Low profile flexible screw weigh batching system
June 1st 2005

Bulk solids handling specialists Flexicon has launched a new Weigh Batching System. Particularly suited for mezzanines and other headroom areas, it uses Low Profile Flexible Screw Conveyors configured with motor drives at the inlet end of the conveyor, significantly reducing height and width requirements at the discharge end, according to Flexicon.

The automated system comprises eight low profile conveyors fed by roofmounted storage vessels, with each group of four conveyors feeding either one of two gain-in weight hoppers that gravity discharge through the mezzanine floor to a ribbon blender at ground level.

A system controller starts and stops each conveyor to weigh in sequence, first at high feed rate for rapid filling, then at dribble feed rate, stopping material flow once the accurate batch weight has been gained by the hopper. System software automatically compensates for materialin- flight by stopping the conveyor in advance of attaining final batch weights.

The controller then opens the slide gate valve of the weigh hopper in use, discharging the batch into the ribbon blender, then closes the valve, after total evacuation, to receive a subsequent batch. This allows a concurrent weighing/mixing process, reducing cycle time by half.

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