Rotary Feeder & Tripper Conveyor

A rotary feeder is a flow-control unit operating with a pocket structure formed by evenly spaced vanes rotating inside a cylindrical housing. Material fed from the top enters the pockets formed by the rotating vanes and, through the rotational motion, is carried to the bottom outlet and discharged.

As defined in our catalogue: rotary feeders control the flow of various granular, grain or powdery material from silos, bunkers, cyclones, filters and mixers. They are also used to prevent airflow between zones where the material — under pressure, vacuum or gravity — is taken in and discharged. The rotary feeder ensures a regular and stable product flow.

In many industrial facilities, certain zones operate at different pressures:

• Filter outlet — the dust collection hopper is generally under negative pressure (vacuum).

• Pneumatic conveying — the pipeline is above atmospheric pressure.

• Silo outlet — atmospheric pressure, but the pneumatic line operating below may be at a different pressure.

If no airlock is provided at these points, the pressure difference disrupts material flow, dust is sucked back rather than discharged, or the line becomes unstable. Rotary feeders allow material to pass at these points while blocking airflow, ensuring stable system operation. For this reason, rotary feeders are a key component of all modern bag-filter, cyclone and pneumatic-conveying installations.

Wet or excessively humid materials adhere to the body and vanes of the rotary feeder, creating a serious problem: pockets do not fully empty, capacity drops, the motor is overloaded and, in the long run, the line stops. To solve this, as stated in our catalogue, TMD GRUP has developed the self-cleaning (Self-Clean) rotary feeder variant.

Thanks to the housing geometry and special vane profile, the Self-Clean design self-cleans on each rotation — adhering material is automatically released. Even wet sludge, humid coal, sticky flour or similar adhesive materials can be processed without issue. The Self-Clean variant is especially valuable in the food and recycling sectors.

A tripper conveyor is a mobile discharge head that travels along a long belt line. It moves along the main belt and, at the desired point, tilts the belt upward to drop material — distributing product from a single conveyor to multiple stockpiles or different discharge points.

As stated in our catalogue: the tripper conveyor — which allows products to be distributed for stockpiling or to be discharged separately at different desired points in mining facilities — saves time and energy. Tripper conveyors designed and manufactured by TMD GRUP represent firsts in Türkiye — an important reference point demonstrating TMD's engineering leadership in the sector.

In mining and aggregate sites, the tripper conveyor offers the following field advantages:

Both rotary feeders and tripper conveyors are bespoke-sized per project under TMD GRUP's tailored-engineering approach:

• For rotary feeders, the pocket volume, rotation speed, housing material (carbon steel / stainless / wear-plated), number and geometry of vanes (standard or Self-Clean) are determined.

• For tripper conveyors, the main belt length, the travel range of the mobile head, the number and position of discharge points, and the automation control level (manual, semi-automatic, fully PLC-controlled) are determined.

Both units are designed by analysing site conditions and the customer's operational goals.

Rotary feeder or tripper conveyor projects at TMD GRUP follow this order: connection / site analysis → equipment selection (standard rotary feeder / Self-Clean / tripper conveyor) → engineering design, 3D model and FEA where needed → manufacturing (Başkent OSB) → in-house performance testing → site installation, automation integration → commissioning and operator training.