous earth and prevention

Diatomaceous earth is composed of crystalline silica, a very irritating and harmful substance. This fine powder should be handled with care.

The installation designed and manufactured by ISERCO must ensure a clean and sealed emptying of the diatomaceous earth to limit any danger to the operator’s health.

This project imposed two main constraints. First, this station had to be able to empty big bags of different sizes. Our engineering department designed a big bag sleeve connection system that was adjustable in height. The other constraint was a problem with the layout of the production site. Indeed, the transfer screw had to pass between two posts to bring the product to the next process located in the next room.

After studying our customer’s needs, we proposed an installation including an emptying station connected to a transfer screw bringing the product to a mixer. This installation is supported by a painted steel frame.

The ISERCO installation that meets the customer’s requirements is composed of:

• A frame with a monorail and electric chain hoist with a maximum lifting capacity of 1500 kg.
• A steel cross-member allows the big bag to be extended during emptying. Before being put into service, the cross-member was mechanically checked by a specialized organization to prevent potential risks related to its use. Following these verifications, no anomaly or defect was found.
• A vibrating hopper is set in vibration by a vibrating motor. When the big bag comes into contact with the hopper, the vibrations are transmitted to the big bag, which activates the emptying of the product. This process facilitates the extraction of low-flow products.
• An ISERCO Clean Connect allows the connection of the big bag sleeve. This is a sealing system by clamping the spout to avoid any emission of fines and product loss. This Clean Connect is mounted on a cylinder, controlled by a pneumatic distributor with a lever (manual control). It is therefore adjustable in height and can be adapted to all sizes of big bags.
• The bottom of the Clean Connect is connected to an Archimedean screw allowing the transfer of the product to the next step of the transformation process.
• An electrical cabinet to vibrate the hopper, start the transfer screw, and control its rotation speed with a potentiometer. The start-up of the transfer screw is done at a low speed. As soon as the vibrated hopper is started, the rotation speed of the screw is accelerated. The transfer part of the process is done automatically.