The CentriFlow Meter from Eastern Instruments is a Solid Particle Mass Flow Meter that is durable, accurate, maintenance-free, compact, and cost-effective. It is unique and positioned to replace weigh belts, impact meters, loss in weight meters, and static weigh scales, anywhere that accuracy, low maintenance, and zero drift are paramount.
Please see below for additional information regarding the various options that are offered for our CentriFlow family of meters. If you do not see an option that suits your particular application, don't worry. We have an engineering team that is ready to assist you with a custom solution for your application, so contact us and we will be happy to assist.
LIQUID ADDITIVE APPLICATION DURING PET FOOD PRODUCTION: Kibble Flow Measurement
PROCESS PREDICAMENTS
A customer needed to accurately measure the mass flow rate of a constant stream of dry pet food (kibble) to control the feed of tallow (fat) spray additive. The pet food was to be moved by a belt conveyor, through a mass flow measurement system, and then proceed to the coater. They needed the meter to be able to output a signal that could be used by a PLC to control the flow of the additive. The average density of the dry pet food was 20 lb/ft3 with a maximum flow rate of 17,640 lb/hr and a minimum flow rate of 4,410 lb/hr. The belt conveyor needed to be inclined at 45o due to height restrictions. This meant that the flow meter needed to be capable of handling and accurately measuring a volumetric capacity from 221 to 882 ft3/hr, all while being fed by a conveyor moving at a 45o incline. Moreover, the flow meter needed to be able to both provide an output to a PLC, and to have a local display indicating flow rate and total.
EASTERN INSTRUMENTS SOLUTION
The customer installed a CentriFlow Meter. The unit selected for installation between the belt conveyor and the coater was a 12” Type I CentriFlow meter. The meter was oriented in the In-Line Flow configuration and was set at a 10o installation angle in order to account for the inclined belt conveyor feeding the meter. An integrated Ratemeter/Totalizer was used to locally display the flow rate and to totalize the flow through the meter. It also provided an averaged 4-20 mA output signal, proportional to the flow rate, to the PLC, which in turn, was linked to a control valve for the nutrient mixture, thus allowing electronic control of the additive’s flow into the coater.
CONCLUSIONS
Once the CentriFlow Meter was installed, the unit was calibrated, and the liquid application system became operational. The customer was very happy with the system as it provided a reliable and accurate kibble to liquid nutrient ratio. The meter performed to an accuracy of better than ±0.25% of volumetric full scale, which allowed excellent control of the additive, much to the customer’s satisfaction.
MATERIAL TEST REPORTS: Animal Feed
The Animal Feed Industry offers a variety of potential applications for the CentriFlow Meter including measuring the individual ingredients for manufacturing animal feed, or even measuring the flow of the finished pellet or crumble during the coating process to ensure a proper and even coating.
