K-Tron International, Inc.

Contact: sales manager

Routes 55 & 553
Pitman, NJ 08071
U.S.

Phone: (856) 589-0500
Fax: (856) 582-7968

Website

E-mail

-Tron International companies provide material handling equipment, systems and services to a wide variety of industries, including the plastics, food, chemical, detergent, pharmaceutical, electric utility and paper and pulp industries. K-Tron’s customers include many of the largest companies in their fields as well as numerous other multinational, regional and local businesses.

Feeding and Pneumatic Conveying
The K-Tron Process Group consists of several K-Tron companies operating in the United States, Europe and Asia. The group produces and sells feeders through its K-Tron Feeders brand and pneumatic conveyors and associated equipment through the K-Tron PCS and K-Tron Colormax brands. The K-Tron Process Group also provides a global network of systems engineering, field service engineers, parts and training in support of its customers. Learn more about the K-Tron Process Group.

Feeding Equipment
K-Tron has been for many years the global leader in the design, production, marketing and servicing of high-quality feeders and related equipment for the handling of bulk solids in many different kinds of manufacturing processes. K-Tron Feeders control the flow of materials into a process that then transforms those materials into an end product. Hurricane vacuum conveyors are used for feeder refill or stand alone systems. Learn more about K-Tron Feeders.

Pneumatic Conveying Equipment
With the acquisition of Hurricane Pneumatic Conveying Inc. in 1997, K-Tron entered the business of designing, producing, marketing and servicing high-performance pneumatic conveying systems and related equipment. This business was subsequently strengthened by the acquisitions of Colormax Limited in 2000 and Pneumatic Conveying Systems Limited in 2001. The Hurricane and PCS brands have since been unified under the K-Tron PCS brand. Learn more about K-Tron Colormax. Learn more about K-Tron PCS.

Size Reduction Equipment
In early January 2003, K-Tron acquired Pennsylvania Crusher Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Jeffrey Specialty Equipment Corporation.

Pennsylvania Crusher is the leading U.S. manufacturer of size reduction equipment that is sold to electric utility companies to crush coal for use in coal-fired power generation plants. Pennsylvania Crusher also sells its equipment to companies in other industries such as quarries where the crushing of material is required. Learn more about Pennsylvania Crusher.

Jeffrey is a leading U.S. manufacturer of chip sizer mills, hammermills and other size reduction equipment for use primarily by companies in the paper and pulp industries to crush wood and in other industries for similar applications. Jeffrey also makes large-scale vibrating feeders for coal, minerals, chemicals and other bulk materials. Learn more about Jeffrey.

A Global Organization
K-Tron International is headquartered in Pitman, New Jersey, USA. The K-Tron group of companies has nearly 500 employees in the United States, Mexico, Europe and Asia. K-Tron’s manufacturing facilities are located in the United States, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom


Control Options
KCM - K-Tron Control Module
With the SmartConnex control system, the control and motor drive modules of a feeder are combined into one component and are integrated directly into the feeder. Instead of a central control panel, each feeder has its own K-Tron Control Module.

Loss-in-Weight Model
Materials Fed: free-flowing pellets and granules.
Model
Low feed rate

High feed rate

dm3/hr

ft3/hr

dm3/hr

ft3/hr

BSP-100
2

0.07

400

14

BSP-135

22

0.8

4400

155

BSP-150-S
34

1.2

6700

237

BSP-150-P
46

1.6

900

318





Other Options
Hazardous Areas: K-Tron provides equipment that can meet area classifications according to American or European standards.
Control Options
All K-Tron loss-in-weight feeders come with the SmartConnex Feeder Control Environment. Operator interface options include:

KSU II single feeder control.
KSL single line control (up to 8 feeders).
KSC multi-line control (up to 30 feeders and up to 8 lines).


Weigh Feeder Accuracy
Weigh feeder accuracy is a measure of how closely a feeder discharges material at the desired flow rate. A complete expression of accuracy includes measurements of repeatability and linearity. Repeatability measures the extent of discharge variability at a given flow rate. Linearity gauges the deviation of average flow rate over the feeder’s full operating range.

