WOLIFT Vacuum Tube Lifter for Fertilizer Bag Feeding and Palletising
A fertilizer factory needed a simpler way to move heavy woven bags between two working points: raw material feeding at one end of the line and finished bag palletising at the other. WOLIFT supplied a pneumatic vacuum tube lifter with a 6-meter column-mounted jib crane, so one operator could complete both tasks with one handling system.
Project background
In this fertilizer plant, bag handling was a repeated daily job. Workers had to move bags for line feeding, then handle finished bags again during palletising. Because the two stations were located at opposite ends of the production line, the customer normally needed more labor or separate handling equipment for each side. The bags were also not suitable for rough mechanical gripping. Woven polypropylene is breathable and can be damaged if it is squeezed too tightly. For a fertilizer plant, broken bags mean material loss, extra cleaning, and interruptions around the production line.The handling challenge
The customer wanted to reduce physical labor without making the line layout complicated. The solution needed to reach both the feed hopper and the palletising area, handle heavy bags repeatedly, and avoid tearing the bag surface. Dust in the workshop was another practical factor. The lifting device had to work reliably in a fertilizer production environment, where exposed electrical parts and unsuitable suction cups can cause maintenance problems.WOLIFT solution
WOLIFT selected a vacuum tube lifter for bags and mounted it on a column-mounted jib crane. The crane was installed near the center of the line. With a 6-meter rotating arm, the system can cover a working diameter of about 12 meters, reaching both the feeding point and the palletising point. This layout helped the customer avoid buying two separate handling machines. The operator can swing the arm to the raw material side, lift a bag, release it into the feed hopper, then use the same system for finished bag stacking.
Why this configuration worked
The jib arm was made from aluminum alloy, which is important for a 6-meter manual swing arm. Compared with a heavy steel arm, the aluminum arm is easier to push, pull, and position during repeated operation. The pneumatic vacuum tube lifter uses compressed air, making it a suitable choice for dusty fertilizer workshops. WOLIFT also used bag-specific suction cups designed for woven surfaces. The lifting force is distributed across the bag contact area instead of concentrated through clamps, helping reduce tearing and surface damage.One centrally installed jib crane allowed the operator to handle both feeding and palletising without carrying fertilizer bags by hand.
Operation on site
The operator only needs to control three basic actions: lift, lower, and release. For raw material feeding, the suction head picks up a bag and places it over the hopper. For palletising, the operator moves finished bags into position layer by layer. The hovering function is useful during stacking. The suction head can stop at a selected height with or without a load, so the operator can adjust the bag position before releasing it. This makes palletising easier as the stack height changes from lower layers to higher layers.Case video
The video can show how the WOLIFT vacuum tube lifter picks up fertilizer bags, hovers at the required height, swings between the feed hopper and palletising area, and releases each bag into position. Use this module when your real on-site video is ready.Result
After installation, one operator could handle both bag feeding and palletising with the same WOLIFT lifting system. Manual carrying was reduced, the working process became smoother, and bag damage caused by squeezing or clamping was reduced. For fertilizer plants with similar bag handling requirements, a vacuum tube lifter combined with a column-mounted jib crane offers a practical balance between coverage, cost, and daily ease of use.RFQ questions for a similar bag handling solution
After seeing this fertilizer bag handling case, plant managers usually want to confirm these points before choosing a similar system.
Can one system cover both feeding and palletising?
Yes, if the layout allows the jib crane to be installed in the right position. In this case, one 6-meter jib arm covered both ends of the production line, reducing the need for two separate handling devices.
Will the suction head damage woven fertilizer bags?
WOLIFT selects bag-specific suction cups for breathable woven surfaces. The goal is to hold the bag securely without squeezing, puncturing or tearing the material like a mechanical clamp might.
Is a pneumatic lifter suitable for dusty fertilizer workshops?
Yes. A pneumatic vacuum tube lifter uses compressed air and avoids exposed electrical components near the lifting head, which can be a practical advantage in dusty production areas.
Can the operator adjust bag height during palletising?
The load-holding hovering function allows the bag to stay at a selected height, so the operator can fine-tune placement as the pallet stack gets higher.
Discuss a similar handling requirement
Share the workpiece data and site conditions for an initial engineering review.