Troubleshooting problems with three common feeders
This article focuses on how to troubleshoot problems with screw, belt, and rotary valve feeders -- the three most common dry bulk feeders. For each feeder, the information covers typical problems and how you can fix them.
Most bins, hoppers, silos, and other vessels for dry bulk materials include a device to control the material discharge to a downstream process or another piece of equipment. This device is usually a feeder that’s fully loaded with material from the vessel. Because a malfunctioning feeder can rapidly cause production problems or even bring your process to a halt, it's important to identify and remedy a feeder problem as soon as it appears. The following troubleshooting tips cover typical problems and how to fix them for three common feeders: screw, belt, and rotary valve. The information for each feeder is grouped under flow, mechanical design, and operational problems.