Accuracy and flexibility are the watchwords for Volkmann, which recently released an updated feeder that doses accurately to within 1 gram.
The company has seen increasing demand for its feeders, due to the requirements of automation and validation involved with the vacuum conveying process, said David Nichols, VP of sales and marketing for the company.
“Volkmann pneumatic vacuum conveyors with these feeders can safely handle almost any powder, pellet and bulk material transfer from Point A to B,” he said.
The company’s updated Vibratory Feeder Dosing System can handle acrylic powder, HDPE and PS regrind, PE and PP granules, PVC, and other powders, granules, flakes and pellets. It’s been updated to make it more customizable, with options for integrated weighing and/or sieving, open-air or enclosed units, and user-specified dosing-tray dimensions.
“It’s ideal in processes where it is vital to know exactly what amount of powders was added at a certain time or within a given time frame,” Nichols said. “For example, this could be necessary to fulfill a precise batch protocol, or to provide a certain recipe with multiple raw materials, or to slowly add a fine stream of powder continuously into a mixing process.”
The new feeder’s proprietary pneumatic piston vibrator sets the material in a uniform layer across the dosing tray while gently pushing it toward the discharge opening. The first-in, first-out process eliminates the potential for agglomeration and preserves the quality of the material.
It can handle throughputs of up to about 2,200 pounds per hour.
The feeder automatically meters precise amounts of powders into mixers, reactors, dryers, coolers, hoppers, pneumatic vacuum conveying systems and other process equipment.
It is made from stainless steel and is designed to be easy to clean, he said. It is available in sanitary, standard, explosion-protected and custom designs to accommodate nearly any material by performing loss-in-weight, gain-in-weight or volumetric feeding. Options include an enclosed dosing tube, weighing module and integrated sieving connections.
Karen Hanna, senior staff reporter
Contact:
Volkmann USA, Bristol, Pa., 609-265-0101, www.volkmannusa.com
