Multi-Ingredients Dosing Stations
series MDA and MDAL
Multi-ingredients Dosing Station with fixed weigh hopper series MDA_TYB

Multi-ingredients Dosing Station with gravimetric dosers series MDA_LIW

Multi-ingredients Dosing Station with mobile weigh hopper series MDAL

These are modular systems constituted by a set of dosers, generally screw or vibratory channel type, used to dose different ingredients according to a predetermined recipe. The dosing can be batch or continuous mode.
In the batch dosing stations, the dosers are volumetric and the weighing of the various ingredients is made in sequence dosing them in a weigh hopper that can be fix (TYB) or mobile (TYBM).
In the continuous dosing stations the dosers are gravimetric, installed separately on load cells, and they work according to their relative hourly flow rates provided in the recipe. In this case there is not the weigh hopper and the various products are generally collected on a conveyor belt or transferred through a pneumatic transport system.
The Multi-Ingredients Dosing Stations have two possible setups.
The most used, mainly for batch processes, is the one so-called carousel (MDA), where the dosers are arranged in a circle and their outlets converge in the center where the weigh hopper (TYB) is placed.
A second possible setup is the linear (MDAL) one. In this case the dosers are arranged right next to each other in a single row, or alternatively in two opposed rows.
The dosers used in the Multi-Ingredients Dosing Stations MDA and MDAL follow the constructive standards of the screw dosers or vibratory channel type series CH, CHW, CHY, BH, BHW, BHY, DFV, DFW, DFY, VT, VFW and VFY. The dosers installed can be of different sizes, according to the dosing percentages in the recipe, and also of different types according to the products to dose.
The dosers of the dosing stations MDA and MDAL are equipped with vertical T spouts, they are mounted at the end of the dosing tools to vertically guide the product falling down while dosing . Discharges equipped with automatic plug, slide or butterfly valves are also available. These devices have the function to intercept the product while falling down. In the batch dosages they are particularly suggested to obtain the maximum accuracy and in general to avoid the spontaneous product leakage, specially if very free flowing , when the doser is on break.
In the MDA stations carousel type the dosers arranged along a circle and oriented towards the centre they cannot have too long outlets not to affect the dosing reliability. Therefore with this setup it is not possible to include generally more than 12 dosers. Anyway if the recipe provide a higher number of ingredients it is always possible to combine more dosing stations MDA and make them work together.
The load hoppers are normally polygonal wedge-shaped so as to be assembled continuously and arranged in a circle. In this way the construction turns to be compact and the overall dimension of the dosing station is minimized. It is however possible to provide conical hoppers that allow a more effective inside cleaning. The load hoppers can be manually or automatically refilled. In this last case it is frequent the use of pneumatic loaders series ATS and AJS, with relative vacuum units UATC, UATV and UAVL. The vacuum receivers are installed directly on the hoppers lids with a flange connection.
The hoppers are normally equipped with level sensors, to detect the presence of the product so allowing the management of the refilling cycles , and pneumatic vibrators or moto vibrators to prevent the formation of bridges. The most used sensors are capacitive types, rotary level sensors, vibrating level switches to choose according to the product characteristics.
There can be also wide sight glasses and a transparent polycarbonate inspection window flanges.
The multi-ingredients carousel stations MDA are provided with their own self-supporting structure that allows to assemble the dosers and the weight hopper in order to form a single integrated and compact system. The entire structure is sustained by uprights that allow to firmly anchor to the floor the entire dosing station.
The multi-ingredients linear dosing stations (MDAL) with batch functionality are provided with a moving weigh hopper (TYBM) that automatically goes and stops in correspondence of each doser during the recipe running following the sequence expected .
The moving weigh hopper TYBM is installed on a motorized cart that moves on rail. Proper limit switches are placed in correspondence of every doser discharge in order to identify their position and handle consequently the path of the weigh hopper automatically.
The weigh hoppers series TYB and TYBM are truncated-conical shaped and they are dimensioned to contain the volume corresponding to the biggest dosing batch provided among all the recipes. They are equipped with outer supporting brackets that allow the installation on load cells. The load cells are off-center, flexion or shear-beam type, made in aluminium or in stainless steel with protection grade up to IP67, available also with Atex certification when requested.
At the bottom of the weigh hoppers TYB and TYBM it is installed a discharge valve electro-pneumatically operated. There can be a butterfly or a clapè type valve depending on the characteristics of the product.
Once the batch is completed the valve opens when the plant general logic gives the enable signal to discharge it. The batch is unloaded, the weigh hopper empties and it is ready again for the next dosing cycle.
The lid of the weigh hopper TYB and TYBM has inlets that are connected to the spouts of the relative dosers with flexible rubber or fabric sleeves that prevent the dust to come out in the environment. There are also vent socket with relative dustproof sleeve in polyester filtering fabric.
It is also possible to provide an unloading hopper, installed directly under the weigh hopper, whose function is to allow the prompt discharge of the batch as soon as done so as to make the Multi-Ingredients Stations MDA and MDAL immediately start again with the next dosing cycle, so minimizing the dead time and increasing productive capacity.
The most used construction materials are stainless steel Aisi 304 and 316L, but it is also possible to provide carbon steel on request.
The surfaces in contact with the product can be easily pickled or mirror polished in case of poorly flowing products. It is possible to have certifications of the contact materials on request.
The outer surfaces are satin finished 180 mesh. It is possible to have them glass bead blasted or electro-polished on request.
The gaskets are made in dust-tight rubber, such as SBR or NBR. They are available also with FDA certification on request.
The construction materials used for the supportive structures are stainless steel Aisi 304 or carbon varnished steel.
The Multi-Ingredients Stations MDA and MDAL are available also in Atex version when it is requested.
The Multi-Ingredients Stations MDA and MDAL either in batch dosing or continuous mode, they are not stand-alone systems but constitute a fundamental addition to plants in the transformation of raw materials. They can be used as weighing systems for automatic bagging or filling systems, or more in general to feed mixing processes or packing lines. To transfer the dosed products, where it is not possible to operate simply falling by gravity, it can be used pneumatic conveying systems in vacuum with hopper loaders series ATS, AJS, ATSY, AJSY with relative vacuum units series UATC, UATV and UAVL.
Electrical control panels can also be supplied including software specifically designed accordingly to the requested functionality.