Conair Group's New Truefeed LQ Liquid Feeder Uses Gravimetric Metering Technology

Conair Group’s new TrueFeed LQ liquid feeder uses gravimetric metering technology to measure liquid colors and additives. Conair officials said the liquid feeders eliminate the need for time-consuming color calibration and adjust automatically for changes in material and processing conditions. That results in easier setup and more up-time for increased productivity, the company said. “With improved dosing accuracy, users may find that they can use less expensive color and still get the look they want,” said Alan Landers, Conair’s blender product manager. The container of liquid is supported on a load cell that constantly measures the loss-in-weight material as it is pumped to the processing machine. For injection molding, the operator enters the part weight and the percentage of color or additive. For extrusion, the feeder can run in an open loop, or can precisely control the metering rate against the screw speed. Once set up, the digital control takes over, adjusting pump speed to meter exactly the right amount each time, regardless of changes in production rate, viscosity variations, the condition of the pump and hose, or environmental changes. The controller can store up to 1,500 process settings, and tracks actual dosed weights, to provide process validation over time. Conair is based in Cranberry Township, Pa. Source: plasticsnews