3 Advanced Feeding Systems for Production Excellence

Embrace Automation Solutions for Today’s Challenges

Advanced feeding systems are needed more than ever in order to keep pace in a changing production environment that is demanding more from manufacturers.

Even before COVID-19, manufacturers faced numerous challenges in increasing productivity while juggling other factors such as market and commodity uncertainty, fluctuations in demand, and the necessity of preparing to embrace Industry 4.0 concepts. The pandemic magnified those challenges and has forced manufacturers to become more agile and efficient.

Though the manufacturing trends of 2021 are still taking shape, it’s already clear that many are focusing on operational resilience as a key objective. Resilience in this case, for manufacturers, means finding ways to adapt during times of stress or disruption to reduce supply chain vulnerability, improve operational performance, and optimize production throughout the facility.

Technological advances have opened doors to different ways automation can be implemented, and into the decision-making process on how to evaluate them. But for any company looking to be competitive and thrive in the current environment, they’ll have to capitalize on these advancements. That means embracing advanced feeding systems as part of their automated assembly to further increase efficiency, drive output, and provide resilience when the dynamics change.

Learn More About 3 Advanced Feeding Systems

Feeding systems have always been instrumental in maintaining a consistent workflow for automated assembly systems. manufacturers from virtually every sector — automotive, pharmaceutical, electrics, medical, and more — are always looking for more efficient production methods with high accuracy to further stand out in the current environment.

Advanced feeding systems increase consistency and efficiency by automatically separating bulk parts, then placing them in a specified orientation so they can be fed into the production line. These systems can be customized to meet the requirements of most automated applications and can sort parts of various shapes. It’s important to consider your specifics — like production volume, feed rate, part orientation, and the properties of the material — when choosing an advanced feeding system.

Feedall Automation has provided the most advanced line of non-vibratory parts feeding systems since 1946. With a wide variety of solutions and the knowledge to help you find the right one, we’ve been an industry-leading industrial automation company for decades. Read on to learn more about some of our advanced feeding systems and how they can improve your production capabilities.

Heavy Duty Billet Feeders

The unique design of this offering prevents parts from recirculation or falling back into the queue. Engineered to avoid the use of vibration or gravity to manipulate the part orientation, the system also has a variety of attributes designed to increase productivity and decrease maintenance costs.

Those features include:

A reversing motor on the cross-feed conveyor for part cleanout or changeovers
Adjustable or replaceable cleats to handle a broad range of part sizes
Designed to accommodate future re-tooling for added parts or new programs
Options to add a hydraulic or motorized tub dumper to ease loading parts or a metering hopper that absorbs the impact of a dump to increase the life-span of the feed system
Feedall can provide a hydraulic tub dumper or a motorized 180º roll-over dumper so loading parts is no problem
Feedall can provide a metering hopper that takes all the initial impact of a full dump, increasing the life of the feed system

The Feedall Difference: Learn more about the capabilities of our Model 4800 Random Load Heavy Duty Billet Feeder here.

Part Pick and Place Automation

One of the biggest applications for Feedall’s feeding and conveyor equipment is to present parts for automation pick and place. We work closely with our customers — both system integrators and end-users — to craft tailor-made applications according to their requirements for full system automated production lines.

Feedall handles all the details in-house for our robotic automation tools and systems, from concept creation to manufacturing and final build, including End of Arm Tooling (EOAT) to assist in seamless robotic picking and placement for any part configuration. As pioneers in part feeding systems, we’ve harvested a growing list of patented technologies centered on increasing customer productivity up-time.

The Feedall Difference: Check out an example of our Pick and Place Automation in this short video, or read more about it here.

Magazine Style Automatic Bar Feeders

Feedall specializes in designing and engineering custom bar and shaft feeder solutions for your complex part feeding needs. Our in-house capabilities give us complete control over the construction of custom parts and allow us to deliver premium bar and shaft feeders on time and on budget.

Our magazine style automatic bar feeders will provide ways to minimize time spent on handloading bar or tube-shaped parts into secondary operations. These feeders can be used in a variety of applications, from feeding centerless grinders to a robot-loaded cell.

The Feedall Difference: Learn more about our complete collection of Magazine Style Automatic Bar Feeders here.

Work with Feedall Automation for Advanced Feeding Systems

Part feeding systems are and will remain, a crucial component in an automated assembly system, despite the technological innovations ricocheting around the industry. Without an advanced feeding system, the likelihood for disrupted production, through breakdowns or product issues, increases and threatens to rob your business of some of the operational resilience that all manufacturers are striving to forge.

Feedall believes in helping customers adapt to the changes of the marketplace and implement automation solutions to help them stay ahead of the curve. And while this often means integrating new automation equipment into your production, it also means complete dedication to the parts, service, and support you’ll need for your automation efforts. And with our pledge of cradle-to-grave service, you’ll also get assistance with installation and training.