How to Determine The Correct Net Weigh Scale Feeder For Your Material

The most important aspect in choosing a scale for your application is determining which net weigh scale feeder best meets your needs. Not all feeders are suited for handling all materials.

Identifying the material flow characteristics of your product is the first step. For example, is your product powder or granular? Is it free flowing or non-free flowing? Compacted or aerated? Product characteristics may also include:

• Large non-standard pieces
• Abrasive
• Corrosive
• Sticky
• Hygroscopic
• High Moisture Content
• Dust Content
• Fines Content

Other important factors to consider when choosing a material feeder are mesh size and bulk density. When defining your product, confirm its mesh size. Mesh is determined by how many openings are required in 1” of screen to allow your material to flow. Consult a U.S. Mesh Size Chart to confirm your product’s mesh size. Typically, a mesh size of 200 or higher is considered a fine powder.

The bulk density of a material is typically provided in pounds per cubic foot. Higher bulk density products like fertilizers, salt, sugar and plastic pellets tend to have better flow characteristics, and therefore have higher bagging rates/minute.

The nVenia HAMER Brand 600NW+ net weigh scale product line offers several types of feeders to suit your material’s flow characteristics. Standard gravity-feed scales are the perfect solution for free-flowing products such as granules or pellets. The use of a belt feeder is required for products with medium flow such as textured animal feeds or pellets, slightly sticky products, flakes and minerals.

Non-free-flowing materials with a higher mesh size such as powdered dairy products or chemicals will require the use of an auger system to assist in moving the product through the feeder into the scale. A vibratory feeder is helpful for semi-free flowing products such as beans, grains and pet food.

Whatever your application or bagging requirements, you can benefit from nVenia’s experience across a broad variety of materials and industries. Rely on us to help you determine the best scale and feeder system for your application. Our net weigh scales, with their unsurpassed repeatable accuracy and speed, guarantee great productivity gains for your bagging operation, including material cost savings with less product giveaway and more bags per minute.