A Feeder is designed in such a way so as to extract material from an equipment above it. This equipment can even be hopper or bin. The material that is loaded on this equipment above it and the head pressure on it always exist until all of the material is depleted. The material extracted must be shared from the material above. This requires large driving forces and results in a constant abrasion of the material on feeder. The feeder is thus a means to control the flow rate of the material.
While a conveyor is the means by which bulk materials are transferred from place A to place B. Examples of Feeder can be that of belt feeder for any food item or coal. While examples of conveyor can be that of hot clinker, a screw conveyor for limestone, and a belt conveyor to take ore from a primary to a secondary crusher. Thus, Feeders and conveyors are an integral part of Bulk weighing systems. But their function and design requirements are very different.
Still, many times there is a comparison made between them. Discussed below are the differences in Feeder and Conveyor.
The main differences between a feeder and a conveyor is that
- Feeders are flood-loaded while conveyors are not.
- Another difference is that conveyors typically operate at a constant speed and feeders are always capable of varying the speed of operation. – As a result, feeders are capable of modulating the discharge rate from the vessel that is flood loading it. Gates placed directly below bin outlets are flood loaded. Then Feeder controls the rate of this flow as required and passes it to the next equipment of bulk weighing systems.
So basically, the properly designed bulk material handling system always commences from the feeder so as to control the flow rate while conveyor is just an equipment to transfer the material from one location to another.
Difference between feeder and conveyor
This can be justified more with simple comparison between screw conveyor and screw feeder. Screw conveyor systems are frequently used for unloading materials from cars, bins, or piles. They are commonly found in grain storage plants, feed mills, chemical plants, and cereal processing plants. Screw conveyors simply move your material from Point A to Point B.
It may convey the material from a feeder, conveyor, rotary airlock, or bucket elevator—and can be used up and down an incline. Mixing, cooling, and heating materials is also done with a standard screw conveyor (also called a “transfer conveyor”).
Whereas, Screw Feeder is used to control the product flow of the system. It is usually mounted at the bottom of a bin or hopper, and acts as a controlling conveyor. In fact, it can manage the capacity for the entire system, and is available in a single screw, twin, or multiscrew format.
We at AAG Engineering have more than decade of experience in designing and manufacturing various types of Feeder and Conveyors of all specifications. We initially analyse the requirements of our customers and then design and manufacture feeders and conveyors to meet their specifications.
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