How to implement an efficient and reliable big bag filling station?

Big bags are used for various products such as construction products, fertilizers, different flour, pellets, and metal processing products. The big bag-filling station can be built as a business support tool, in which case the station also acts on a commercial scale.

Things to consider when acquiring a big bag station

When designing a new big bagging station, finding the most relevant initial information is the most important thing. In this case, the type of big bag and the mechanical structure of the filling station with its feeding devices can be designed according to the customer’s needs.

A typical problem for customers is that when creating a big bag station, the dimensions of all possible bags still need to be precise. This means that the person designing the station must understand the effect of bag variation on the construction of the filling connections. The material to be bagged and its properties must be known carefully before deciding, for example, what kind of dosing devices will be used to fill the bags.

A big bagging station implemented for nickel bagging

Properties of the material to be bagged

The big bag device can bag a wide range of materials, from light to coarse to heavy. For example, a fluid material behaves differently than other materials. In this case, excess air must be removed from the filled bag, and sometimes, this type of fine material may result in design planning measures to keep the bag’s shape as well.

Before bagging, our fluidization technology allows bulk material to be transferred to the silos and tubes by gravity like a liquid. Because there are no motors, significantly less energy is used, and the efficiency of the production process is increased. In addition, due to the tightness of the equipment, the spread of dust is reduced, significantly improving working conditions.

The big bag size and its intended use

So that you know, the bag’s purpose must be known in advance. Is it an outdoor breakable bag? Is there a separate inner bag inside the bag? What kind of valve is inside the bag? What do you think about the feeding collar? Even such small factors significantly affect the technical solutions of the big bagging device.

The raw materials for a chocolate factory in big bags

Scale accuracy and weighing data management

Bagging always involves essentially weighing the product and managing the weighing information. In the case of a bag with a specific weight (e.g., 1000 kg), the customer only pays for that weight. However, if a pack of non-specific weight is used (weighing result, e.g., 996 kg), the customer adds up the consequences of the weighing receipts and pays for this weighed quantity.

It is also essential to discuss how the weighing data is managed and how connections to ERP and other systems are handled. The type of dosing device and the coarse and fine dosing functions of the dosing control determine the dosing accuracy of the specific bagging.

Irrespective of the manufacturer, scales used in big bagging can also be connected to a digital mScales-weighing service. With the help of the service, it is possible to increase the efficiency of many different functions, such as stock balance maintenance, invoicing speed, and material flow management, by automating operations. The amount of manual work is significantly reduced and simultaneously minimizes errors.

Commercial or non-commercial scales

The scale is commercially used when the weighing result determines the price of a product or service. In addition to the weighing development, the identification data of the weighing is also transferred to the subscriber’s system. This same information is also stored in the log memory of the dosing controller. The structure and operation of the scale must meet specific criteria, which are determined by laws, directives, and many other standards.

In addition, the design and implementation of scale-related automation is more complex than in the case of a non-commercial scale. In other words, creating a commercial scale requires expertise utterly different from a basic process scale to comply with the legal requirements.

Long-lasting and reliable big bag station with lifecycle services

Cost-effective service and maintenance during the life cycle of the weighing system is ensured by the  Care^LAHTI–service. We also enable remote diagnostics by connecting the scales to the mScales-weighing service. In addition to the periodic scale inspection, we can perform the initial verification and maintenance sealing of the rankings.  We also take care of the maintenance and modernization of old scales. Lahti Precision maintains broader rights to conduct inspections based on metrological standards than any other company performing scale maintenance services in Finland. 

The image shows a large bagging station delivered to the battery material factory.

The bagging station is an integral part of the efficiency of the production process.

Our design emphasizes long-term experience with the behavior of various dry powdered substances at different stages of the production process. Over the years, we have supplied more than 200 demanding systems for handling dozens of powdered materials.  We are also able to use this experience in the dosing and weighing of individual substances.

In many cases, dosing and weighing go hand in hand, and choosing the proper dosing method also affects the technology used for entertaining. Consideration and understanding of the properties of the materials to be bagged are also essential when building a reliable and accurate production process.

Our bagging stations always comply with the EU type-examination certificate and the Machinery Directive, as well as CE-marked. You will receive a turnkey package from us, including the equipment’s design, manufacture, installation, and commissioning.

The article’s author is Jari Haraholma, Sales Manager of dosing and weighing systems. He has extensive experience and expertise in dosing and weighing systems.