GEA launched its new Big Bag fillers for infant formula, milk and food powder handling. The new system can fill up to ten bags an hour with a single operator – far surpassing anything else on the market today – and operates in a new, unique way that ensures the stability of the filled bags, making them easier to handle and reducing the risk of accidental damage or spillage.
Most ordinary big bag fillers support the bags on the base plate during filling then slide them onto the pallet for storage and distribution. The GEA BBS-S and BBS-D systems, by comparison, uniquely fill, vibrate and weigh the bags while they are hanging within the high care filling area. The filled bag is then lowered onto the pallet in the medium care area. This process ensures a more even fill than traditional methods, especially into the corners of the bag. The more even fill makes the base more secure, the bag less likely to fall over during handling, and prevent the wastage and disruption that would result from an accident. The process also makes sure that the bag sits squarely on the pallet with no overhang that could be damaged by forklifts or impede stacking.
Both the BBS-S and BBS-D systems provide production under full hygiene conditions in which pallets are not allowed in the filling area. There is complete separation between the high care (filling) and medium care (palletising) areas. Both feature an easy-clean cantilever design with no external structure outside the clean room and require only a single operator working from an integrated platform. Both can handle bags in the range 1.0 – 2.2 metres in height and have an accuracy of 0.5% (0.2% if supplied with an optional auger).
BBS-S Big Bag System
The BBS-S is a single station/single carriage machine capable of filling up to eight big bags an hour – far higher than any comparable machine on the market today. It is designed without heat sealing of the inner plastic liner, for applications that do not require MAP (Modified Air Packing), and therefore is very compact.
BBS-D Big Bag System
The BBS-D is a double station machine, with either a single or uniquely a double carriage, intended for high throughput applications, and with optional MAP and heat sealing available. The BBS-D2 (double carriage) can work on two bags simultaneously and can fill up to ten bags an hour – more if heat sealing is not necessary. Heat sealing, where required, is at a separate station to filling, making the filling area less cluttered and so easier to clean and removes any ATEX risk from sealing in the dusty zone.
Features at a glance
BBS-S
- Bag suspended during filling
- Bag range 1.0 – 2.0m
- Weighing during filling
- Bag compaction available
- Bag transfer and placing on pallet outside filling area
- Up to eight bags/hour
Additional on BBS-D
- Single or double carriage
- Up to ten bags/hour (more if heat sealing not required)
- MAP option
- Heat sealer option
The new machines follow in the footsteps of the trusted Smartfil BF-300 manually operated machine for low throughput applications. Simon Waddoup is the Sales Manager in Europe for GEA powder filling products. “Although the new machines were only brought to the market this month we have already received a number of pre-orders,” he said. “This bears testimony to the confidence customers have in the GEA products and the strong relationships we have been able to build over many years.”
GEA Process Engineering Ltd
Phone 01925 812650
info.gpuk@gea.com
www.gea.com
