Feeders Spotlight - May 08
April 23, 2008
Single-Drive Feeder
The Tecweigh QC10 single-drive feeder couples a Flex-Feed polyurethane hopper with an opening in the bottom and the ability to agitate the hopper without driving the auger. When material needs to be changed, the operator stops the feeder and places a reclaim container underneath it. The operator then opens the bottom discharge slide gate (or removes the plug) and runs the drive motor in reverse.
Tecnetics Industries Inc., St. Paul, MN 800-536-4880 www.tecweigh.com
Continuous Weigh Feeders
Better-Weigh continuous feeders provide gravimetric feeding of dry bulk materials where it is necessary to determine actual feed rates on a loss-of-weight basis. Available in seven models with feed rates from 1 to 550 cu ft/hr (larger sizes are available), these units are designed to provide feeding in either batch or continuous mode depending on the arrangement of the feeder’s control electronics. In batch mode, the batch controller is used to control the fast (bulk) and slow (dribble) speeds of the feeder. Accuracies of ±0.5% can be easily achieved with batches that weigh 2 lb or less, while accuracies of ±0.25% can be achieved with batches that weigh 3 lb or more with time spans of 30 to 90 seconds. In continuous mode, the feeder’s electronic controller is used to constantly monitor loss of material weight per time in order to maintain a continuous loss of weight with an accuracy of ±0.25 to 0.50%. Standard features include a platform or lever balance scale, a sealed tactile keyboard, a seven-digit numerical keyboard, automatic manual batching, and a 2- or 5-cu-ft hopper. Sanitary construction is also available.
Metalfab Inc., Vernon, NJ 800-764-2999 www.metalfabinc.com
Micro Cone Feeder
Booth 1328 – The Micro Cone Feeder features a screwless feeding mechanism that accurately doses free-flowing color, master batch, or additives into a blending system or directly into the process screw of an extruder. Utilizing a simple induced-flow rotating tube/cone, the unit doses down to a few granules at a time, with a feed-rate range of 0.007 to 0.07 cu ft/hr. With the use of an extension tip, the feeder can feed even lower. The minimum dispersive rate is approximately two pellets per second. With no pockets or screws, the design is simple, providing ease of use and almost zero maintenance. The feeder housing swings open for fast material change. There are no areas to trap the product, making cleaning easy.
K-Tron Process Group, Pitman, NJ 856-589-0500 www.ktron.com
Gravimetric Ceramic Disk Feeder
Booth 1055 – The PureFeed DP-4 is a gravimetric feeder that can accurately meter dry pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic powders at feed rates as low as 20 g/hr. The feeder can perform jet milling, continuous blending, medical-grade-plastics compounding, packaging, coating, and ingredient weighing. The key to its success is a speed-controlled, inert ceramic feed disk. Positioned at the base of a cylindrical electropolished stainless-steel material-storage chamber, the disk rotates to discharge tiny amounts of material precisely, continuously and pulsation-free over a 20-g to 2-kg feed-rate range. Since the feed disk separates the material supply from the discharge point, there is no compaction and no chance of flooding.
Schenck AccuRate, Whitewater, WI 888-742-1249 www.accuratefeeders.com
Twin Rotary Vibratory Feeders and Screens
The use of two vibratory motors to power this line of small- and large-capacity twin rotary vibratory feeders and screens ensures efficient operation for added reliability, gentler handling, and optimum flexibility. Twin rotary vibrator screens are ideal for a variety of applications from food to sugar production, salt, batteries, chemicals, fertilizer, glass cullet, metal powders, soaps and detergents, and ceramics. Feeder vibratory screens are typically used when applications are beyond the scope of an electromagnetic drive. In particular, they are used when units require lengths in excess of 5 ft and widths greater than 18 in. Material is processed at speeds that vary from 50 to 3500 cu ft/hr. Four coil springs located on the frame assembly minimize vibration transfer and guarantee gentle material handling.
