Company: Luxme International

Website: https://luxme.com/

Equipment Snapshot: Addressing the food industry’s need for hygienic, bulk ingredients, Luxme International’s MINILux is a high-volume bag-opening solution that eliminates dust and removes the associated health and safety risks. It is an automated, food-grade bag slitter constructed to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards with self-contained dust collection and recovery. Converting labor-intensive, inefficient processes into automated and sustainable ones, the MINILux recovers 1.5–2.0 percent more product at a rate that is 1.8 to 2 times faster than a single bag dump station. Facilitating a healthy, safe, and hygienic working environment by recovering both airborne and trailing product, it also reduces waste and boosts profits.

Developed by Luxme International, the MINILux protects workers from occupational breathing conditions and greatly reduces the risk of explosion by containing all dust particles within the system itself, ensuring that workspace air remains clean, safe, and hygienic.

Capable of opening up to six 25-kg bags per minute, the MINILux is an all-in-one conveying, slitting, emptying, integral dust-filtering, and empty bag compaction solution. Adhering to the highest standards of food hygiene, it features multiple clean-out access points for easy cleanability to ensure that allergens and pathogens do not enter the food chain. 

The MINILux has been designed for versatility and efficiency. It processes most 25-kg bag types and sizes on a continuous basis, allowing batches with a variety of bag sizes, weights, and constructions to be slit and opened in a single run without setup adjustments. To accommodate clean-out, there are access panels on each of its four sides. In contrast to the typical enclosed design of most industrial equipment, it is far easier to clean and quicker to access, facilitating speedy yet safe product changeovers. All internal components have been designed to USDA standards to allow for easy and thorough cleaning, comprising food-caliber, FDA-approved materials. In addition, material finishes are of AAA quality—the highest food-grade standard available. 

To further enhance the MINILux’s product recovery, the system comes with an optional upgrade of a recovery tumbler complete with dust recovery. Opening, rotating, and tumbling empty bags numerous times, it releases any remaining product to make the solution more cost-effective, boasting a 99.3–99.98 percent efficiency depending on the free-flowing characteristics of the product.

Further cost savings are enjoyed by eliminating the need for purchasing a separate, stand-alone air ventilation system. It is common for sites handling high volumes of bulk ingredients to use sophisticated air ventilation/filter systems to improve air quality. These systems are expensive to install, energy-intensive, and require regular maintenance. They also inherently collect and mix product with airborne dust, rendering it no longer fit for production.

A more cost-efficient alternative is the MINILux with the self-contained dust collection package. Offering the option of a 6-in. spigot for direct connection to either a central dust collection system or associated venting, dust recovery can also be self-contained within the MINILux, with recovered product funnelled back into the process for reuse.