Mobile bagging units for Chinese grain terminal

Richard Simon has recently supplied two of its Containerpak mobile bagging units to a private company set up by the Chinese government to operate the new Dalian Xizui grain terminal

Richard Simon has recently supplied two of their Containerpak mobile bagging units to Dalian Beiliang, a private company set up by the Chinese government to operate the new Dalian Xizui grain terminal.

Dalian is China's second busiest port, strategically located on the southern peninsula of Liaoning Province in North East China.

It serves as a major deep-water, ice free harbour that links China with Japan, Hong Kong, Korea and the rest of the world.

Experts are predicting that Dalian will become the new Hong Kong and it is one of China's most modern and best connected cities with the outside world.

When fully operational the grain terminal will be one of he largest in the world with storage capacity of almost one million tonnes, capable of handling several vessels at a time up to 140 000 tonne draught weight.

The first phase is now coming on line following two years construction, managed by the main contractor, UK based, AS-C.

This major investment of almost ?500 million in the port infrastructure will form a major intermodal hub for grain movement in and out of China.

Although the majority of the grain being off loaded is transhipped in land by rail, there is an important requirement for bagged grain for onward road and rail transportation to remote areas which have no facilities for handling bulk product.

To meet this specific need, Dalian Beiliang have decided to use the well proven Containerpak concept which provides the ability to off-load and bag the grain directly at the quay side.

This removes the need for secondary handling and the filled bags can be loaded straight from the Containerpak onto waiting lorries.

The Containerpaks can be set up along side a waiting ship and then quickly moved to a different location when required thus not interfering with bulk movement of grain.

The Containerpak mobile bagging system uses two 6 metre (20') ISO containers converted to house the critical components of a bagging line.

The containers, which have Lloyds Register Shipping Approval, can be transported as any normal container by road, rail or sea to wherever they are needed.

The system offers full flexibility in terms of operation and can utilise local power or be totally self-contained using an integral generator.

Typically a complete system can be set up and made operational within 24 hours of arrival on site.

The Containerpak philosophy is based on a fully modular design concept where the bagging system can include all the necessary ancillary equipment such as feed conveyors and hoppers, dust extractors, air compressors and power generators, in addition to the central Richard Simon weighing technology, be it nett or gross weigh filling.

The combination of feed mechanisms, weighers and filling methods in a Containerpak system can be varied to ensure the optimum solution for a particular product.

The containers are stacked one on top of the other when operating and maximum accessibility is achieved via the hinged sides of each container, without compromising security.

Detachable tow bar and wheel assemblies provide on-site mobility while jacks allow levelling on uneven surfaces and ensure added stability during operation.

As the most northen of China's major ports.

Dailian can be subjected to extreme climatic conditions.

In summer, temperatures can soar to over 40øC, while in winter, the wind chill from biting northerly winds can cause them to plummet to -25øC.

To combat these extremes, Richard Simon engineers modified the standard Containerpak design.

Heaters and draught curtains have been added to improve operator comfort and prevent icing, while the control room in the upper container is fully air conditioned to protect the electronics.

The on-board compressor is fitted with a special dryer-cooler package to ensure high air quality under a conditions.

To match the modern technology within the terminal, the client specified fully electronic Richard Simon UBM weighers and the latest generation of Containerpak GP4 weigher controllers.

Two independent weighers are configured in a single body which allows maintenance or adjustments to be carried out on one weigher while the second continues to operate.

The controllers are integrated with an Allen Bradley PLC and the system can provide fault diagnostics together with detailed printouts of bag weights and throughput.

In order that the units could be commissioned in time for the opening of the terminal, the special Containerpaks were designed and built in only 12 weeks.

As part of the complete system Richard Simon has also supplied T33 telescopic lorry loading conveyors.

Each Containerpak is capable of filling 2400 x 50 kg bags an hour giving a combined throughput for both of 240 tonnes an hour and Richard Simon expects to supply further Containerpaks in the coming months.

The full mobility of the units means that they can be used for both quayside and warehouse duties as required.

Around 300 Containerpak systems are in use around the world, handling a diverse range of products including grain, rice, pulses fertilizers and cement.

The systems have built an enviable reputation for reliability and ongoing performance, with systems often operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, even in the most hostile environments.

Conservative engineering disciplines, combined with Richard Simon's broad experience in materials handling ensures that the equipment operates well below levels where breakdowns are likely to occur without compromising the impressive bagging speed and accuracy.

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