Loss-in-weight feeders clean up a custom detergent processor's act
When Korex decided to replace its dusty, unreliable weighbelt feeders, loss-in-weight feeders eventually solved the processor's problems.
Korex, Wixom, Mich., custom blends and packages powdered automatic dish-washing and laundry detergents for the detergent industry and for supermarket chains. To produce detergent, Korex uses weigh feeders that continuously meter the detergent ingredients at rates varying by as much as two to three orders of magnitude. Some ingredients, such as hydrated sodium tripolyphosphate and hydrated soda ash, are sticky and can cause bridges or ratholes in hoppers. Despite the wide range of Korex's ingredient proportions and their handling characteristics, the processor aims for ingredient ratios that are accurate to +/- 1/2 percent.