Bulk bag system increases refractory manufacturer's batching accuracy
When manually handling paper bags required heavy lifting in a dusty environment, a refractory manufacturer switched to a bulk bag batching system.
Zedmark's Slippery Rock, Pa., refractory plant receives truckloads of bulk bags containing materials such as aluminum oxide and zirconium oxide. The oxides come in different grades that vary according to particle size and material form [such as tabular or calcined]. Forklift trucks move the palletized bulk bags to a warehouse and then to processing. During processing, raw materials are formulated into batches and mixed in a horizontal plow mixer. The mixed batches are placed in portable bins and moved to casting production lines. Finally, the batches are cast into specialized refractory shapes that are eventually used to manufacture glass, steel, cement, and aluminum products.