Friction feeder components are a cost-effective way to upgrade a friction feeder system. Our components range from linear batch droppers for expediting batching operations to driven discharges for speedy delivery to the secondary operation. We've compiled a comprehensive guide on all our Friction Feeder components. 

Automatic Product Loader

The Automatic Product Loader (APL) is a conveyor that extends the capacity of Friction Feeders allowing for longer run times and minimizes the number of operators required to run a system.  Products are shingled onto the APL that feeds into the friction feeder. The APL is also used for feeding products that don’t vertically stack well, such as plastic bags with zippers, auto-bottom boxes or other asymmetrical products. An unstable vertical stack can lead to problems feeding. With an APL, the products are spread over a horizontal surface instead and stability becomes a non-issue. Heavy products are another challenging product to feed as the heavy weight can negatively affect the vertical stack of products.  

Catch Tray

The Catch Tray is the ideal add-on to complete a friction feeder batching system. Made for industrial environments, the Magnetic Catch Tray is made of heavy duty 400 series stainless steel and is placed at the end of a system using magnetic brackets to guide products into the Catch Tray to form a stack. The magnetics are incredibly strong while still allowing for effortless adjustments to precisely fit products of almost any shape or size. The guide pieces elevate the stacked products making them easy to grasp for smooth removal.  

Rotary Batch Dropper

The Rotary Batch Dropper is a cost-effective component for batching solutions. Attached to a friction feeder, products are fed onto paddles that square up the products to keep a straight stack. The paddles quickly rotate to drop the batched products. The products can be dropped into boxes, bags, and onto conveyors to be moved to the next step in the process. Often paired with a High Continuous Performance (HCP) Friction Feeder, the Rotary Batch Dropper has a cycle time of 35 milliseconds, making it the fastest method for batching.  

Automatic Drop Table

Our Automatic Drop Table (ADT) is our standard Linear Batch Dropper and sets up your batching process for efficient success.  The ADT can be paired with any of MFT Automation’s robust Friction Feeders, which directly interfaces so there is only one fully integrated control for both pieces of equipment. The settings of the Friction Feeder directly translate to adjustments to the ADT because of this integration. Automatic Drop Table batch counter machine can batch, accumulate, square, and drop accurate counts of a variety of products with high precision performance. Vibratory tappers can be added to the sides, back, and/or front of the ADT to help square up the product before it is dropped by bumping in any products protruding from the stack. The ADT is powered by a servo driven motor for long runtimes and a long lifetime. 

Driven Discharge

A Driven Discharge often compliments a Friction Feeder in an integrated system and provides transport for the secondary operation, such as folding, printing, and product registration. MFT Automation’s Driven Discharge options are a valuable component to add to any Integrated System.  A Driven Discharge can also be used to achieve the highest accuracy possible in tipping applications, achieving placement as accurate as 1/64 of an inch. MFT Automation offers a wide range of Driven Discharge options including full width vacuum, or top and bottom belt control, with various belt widths and materials available to meet the needs of any application. Learn more about the different Driven Discharges below! 

Open Frame Discharge

The Open Frame Discharge has many applications. The Open Discharge is a narrow discharge that allows you to hold products that can be wider than the discharge on the friction feeder. The Open Frame Discharge is ideal for applications such as tipping, The open discharge allows for high-performance tipping and in some cases can run at 30,000 boxes per hour or faster while maintaining accuracy. 

Vacuum Track Discharge

The Vacuum Track Discharge uses suction to control the products through the discharge, unlike other Driven Discharge which uses top belts. The Vacuum Discharge’s wide format can handle large products and still maintain tight control. As there are no belts above the products, there is an opening to the product. This allows you to do secondary operations as it is traveling down the Discharge, such as various types of printing, such as inkjet or thermal transfer printing, labeling, and whole product verification. 

Flexible Driven Discharge

The Flexible Driven Discharge can be configured to move products in uncommon directions such as a slight downward slope, straight downward, or even turning the product upside-down prior to placement. The Flexible Driven Discharge has a segmented design that has different length and angle options. The Flexible Driven Discharge can be easily integrated into existing systems by shaping the discharge to fit in tight areas with minimal clearance. 

MFT Automation

MFT Automation works directly with customers to find the best solution for their automation challenges. Our customer-oriented and engineering-driven process is the key to our success. We start by identifying the customer’s problem and applying our almost 27 years of knowledge and experience in industrial automation to find the best solution. All MFT Automation systems and equipment are designed and built in-house. Our Mechanical, Electrical, and Software Engineering teams directly collaborate with the customer to completely understand the customer’s unique application and to design a solution. Next, our in-house Production Teams get to work on creating the necessary parts for the equipment. Our machine shop is equipped with modern CNC and lathe machine tools allowing us to offer highly customized equipment and systems. Finally, our Integration Team tests the system relentlessly and puts the finishing touches on the complete system. After integration and installation, we offer abundant after-market services, including training, convenient spare parts ordering, and exceptional customer service.