Bag Breaker
A Bag Breaker is an automated opening machine that operates at the beginning of MRFs and release the contents contained in bagged waste into the downstream plant at the required throughput rate. Bagged material is fed into a Bag Breaker at an evenly metered flow rate and is split open by blades on counter-rotating drums without damaging the waste[1].
Internal View of Machine Showing Bag Breaker Blades[1]
Overview
A Bag Breaker is an automated opening machine that operates at the beginning of MRFs and release the contents contained in bagged waste into the downstream plant at the required throughput rate. Bagged material is fed into a Bag Breaker at an evenly metered flow rate and is split open by blades on counter-rotating drums without damaging the waste[1]. Bags of all sizes can be split, and they are left in one or two pieces for easy removal via a series of crowder arms[2]. Conveyors both load the bags and then unload the split material for further processing. The hopper box can be built to match the throughput of the MRF and so the Bag Breaker can also perform storage and metering functions to help free up time for the grab/shovel loader downstream[3].
Applications
Stated Benefits
- Higher processing capacity than manual sorting
- Low maintenance and operational costs than a shredder
- Easy to retrofit into existing facilities
- Does not damage bagged contents
- Empty bags are torn to large pieces rather than shredded for easy removal
- Eliminates the hazard of manual bag opening[3]
The Process
 Schematic Diagram of a Bag Breaker |
1. Bagged waste is fed into the Bag Breaker via a conveyor at an evenly metered flow rate |
| 2. The blades on large counter-rotating drums cut open the bags without damaging the contents | |
| 3. The waste falls from the bottom of the machine | |
| 4. A belt conveyor transports the recyclable material away from the machine for further processing downstream[3] |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Bag Openers: OKAY Engineering
- ↑ MSW Bag Opener - Link to CP Group Website
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Bag Breaker - Link to BHS Fact Sheet