Major Chemical & Polymers

August 11, 2026

Situation

This customer had previously used a contract processing supplier to transfer a metal powder (nickel) from Super Sacks® to a sealed IBC. The material is a critical component in the production of plastic pellets, and would shudder the plant if a solution wasn’t found and implemented quickly. Facing a 1.5 million dollar per day loss, the engineering and management team reached out to FormPak who had just installed a fully automated bag filling system for outgoing materials. Additionally, the material was both carcinogenic, and explosive, so dust containment was critical. The incoming bulk bags came from either a Canadian or Russian source, and would require piercing of the bag to dispense (plain bottom bags).

Scope

Together the engineering teams designed a contained bag unloading system that included:

  • Indexed entry doors for loading bags and IBC’s
  • Integrated dust collector
  • A positive seal between bag outlet and IBC
  • A vacuum system for cleanout after transfer

Solution

The project was fast-tracked through production to insure installation and start-up before depletion of the material. The result not only eliminated the risk of plant shut-down, but put the customer in control of their destiny, and reduced costs by bringing the transfer in-house.