Erie, Pennsylvania, August 10 (Eriez release) — A customized Eriez® 65B Electromagnetic Vibratory Feeder serves as an essential component in an automated system that dispenses dry ice into temperature-controlled containers carrying COVID-19 vaccines. This state-of-the-art unloading/feeding system was developed by Material Transfer, an industry leader in the custom design and manufacture of bulk bag filling, conditioning, and discharging systems for dry powders and bulk solids.
As a global pandemic raged, Material Transfer was called upon to engineer a solution to maintain ice pellet size consistency, meter ice evenly to protect each vaccine, and monitor ice discharged during packaging, all while automating the process. The integrated process includes a crusher, scale system, and customized feeder and controls required to report diagnostics to the vaccine manufacturer.
Eriez delivered on the specific capacity and proprietary requirements of this special application and met the stringent timeline set forth for this project. The Eriez feeder handles the sub-zero temperatures of dry ice to protect the vaccine and enables precise feed control.
“The customization includes an over-tray electromagnetic drive configuration for maximum clearance below the feeder tray and closed-loop control to maintain precise tray vibration under changing conditions,” says Rob Yandrick, Eriez Product Manager-Vibratory/Screening. “The Eriez two-mass feeder design provides excellent vibration isolation and helps ensure there is no interference with the ice weighing process.”
Eriez feeders and controls integrate easily with the Material Transfer dry ice handling system and master control. According to Yandrick, electromagnetic feeders are ideal for packaging applications because they can be rapidly cycled on/off and feed material quickly, evenly and consistently.
“We have always held ourselves to a higher standard, believing that doing things right and serving others well are the most important things that we do,” says Scott Nyhof, Material Transfer president. He adds, “It’s good to have suppliers like Eriez that we can trust.”
