Auger feeders accurately measure or feed bulk materials using the auger principle. They can handle coarse-grained bulk or thick slurry materials and are controlled by servo motors for precise stop-start and speed control. There are two basic types: volumetric and gravimetric.
An auger feeder is a device used in various industries to accurately measure or feed amorphous or bulk grain materials from one part of a process to another. Augers are very similar to augers in their basic structure, both relying on auger principles for their operation. An auger is capable of dispensing thick slurries and dry granular products with great precision at a range of operating speeds. These feeders are also capable of maintaining the high torque values required to feed these types of materials throughout their speed range. There are two basic types of auger.
Augers use the auger principle to transport materials. The screw is one of the oldest volumetric machines known to man; it’s a wonderfully simple and efficient method of moving different substances like sand and water. All machines based on this design have a helical screw mounted on a central shaft driven by various methods. This assembly rotates inside a tube that has a feed mechanism at one end. Material is added to the feed end of the device and is transported to the discharge end by a positive displacement process.
Materials suitable for auger distribution are generally coarse-grained bulk or thick slurry. These include granulated thermoplastics for injection molding, cereal grains and suspended chemicals or pharmaceutical ingredients. Auger feeders are capable of providing the high levels of torque at all operating speeds required to transport these types of materials. The relatively slow speeds involved in the process are also useful when feeding sensitive materials.
The drive of an auger is controlled by servo motors capable of precise stop-start and speed control. In a volumetric auger, the amount of material conveyed is accurately calculated and controlled by adjusting the rotational speed of the auger. This variable, together with the known volume of material inside the tube, allows very precise feed values to be maintained. The rotation speed can be preset or continuously adjusted according to the process needs.
The throughput of a gravimetric auger, one of the basic types of auger, is controlled by regulating the rate at which material is fed into the machine. This closed-loop control system is more accurate than the positive displacement feeder, the other type, and is commonly used in applications requiring the highest levels of feed accuracy. Both types, however, are ideal for applications that require constant and accurate control of the feed rates of the granular material process.
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