Application
Gravimetric Feeding in Pet Food Production
Answer in brief
A pet food plant feeds coarse meals by the tonne and premixes by the kilogram, and the premix decides compliance.
The feeder that handles meal well is usually the wrong one for a fine mineral premix.
- Size each feeder for its own duty.
- Expect bridging from fine mineral premixes.
- Protect finished kibble from the discharge device.
Reviewed October 21, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026
The problem
Meals flow unevenly, premixes bridge, and finished kibble breaks, so one feeder type cannot serve the whole plant.
Desired outcome
Feeders that hold their rate for each duty, from coarse meal to fine premix, with inlet conditions they can handle.
Process approach
Twin screw feeders handle cohesive premixes, single screws suit meals, and vibratory trays protect finished kibble.
Refill from bulk bag stations needs a conditioning volume so the weighing is not disturbed by a surge.
Consumption reconciliation per batch gives an independent check on the premix inclusion.
- Feeder type matched to each material.
- Conditioning volume between refill and feeder.
- Consumption reconciliation per batch.
Selection factors
- Inclusion rate and tolerance for each premix.
- Flow behavior of meals and minerals.
- Fragility of finished product where it is fed.
- Segregation requirements for medicated feed.
- Dust explosion characteristics of the fines.
Common failure modes
- Premix bridging above the screw and underdosing
- One feeder type used for every material
- Refill surge appearing as a rate error
- Kibble broken by the discharge device
Partner with powderbulkvideos.com
Put a relevant technical solution in this decision path.
Connect your company and video evidence with clearly labelled visibility where engineers evaluate this material, application, industry or product.
Related content
Continue exploring
Move from this page to the companies, videos and technical topics that add useful context.
Companies
Videos
Gericke AG
Gericke: GFS Formulation Skid and Tablet Press
This video presents the Gericke Formulation Skid (GFS) combined with a tablet press, showing how pharmaceutical formulations move from blending through downstream processing in one controlled, scalable setup. The system runs semi-continuously or fully continuously and targets development, scale-up, and technology transfer.
Total reach: 3,769
WAMGROUP
Tubular Screw Conveyors and Feeders
WAMGROUP presents enclosed tubular screw conveyors and feeders used to transfer or meter powders and bulk solids.
Dinnissen
Feeder Valve
Dinnissen Process Technology shows a feeder valve developed for powder dosing at an accuracy that the older generation of equipment could not reach.