How to measure, monitor, and maintain the performance of your weigh feeder
Weigh feeders, including weigh-belt, loss-in-weight, or other types of feeders, are precision instruments that control the rate at which material feeds into a variety of processes. A weigh feeder's performance can determine the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of an entire process. This article gives information on how to measure weigh feeder performance, with details on sampling feeder discharge and measuring the linearity and repeatability of the feed rate. Information on how to monitor weigh feeder performance and how to maintain feed-rate accuracy is also given.
Today's weigh feeders, also known as gravimetric feeders, are very accurate. Most are equipped with microprocessor controllers and advanced mechanical designs. However, despite the feeders' abilities to consistently meet the toughest process requirements, you must still measure, monitor, and maintain weigh feeder performance to ensure feed-rate accuracy.