Packaging powders, even free-flowing ones, may not be as simple as pouring out of a hopper into your bag or container. Traditionally, accuracy is achieved by restricting the hopper opening or feed path, but this can result in product bridging and poor packaging rates.

The AWE Group provides the best solution by using a servo-driven screw that draws the product out of the hopper at high speed. Scale feedback allows us to refine our system accuracy, track packaging weight, and deliver market-leading performance.

Each dry product has its own characteristics that affect the suitability of this machine for your application, including flowability, lumpiness, weight, density variation, dusting, and suitability for augering. In general, we recommend:

• If you’re filling a consistent powder, an Auger is the best solution.
• If you’re filling grain, then gravity would provide the solution.

Filling dry products does not need to be difficult. Trust packaging experts like Australian Weighing Equipment who understands how to match your product or container to the right machinery.

Low ‘cost of ownership’ providing the quickest (ROI) return on your investment

• AWE guarantees our solutions and products. With our 40 years of experience in manufacturing Vertical Augers, we’re able to draw from our armoury to customize solutions that suit your process, rather than forcing a process to suit our solutions.
• AWE uses universal and industrial components to give the machinery extra-long life cycles – the way machinery should be built. This way, you’re not locked into expensive proprietary systems.
• Our products are manufactured to comply with Australian and International Machine Safety & Electrical Standards.
• AWE prides itself on providing plain English proposals – there are no hidden surprises. You’ll know what you’re getting.
• AWE manufactures complete lines from filling, sealing to palletising.

A Vertical Auger looks like a corkscrew. It has a long, stainless steel, spiral blade wrapped around a central shaft, driven by an electric motor at the top of the auger.

1. The screw displaces a certain amount of product each revolution by precisely controlling the dosage.
2. The auger rotates in the hopper filled with loose powder. As it turns, it drives the powder through the bottom of the hopper into a narrow tube where the powder is drawn down the tube by the turning screw. The auger runs through the narrow tube creating a tight fit. As the screw turns, it pulls the prescribed amount of powder down the tube filling the container.
3. The agitator keeps the feed to the center of the auger.
4. As the Vertical Auger sends measured doses into the packaging container, the closed hopper is topped up with powder to maintain the levels so there is no interruption in production and maintaining a constant head pressure.
5. The PLC sends a signal to the auger drive system which turns the auger a pre-set number of revolutions delivering a measured dose of product. You can control the amount of powder delivered by setting the number of revolution the auger turns. This can be measured and calibrated to deliver a precise amount of powder.

Control the amount of powder delivered by setting the number of auger revolutions.

Our system uses scale feedback to monitor the filler and correct any inaccuracy. You don’t want to deliver too much or too little to the consumer, but you will want to pack as fast as possible.

The biggest headache in packing and filling is the dreaded bottleneck. The speed of your plant is determined by your constraints, which often are the filler and the checkweigher.

You need to match your weighing system to the same speed as a machine can fill. There’s no point in having super fast filling if the weighing becomes a bottleneck.

A weighing solution with the speed of a volumetric filler with the accuracy of net weighing

• Volume: The Vertical Auger uses a servo-drive to control the acceleration, speed, and number of revolutions to dispense the required amount of product. This system achieves speeds of up to 5000 rpm and can stop in 0.2 seconds using this technology. It is the lowest-cost and fastest solution, offering the option to weigh samples and correct fills by weight. Without this scale feedback, you would rely on manual adjustment of a product with good volumetric repeatability.
• Weight: Scales are used to accurately control the servo system to the required fill. The system uses programmable fill points for fast and slow-feed into your container. This method is used for non-homogeneous powders where the repeat accuracy of each volumetrically delivered amount is not consistent, and weighing while filling is the best solution.
• Combination: Volume and Weigh filling are both used to maximise container capacity. Use volumetric filling to fill your container to 95% of its final weight and then index to the weigh station to top up precisely. At a higher capital cost, this option offers the benefit of filling accurately by weight with high throughput. It suits most auger suitable powders.

Weigh & volumetric can be combined to offer a weighing solution that allows the speed of volumetric with the accuracy of net weighing filling.

• Accepts a wide range of augers to match your dry powder filling needs
• Servo-driven motor for accurate control of acceleration, speed, and revolutions
• Weight feedback is provided
• Hopper level controls are available for special products
• Vertical Auger weight feedback upgrade to the PLC includes a digital scale, which feeds weight information back into the main PLC and makes adjustments as required to keep the filling machine on target weight within tolerances
• An internal agitator with timer controls is included to maintain product feed
• Stainless steel hopper construction, built to sanitary standards, with a mild steel hidden subframe
• Hoppers come in capacities of 25, 45, 50, and 60 litre
• Split hopper design allows for easy unlocking and cleaning of the hopper and auger tooling
• Adjustable height control makes it easy to fill containers, bags, tubs, etc., of different sizes
• The support column provides a mounting flange for floor stands or machine mounting above other equipment
• A standard checkweigher scale with weight feedback enables automatic adjustment for product variances
• A program allows for master/slave chaining of fillers to dose products in selected ratios
• It can be mounted on bag makers, bottle/jar fillers, or manually on the ground

Each auger needs to be designed to suit the dry product being filled.

The auger in an auger filler is not a dumb screw but a precision-engineered component designed to match product characteristics, as well as filling speed and volume requirements.

Auger stems and OD flight need to be exactly concentric to avoid erratic dispensing.

One size does not fit all, even on products that appear similar. Talk to AWE to get the correct auger combination designed for your product and adapted to match each unique type and container requirement.

What you get when you order your Vertical Auger Filler:

• Self-contained filler with an easy clean split hopper and integrated electrical control box – requires 200-250VAC supply
• A height-adjustable floor stand unless a special machine mount was specified
• Footswitch to initiate fill cycle
• Electrical logic interface to upstream product feed system and interface to downstream packaging machine
• Quick change auger assembly to suit your specification
• Quick video tutorial

AWE Vertical Auger Fillers comes with extra options. Before placing your orders, consider the added tooling below that may be a necessary aid to your particular process.

• Scale for weight feedback or control
• Extended tooling
• Bombay doors
• 100% stainless steel frames
• Bulk product conveyors
• VASD Vertical Auger Servo Drive Larger Servo drive unit 3Kw as required for difficult to move products such as sugars, glutens and granular products. Upgrade to P.L.C and larger agitator motor to suit
• Connecting a dust collection vacuum system to reduce dust around the fill nozzle
• Out-feed conveyor
• Inlet surge bins
• Automatic bag loader (arm loader)
• Robot arm and vacuum clamping device
• Pallet jack base to move machine with ease
• Heavy-duty agitation change parts with high speed agitation, medium blade & paste blade

• Vertical auger in production line
• Product infeed conveyors
• Conveyors
• Valve sealers
• Palletisers

If you have any additional questions about Vertical Auger or your process in general, feel free to talk to an AWE Sales Engineer to further assist you.

* Depending on product characteristics, bag size, etc.