FCI has been building vibratory feeder bowls and parts feeders for a variety of food industries. Some of the product we built machines for would be things like bulk salt, pretzels, candy , marshmallows. We have also constructed machines capable of processing packaged goods like coffee pods, granola bars, freeze dried foods, and even some empty containers that are required to be filled with a food or beverage.

Under certain circumstances an application that is involving food(packaged or un-packaged) may require a vibratory feeder to be implemented. Such applications are not common everyday but are ideal for packaging, counting, weighing, or quality control inspection. A typical feeder would consist of standard materials but a food grade(FDA compliant) feeder is required to have certain specifications such as 316L stainless steel on all surfaces and “pit-free” finishing. Not only does the finishing matter in these environments but also the coatings and coverings of all equipment that have rust concerns. These concerns can be eliminated by using food-grade stainless steel on all surfaces contacting the product and around product. Everything else that must remain regular steel can be coated in a 2-part stainless steel epoxy called Steel-IT or Surlyn Coating(resembles a golf ball coating). Nickel plating and adding shrouds is also optional if the conditions are critical such as a wash-down room.

In the event that a feeder is needed for you next food grade application please consult us first so we can determine what system is best suited given your project requirements.