BSP Loss-in-Weight Feeder Options
BSP loss-in-weight feeders may be mounted on 3 SFTs (Smart Force Transducers) in a "hanging scale" configuration (below left), on an SFT platform scale (center), or as part of a K4G multi-feeder gravimetric blending system (right) where each feeder module is individually weighed by its own SFTIII.

Volumetric Feeder Application
K-Tron offers a wide variety of single screw volumetric and twin screw volumetric feeders. With exchangeable screw design choices, you can handle a wide range of applications involving prefeeding, feeding or batching. Volumetric feeders may be used for materials with consistent density, particle size and moisture content.

Twin Screw Volumetric Feeders
Materials Fed: Twin screw volumetric feeders handle more difficult materials such as pigments, sticky, bridging or flooding powders, fiber and fiberglass.

Loss-in-Weight Feeder Application
Use K-Tron's modular loss-in-weight feeders for materials with varying bulk density and for material handling automation. Loss-in-weight gravimetric feeders are the best choice for long term accuracy, repeatability and quality documentation, and where dust control is a concern.
Twin Screw Loss-in-Weight Feeder Models
Materials Fed: Twin screw loss-in-weight feeders are most effective for pigments, sticky, bridging or flooding powders, fiberglass.

How to Choose the Right Feeder for Your Process

K-Tron has a full range of feeders for the process industries. Following is a brief overview of the many choices you have in finding the right feeder for your process needs.

Use Volumetric Feeders for Materials with Consistent Bulk Density
Volumetric feeders control flow by discharging a consistent volume of material. They are best used when bulk density is consistent, long term feed accuracy is not critical, and feeder performance does not need to be documented. K-Tron offers two types of screw feeders: the economical single screw volumetric feeder and the twin screw volumetric feeder for difficult materials. For free flowing materials, the award winning Bulk Solids Pump (BSP) offers perfectly linear, highly accurate volumetric feeding that surpasses all other feeders, yet is economical to buy and operate.
Use Volumetric Feeders in Gain-in-Weight Batching
In gain-in-weight batching, volumetric feeders sequentially discharge into a weigh hopper, providing a weight-based formulation. For better accuracy and faster batch times, use loss-in-weight batch feeders

Use Gravimetric Feeders for Greater Control and Long Term Accuracy
Gravimetric feeders control material flow by weight, for greater feed accuracy, and therefore require a scale. In addition to improving process quality, gravimetric feeders can document material content in the end product.

Two Types of Weigh Feeders
In gravimetric feeding you can choose between weigh belt feeders and loss-in-weight feeders. Each feeder type has a very different approach to weighing material flow and has its unique advantages. The best choice really depends on your application needs.

Use Weigh Belt Feeders for Higher Feed Rates and Where Headroom Is an Issue
Weigh belt feeders form a bed of material on the belt as material is extracted from a supply hopper. As material moves along the belt, it is continuously weighed, and belt speed is adjusted to maintain the desired flow rate off the end of the belt.

Weigh belt feeders work best with granular materials. They offer high feed rates, fit in where headroom is a problem, and do not require a refill device. In general, weigh belt feeders cost less to install, but they require more maintenance than loss-in-weight feeders and do not handle dust as well.

Use Loss-in-Weight Feeders for Difficult Materials or High Accuracy at Very Low Feed Rates
In loss-in-weight feeding, the entire feeder is continuously weighed, and the rate of weight loss from the system is controlled for the desired feed rate.

Since the feeder must be refilled periodically, either manually or by automatic means, proper feeder sizing and refill strategy can be important factors to successful implementation. Loss-in-weight feeders lend themselves to modular design and a variety of metering devices specifically appropriate to the material being fed.

Typical metering devices include single or twin screws, a vibrating pan, or (for liquids) a pump or valve. Loss-in-weight feeders are able to handle difficult materials and can achieve very low feed rates.

More Feeder Choices for Special Needs
You can find more feeder choices beyond this introductory page. K-Tron has engineered special feeding solutions for very low feed rates, very high feed rates, and for multi-feeder blending. To learn more, see K-Tron's feeding solutions for special applications.