ACS Valves’ Aero-Flow Series rotary feeders for food and bakery processing applications provide an air-assisted material introduction to pneumatic conveying systems. The feeders use a proprietary, dual-induction endplate architecture to introduce pressurized air from both endplates into the rotor pockets carrying process material. The feeder housings are available in cast iron and 304 or 316 stainless steel; they come in 17 1/2-in. or 21 1/8-in. heights. The feeders operate in applications with pressure differentials up to 15psig and temperatures to 500ºF. The Aero-Flow Series 10-vane rotor is precision machined with beveled vane tips and sides. Other rotor configurations include Teflon coated and adjustable tips. Adjustable rotor tips are available in hardened steel or stainless steel. Rotor-housing interior surface coating options include hard chrome, tungsten and Teflon.
Wayne Labs has more than 30 years of editorial experience in industrial automation. He served as senior technical editor for I&CS/Control Solutions magazine for 18 years where he covered software, control system hardware and sensors/transmitters. Labs ran his own consulting business and contributed feature articles to Electronic Design, Control, Control Design, Industrial Networking and Food Engineering magazines. Before joining Food Engineering, he served as a senior technical editor for Omega Engineering Inc. Labs also worked in wireless systems and served as a field engineer for GE’s Mobile Communications Division and as a systems engineer for Bucks County Emergency Services. In addition to writing technical feature articles, Wayne covers FE’s Engineering R&D section.