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Bulk handling company Flexicon has released a new Bulk-Out BFC Bulk Bag Discharging System with an integral bulk bag conditioner and a bag dump station. The bulk bag discharger promotes the flow of bulk solid materials that have solidified during storage and shipment. According to the company, the machine automatically discharges the material and enables manual additions of ingredients from sacks, drums and other containers. A cantilevered I-beam – with an electric hoist and trolley – helps to lower the bag lifting frame to attach the bag to patented Z-Clip bag strap holders before rolling the bag into the safety frame, eliminating the need for a forklift. The electric hoist can also be used to raise the bag for conditioning and a fold-down support tray operates as a bag rest. Meanwhile, the integral conditioner comprises two hydraulic rams with contoured conditioning plates on both sides of the bulk bag. A human-machine interface (HMI) controls the stroke and number of ram actuations. For the discharge of the bulk bag, "the bag outlet spout is pulled through an iris valve mounted atop a dust hood over the hopper" and once the bag outlet is secured and the iris valve is closed, the valve can be released slowly, reducing uncontrolled bursts of material into the hopper and dust into the environment. The discharger can be set up for weigh batch discharging with the addition of load cells and a programmable controller.