Gough Econ, Charlotte, NC 800-264-6844 www.goughecon.com
Continuous Loss-in-Weight Feeding System
Booth 2706 – The AccuMeter-series continuous loss-in-weight feeding system ensures product quality by tightly controlling the manufacturing process. Most pellets, regrind, and powders can be metered into the process, even at low levels of >50 g/hr. The system improves overall product quality and reduces material use caused by overfeeding, resulting in reduced product costs. The system features a modular compact design that provides flexibility to accommodate process changes. Pellets, micropellets, powders, and regrind are all accurately metered. Twin-screw feeders and special agitators are also available for non-free-flowing materials.
Colortronic North America Inc., Flint, MI 810-720-7300 www.colortronicna.com
Sanitary Loss-in-Weight Screw Feeder
The Sanitary PF-LC-S is a large-capacity loss-in-weight screw feeder designed for accurate and uniform feeding of a wide range of materials, from free-flowing to very fine cohesive powders. Made from high-quality stainless steel, the unit is corrosion resistant and appropriate for the processing of food products such as pet food, cereals, chips, and snacks. The feeder was developed for applications that require fast, easy, and thorough material cleanouts to prevent spoiling and cross-contamination. It can be completely disassembled without the use of tools in less than a minute. The rugged stainless-steel construction ensures trouble-free operation.
Thayer Scale-Hyer Industries Inc., Pembroke, MA 781-826-8101 www.thayerscale.com
Feeder and Spreader
Booth 3533 – To satisfy a broad array of general spreading and seasoning applications, the PosiPortion feeder can be equipped with specially designed elongated distribution nozzles. This feature makes it ideal for extending into coating drums, distributing product across a moving belt, or keeping a long surge hopper evenly filled. The unit can also be mounted on a subframe with casters for convenient portability.
Hapman, Kalamazoo, MI 800-427-6260 www.ideasthatmove.com
Rotary Valve Batch Feeder
To meet the need for simplicity, hygiene, ease of cleaning, and maintenance, this company has developed systems that rely solely on a sanitary rotary valve as a batch feeder. Using this valve not only satisfies these challenges but also provides accurate batching. Its size makes it ideal for projects with space constraints. Through extensive testing, batching accuracies of ±4 g have been achieved. Unlike conventional rotary valves, this one does not revolve 360°. Instead, it reciprocates back and forth 180°. This unique movement prevents product separation. When regulated using a dependable weigh instrument, it delivers highly accurate batches.
IEDCO, Turnersville, NJ 856-728-6400 www.iedco.com
Multiple-Feed-Head Units
Booth 3727 – The Versifeeder line has been expanded to include multiple-feed-head units. If a processor uses several points to feed a particular bulk material, each feed point can have the same accuracy and flexibility. The multihead unit can provide the same or different feed rates from each outlet. A common oversized hopper provides ample capacity and includes an integral vibrator to ensure positive flow to the feed screws. Controls are provided to operate all or individual screws as needed. Incorporating multiple feed heads in a common unit requires less space than separate feeders.
Vibra Screw Inc., Totowa, NJ 973-256-7410 www.vibrascrew.com
Twin-Screw Feeder
Booth 4605 – The Best Model TSF twin-screw feeder is designed for precise batching and weighing applications. Its dual-helix design combines fast, high-volume filling with accurate dribble flow at the end of the cycle. Its compact design is ideal when limited space prohibits multiple individual screw units. Two helixes—1½ in. and 4 in. in diameter—are mounted on an 18 × 22-in. hopper. At the maximum rotation speed, they are rated at 17 and 283 cu ft/hour, respectively, without slippage. The unit is ideal for batching to weigh hoppers, low-loss-in-weight scale-monitored flow, low-loss-in-weight batch applications with scales, drum and pail packout lines, and recipe-type batching using multiple computer-controlled units. Many options are available.
Metso Minerals Industries Inc., Brunswick, OH 800-827-9237 www.metsominerals.com
Air-Activated Feeder
Booth 1304 – The Dyna-Slide high-precision air-activated feeder with dribble feed control provides up to a 100:1 turndown ratio when feeding most fine (30-mesh to submicron) fluidizable powders and granules. In addition, it has completely variable feed rates from as low as a few grams per minute to hundreds of pounds per minute. The low-profile design is totally enclosed and dust-free, making it suitable for conveying from silos or hoppers to weigh scales or for feeding from multiple discharge points to mixers.
Dynamic Air Inc., St. Paul, MN 651-484-2900 www.dynamicair.com
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