What Are Feeders?

Vibratory feeds are a big part of the production line in many industries. They are a great invention for these industries as they automate mass manufacturing. They are a clever invention in the fact that they provide a linear transportation in the form of a mechanical vibration spring belt.

In the past vibrating feeders was just a type of shaking conveyor. But they have evolved and now they can also sift and sort materials thanks to the addition of screens. This means they can be used in many different industries such as mining, foundries and forestry. They can also used in scrap reclamation with many recycling companies around the world using these machines. A police force in Singapore now uses a single deck linear vibratory screen to segregate particles by size and remove all metallic parts. They use this to sort debris from terrorist or incidents where further forensic investigation is needed.

When it comes to choosing the right vibrating feeder there are a lot of things to take into consideration. Buying a new feeder or conveyor should be considered a serious and substantial investment so it's very important you get the right feeder or screen which meets the needs of your industry and intention. The materials that the feeder is processing will have to be considered. Food industries also use feeders and the difference being that they are made using hygienic materials. Polyurethane (PU) anti-bacterial belts are very popular in food handling as the material is an inert material which means it is very difficult to contaminate.

Stainless steel is another material which is popular in machinery in the food processing industries. It is pretty much immune from staining, impervious to attack by chemical or biological agents and can resist the build-up of matter. The metal is also very easy to clean which of course is very important.

Vibrating feeders are often used to move various bulk food products such as rice, cereals, sweets, nuts, vitamins and spices. Recently a popcorn manufacturer in the West Midlands has had a Swinglink Bucket Elevator, E-Mag Feeder installed and now the company can produce over 100 bags of popcorn per hour. Companies that pack foods also use these feeders to fill loose items into packages.

Manufacturers of conveyors, feeders and screens are constantly working to improve solutions for processing and handling of materials. To ensure you get the right feeder you are best to consult a manufacturing company that has produced similar feeders for similar processes. A chat over the phone will not be enough. Really an engineer will need to come to the factory or warehouse and see where the applications needs to be and exact specifics of what it needs to do. Most of the top companies will have a website which can be easily found, so you can do some research before approaching the right engineering company.