Concetti, of Bastia Umbra, Italy, has recently supplied a big bag filling station for urea to a Spanish manufacturer of high quality fertiliser materials. High productivity and the practicality of this type of packaging in the agriculture industry together with excellent corrosion resistance are among the key benefits of the new system.
The installation fills up to 100 bulk bags of 500 kg per hour and can be operated by one person. With automatic height adjustment, it is possible to fill FIBCs up to 2000 mm in height and weighing between 500 and 2000 kg, thus guaranteeing to the producer an extremely flexible operation. In a fast-growing industry such as fertilizers, with the expected increase in the world population (9 billion in 2050), high productivity is an important competitive advantage.
As well as the integrity of the product is a guarantee of quality. The Concetti designed heat sealer is manually controlled by the operator and adjustable in height and allows significantly improved protection of the product during storage and transport. Urea is a water-soluble fertiliser and highly sensitive to external agents. The use of a resistant double layer big bag with heat sealing closure, an alternative to simply tying off the FIBC neck, raises the level of product integrity and protection.
Fertiliser materials are corrosive, so special attention has been given to the free sliding wear surfaces, particularly in the most vulnerable areas, where hardened surfaces or corrosion resistant steels are used to ensure a long operating life. Other surfaces are treated with a special paint finish.
This type of bulk bag can be directly used to fertilise large agricultural areas, thanks to the simplicity of loading into mechanised fertilizer spreaders and the low packaging cost. It can also be used by contractors to transfer product into 40 kg sacks for retail sale.
