Using a flexible-hopper screw feeder to overcome common feeding problems
This article looks at how a screw feeder with an externally agitated flexible-hopper can gently condition material to a uniform bulk density, preventing feeding headaches common to traditional screw feeders. This article’s information applies to both volumetric and gravimetric screw feeders.
As anyone in the dry bulk solids business knows, most fine powders, flakes, granules, chips, and pellets don’t flow by themselves. This makes it a challenge to accurately feed these materials into a process. Screw feeders, one of the most common feeders for dry bulk materials, can use various flow-promotion mechanisms to keep material flowing into the screw flights, but some of them have undesirable side effects: material degradation, material compaction or segregation, uneven feedrates, and premature feeder wear and tear. One way to overcome these problems is to use a screw feeder equipped with an externally agitated flexible hopper.