TrueFeed TF gravimetric blender and feeder

TrueFeed® TF gravimetric feeders from The Conair Group provide precise weight-based control of virgin resin, regrind, color concentrate, and additives for injection molding, extrusion, and blow molding applications. Using continuous gravimetric measurement rather than volumetric estimation, the TrueFeed TF series maintains accurate material ratios throughout production, reducing material waste, improving part consistency, and delivering repeatable process control. Each production run generates complete material usage and dosing history to support process traceability, quality assurance, and production reporting. TrueFeed integrates seamlessly with Conair’s FLX-128 Plus material handling control and the complete Conair ecosystem of drying, conveying, blending, and the broader portfolio of plastics auxiliary equipment.

How the TrueFeed TF works

The TrueFeed TF uses continuous loss-in-weight metering technology to control the feeding of color concentrates and additives into your plastics process. A precision dispense cylinder — driven by a stepper motor — delivers material at a consistent, controlled rate, while a closed-loop control system monitors weight in real time and automatically adjusts feeding speed to maintain your target ratio. Unlike volumetric feeders that rely on auger turns or valve timing, the TrueFeed TF measures actual weight dispensed, which means it self-corrects for changes in bulk density, pellet size, or material flowability. The result is a non-pulsing, highly accurate feed stream that gives you maximum control of the process and the end product. The unique dispense cylinder design eliminates the pulsing outputs common with auger and pocket-type feeders, and because the system doesn’t require time-consuming color calibration when materials are changed, it eliminates the machine downtime associated with conventional volumetric feeders. Changeovers are fast. No tools are required for material and color changes. To disassemble, release the knob holding the feeder to the scale, remove the feeder, pull back on the slide gate to drain the material from the hopper, then release the motor clamps and remove the motor and dispense cylinder.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a gravimetric blender and how does it differ from a volumetric blender?

A gravimetric blender uses load cells to measure the actual weight of each material component as it is dispensed, giving you real-time ratio confirmation and automatic correction if a component runs slow or fast. A volumetric blender controls by volume — auger turns or valve timing — which is faster to set up but cannot detect variations in bulk density, pellet size, or feedscrew wear. For critical applications where regrind percentage, colorant concentration, or additive loading must be tightly controlled, gravimetric blending provides both the accuracy and the data trail that volumetric systems cannot.

What plastics processes is the TrueFeed TF designed for?

TrueFeed TF gravimetric blenders and feeders are designed for injection molding, extrusion (including tube, pipe, film, and sheet), and blow molding. The system handles a range of engineering and commodity resins and can be configured for regrind, concentrate, and additive components.

What is the difference between gravimetric blending and loss-in-weight feeding?

Gravimetric blending measures and dispenses each component in a batch sequence, then combines them. Loss-in-weight feeding is a continuous process where a hopper and its contents are weighed in real time; as material exits the hopper, the feeder adjusts its output rate to maintain a target weight-loss-per-unit-time. Both methods use weight as the control variable — the difference is batch versus continuous delivery. TrueFeed TF supports both configurations depending on process requirements.

How does the TrueFeed TF integrate with other Conair equipment?

TrueFeed TF connects to Conair’s FLX-128 Plus gravimetric material handling control, which centralizes monitoring and recipe management across multiple blending and feeding stations. It can be paired upstream with a ResinWorks central drying system and downstream with Conair’s Wave Conveying technology to create a fully integrated, degradation-minimizing material handling system.

What control system does the TrueFeed TF use?

TrueFeed TF operates with a bilingual, user-friendly control that requires no color calibration when materials are changed. For centralized, multi-station control and recipe management, TrueFeed TF integrates with Conair’s FLX-128 Plus gravimetric material handling control system.

Options

Compressed air loading lid

Choose the TrueFeed with the compressed air loading for processing granular pellets.

Throat adapters

A variety of throat adapters are available to fit with your processing machine. The standard adapter has a 76 mm diameter inlet and 45 mm square outlet. See following pages.

Compressed air vacuum loading lid

Use the TrueFeed with the vacuum loading option for dusty or granular materials.
The vacuum loading option offers increasing pulling power and a filter to trap dust and fines. Vacuum is generated with compressed air.

Water-cooled throat adapter

This throat adapter provides temperature isolation from hot dried material. Used when combining a temperature sensitive additive into a hot dried material.

Dispense cylinder

Cylinders are designed to provide a non-pulsing consistent feed and are more accurate than traditional auger screws. The cylinders allow for quick and easy change out during cleaning. Several sizes are available to fit with your application.