Special Screw Feeder for Metering, Mixing and Processing Grains
Ricetec, Inc.
Danbury, Texas 77534
The Weitz Company
Des Moines, IA 50321
General Description
Large diameter screw feeder is designed to meter, mix and retain a combination of grain products and liquids for processing. The screw feeder is fed by a bulk bag unloader and metered to a belt conveyor for further processing. Retention time in the screw feeder while maintaining a high capacity rate was critical to the success of the process.
Design Parameters
- Product Type: Various Grain Products and Liquids
- Material Density: 32 to 45 Lbs. per Cubic Foot
- Solids by Weight: 10 to 30% Total Solids
- Conveyor System Capacity: 320 Cubic feet per Hour
- Retention Time in Screw Feeder: 20 Minutes Minimum
- Duty: 8 to 24 Hours per Day, 7 Days per Week
KWS Advantages
KWS worked directly with The Weitz Company to design a screw feeder to mix and process the combination of grain products and liquids. Maintaining the product in the 30-inch diameter screw feeder was very important to creating a successful process. Using our extensive engineering experience, Mechanical Engineers from KWS designed the unit based on the input parameters and modeled the system using 3D parametric design software.
Project timing was critical so the unit was designed, manufactured and delivered to the site within a four week period.
Special Features
The size of the screw feeder was calculated based on the process requirements and a 30-inch diameter unit was required. The inclined screw feeder utilized a very special ribbon flight design to provide the right amount of mixing and increase retention time. The pitch of the flighting was reduced to provide more accurate metering and increase mixing action. The complete system was water-tight with the lower end of the screw feeder supported by a special internal stub shaft and bushing assembly. The drive unit provided very high start-up torque and constant torque through an infinite range down to 0 rpm.
Testimonial
"The conveyor is working well and the owner is looking to possibly do more of these in the coming year."
Phil Sidles, Project Engineer – The Weitz Company