They are machines used to dose a defined quantity of product in various containers, such as jars, bottles, pots. They are designed to be installed on automatic filling lines.

The Dosing Machines LDM can be used for a wide range of granular or powder products.

The automatic Dosing Machines LDM can be setup with single screw dosers (LDMCHV, LDMCHW, LDMCHT), twin screw dosers (LDMBHV, LDMBHW, LDMBHT) or vibratory channel dosers (LDMVFV, LDMVFW, LDMVFT) according to the product characteristics. The tools are the ones of the series CH, BH and VF.

In correspondence of the doser outlet there is a discharging cone with a properly dimensioned outlet diameter according to the container inlet to fill. There can be provided also more cones, having different outlet diameter and easily interchangeable to allow the dosing in different shaped and inlet diameter containers.

The Dosing Machines series LDM require a supporting base that allows the placement directly on the conveying line of the container.

The dosage starts automatically when the container moving on the line stops in the proper position reported by an optical sensor. At dosing done a signal enable the conveying line to restart so as to place the following container.

The dosage can be by weight, counting or simply time-based.

The dosage by weight is the most used solution for powder or granular products whose dimension is lower than 5mm. Usually the dosages can’t be greater than 200 grams and not smaller than 5 grams to get a good accuracy. The best accuracy obtainable is +/- 2 grams. This setup provides a gravimetric doser installed on a weight platform (LDMCHW, LDMBHW, LDMVFW)or a volumetric doser with a weigh hopper (LDMCHT, LDMBHT, LDMVFT) installed on load cells. The load cells are off-center or flexion type made in aluminium or stainless steel with protection grade up to IP67, available also with Atex certification when requested.

In the setup with gravimetric doser (LDM_W), the dosing control logic is by difference in weight: at the start the system measures the total weight and it follows its progressive decreasing. The dosing ends once subtracted the quantity set.

In the setup with weigh hopper (LDM_T) , the dosing control is by sum of weight: at the dosing start the system resets the weight on the scale (tare) and it follows the progressive increasing. The dosing ends once achieved the set quantity . The weigh hopper is installed directly under the doser outlet and it is easily removable from the support that houses it. The weigh hopper has a discharge clapè valve electro-pneumatically operated. The product falling from the weigh hopper passes through the discharging cone that guides it inside the container to fill. Once the dosage ends the clapè valve opens enabled by the optical sensor detecting the container in the proper position on the line. With this setup it is possible to obtain accuracy even of +/-1 gram.

The dosing by counting is particularly recommended for products constituted by small pieces, with a quite regular shape, whose dimensions are between 5mm and 20mm. Usually the dosage do not exceed the 10 pieces for each container. The accuracy ensured with this solution is +/- 1 piece. This setup requires necessarily the use of a vibratory channel doser (LDMVFV). In this case the dosing device is constituted by a vibratory channel with a proper “V” section and a length to allow the alining of the pieces to dose in order to make them fall in the container one at a time so as to be able to count them individually. For the counting function proper laser optical sensors are used, installed by the drop point of the product.

The time-based dosing is adopted for powder products and when the quantity to dose is so small not to allow other options ( less than 5 grams). In each case this kind of dosing is suggested for homogeneous products, with a regular granulometry and non-hygroscopic.

It is the easiest solution, cheapest but also the one that ensures a lower precision. It is based on the repeatability and on the constancy of the dosage during time. The dosage is made in a time corresponding averagely to the quantity of product wanted. This time is calculated with dosing tests preliminarily made off line. For the time-based dosing it can be used a single screw doser (LDMCHV), a twin screw doser (LDMBHV) or a vibratory channel doser (LDMVFV) . The twin screw and vibratory channel dosers are preferable for their better regularity and repeatability when dosing powder products.

Normally the Dosing Machines series LDM are used on filling lines having a not very high productivity, that is not over 12bpm.

In order to obtain higher performance it is possible to adopt a Multi-Heads type setup. In this case the Dosing Machine is constituted by more dosers installed next to eachother and working contemporarly. With this setup a higher cycle time is available because the dosage is made with more dosers simultaneously in as many containers. Doing so it can be obtained performances until 40 bpm.

The hoppers of the automatic Dosing Machines LDM follow the constructive standards of the ones of the dosers CH,BH and VF, included the accessories.

In case of linear Multi-Heads setup there is a single hopper divided in as many areas as the dosing heads in order to have a more compact assembly. In the manual charged versions the lid can be completely removable or semi-removable with hinges. Inside there is a safety grid that protects from the risk of contact with eventual moving mechanical devices and prevents from the accidental entrance of unwanted foreign matters.

The most used construction materials are stainless steel Aisi 304 and 316L.

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 control panel of the machine has a PLC and a touch-screen display. The management software has as well as loading cells calibrating function also the possibility to set the desired product quantity.

Electronic devices are wired into the panel for the management of the dosing fast-slow speed.