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Foremost’s (Booth W2063) new Mini Loss Weigh Blender (MLWB) is an integrated self-loading, automatic weighing system. Fully programmable, the compact blender simultaneously meters each ingredient by weight into an integrated mounted hopper, and then an individual totalizer records, sorts and displays the actual weight of the ingredients on an ongoing basis. There are continuous or batch operating modes for the four models available, which range in throughputs from 1000 to 2500 lb/hr. Horsepower on the mixer ranges from 1 to 3.

Drew Schmid, assistant sales manager at Foremost, says the main feature for the MLWB is accuracy—a trait currying favor in blending anew. “Actually, the MLWB is derivative of something prevalent in year’s past that went away,” Schmid says, “but we’re getting more and more interest in something more accurate than standard equipment.” Targets include cast film, where the addition of an expensive barrier material can be closely monitored, or, more simply, a product where there is consistent color the processor wants to match every time. This time around the technology benefits from today’s cutting-edge controls, according to Schmid. “The controls are more advanced now,” Schmid says. “The control platform has changed, and everything is PLC based; you can do a lot more with touch screens and remote access.”

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In addition to the blenders, Foremost will show a vacuum loading system and vacuum pump. The vacuum loader will have a control panel, while another display integrates vacuum loading. Here attendees can see how Foremost’s distributed I/O design, where there’s a node on device, allows disparate pieces of equipment to be easily daisy chained together. At the booth, attendees add or remove equipment themselves.

Foremost is also showing gravity, throat-mounted and tunnel-type metal detectors. The newest, MPULSE can learn the effect different products have on detection, including how certain materials could falsely indicate as metal (black-coloring for instance due to carbon). “You teach the metal separator what is good so it checks and says, ‘This configuration is good; this deviates,’” Schmid says.

Never shown before is a film grinder with roller feeder and blower discharge. In the past, the systems could result in a lot of airborne dust occurring when granulate was blown into the cyclone, and any dust that was generated could escape out via the gas exhaust. Foremost counters this with a new filtered receiving cyclone (FRC). The FRC utilizes a cyclone but also has 6 self-contained filters. These allow materials to get blown into the cyclone while dust collects on outside of the filter bags, preventing contaminated exhaust from blowing out into the room.

Finally, Foremost is displaying its Oktomat bulk bag or gaylord unloader, which is a pickup device used in conjunction with vacuum loading equipment. Here, the device drops down and hooks the super sack, for instance. A suction head drops down into the material and the whole apparatus hooks up to a vacuum loader. As the bag or gaylord empties, the outside ring lifts the sack or gaylord liner and pulls it up. As material is emptied, the suction head drops lower and lower, allowing processors to remove all the material.