Alongside its wide-ranging and well-established, and regarded portfolio of bespoke screw conveyors for multiple industries, the Wrights Dowson Group also designs and manufactures metering feeders.

Industries that depend upon well-designed and long-lasting equipment for their manufacturing processes come to the Wrights Dowson Group. The company creates multiple products that help transport and contain products such as pharmaceuticals, animal feed, grain, paper, drink and food at consistent volumes with high levels of accuracy.

The Wrights Dowson Group manufactures its metering feeders under license. They are called the Metalfab range of MetaTech™ Volumetric Metering Screw Feeders.

What is a Metering Feeder?

It is a means by which materials such as pellets, powders, flakes and so on are metered reliably and accurately. Various industries use a metering feeder to ensure there is little margin for error.

A metering feeder is designed to save space. The Wrights Dowson Group metering feeders are designed to last and are available in a choice of epoxy coated carbon steel, 304 stainless steel, 316 stainless steel or mild steel. All stainless steel units have a 2B mill finish, while the carbon steel exterior ones are printed and painted with blue enamel.

How Does a Metering Feeder Work?

A basic model has a bespoke chamber inside, which is an agitator that slowly rotates. It also has variable control functions that allow the metering feeder to work either continuously or intermittently, depending on the needs of the manufacturing process and the type of product being handled.

When products are placed inside the metering feeder and operated, the agitator or conditioner screw inside the feeder starts to move material forward in the feeder’s trough.

The agitator and conditioner screws have a large diameter and wire configuration. This makes it straightforward for the materials in the feeder to flow through and around. The movement created by the agitator creates a full-circle, 360° direction of flow up and out of the metering area. It force-feeds material into the flights of the metering screws.

It can be adjusted with an adjustable on/off period. This particular function is essential in operations where different types of materials are being handled. For example, fine or delicate materials in the metering feeder may bridge unless they are often lightly activated.

When the metering feeder is used in a continuous setting, the dissolved air in fine powders will be removed and densified by the feeder’s aforementioned agitator. When an industrial plant is handling fibrous materials, the metering feeder will keep these materials loose and free.

Industries that need to handle very free-flowing material can have a metering feeder designed by the Wright Dowson Group that comes without an agitator installed.

The metering feeder is designed with a screw drive that has electronic feedback, and it is this that mainly ensures that the feeder operates at a highly accurate speed under all types of load conditions.

Irrespective of which product is being moved or handled, it’s placed inside the metering feeder. This then meters the product out at a constant volume ranging between ±1% to ± 2%.

Choosing the Right Feeder

It is essential that you choose a suitable feeder for your industry. There are four types to choose from:

Single screw: the most economical design for coarse, fine or fibrous powders

Twin-screw: designed to resolve issues around sticky materials and easily fluidised powders

Multi-agitator: designed with a large inlet area of 0.5sq m to allow for the fitting of a large outlet hopper

Freeflow: designed for free-flowing powders or granules

The Wright Dowson Group can work with you to ensure that your bespoke metering feeder is the right type for your industry and operation. Your choice will depend mainly on the type of material the metering feeder is expected to handle.

Find Out More

The Wright Dowson Group guarantees a fast bespoke design and delivery of your metering feeders as well as a wide range of other equipment, including screw conveyors and other products to suit your operations. In addition, our sophisticated IT and engineering solutions fit your applications.

To find out more about metering feeders products, get in touch with us for a free quotation, advice and technical support.