A diameter 18 mm aluminium disc. A three-week deadline. A feed rate that had to be flawless from day one — and every day after.
When a customer brings us a “simple” part, we already know the engineering challenge isn’t the geometry — it’s everything else: the speed, the orientation, the integration, the timeline.
An 18 mm diameter × 4 mm thick aluminium disc. On paper, about as uncomplicated a part as you’ll find. In practice, delivering it at 500+ parts per minute, in a precise rolling orientation, seamlessly integrated with existing downstream equipment — and commissioned within three weeks — is an entirely different proposition.
This is the kind of challenge Elscint was built for.
The Challenge
Our customer needed more than a feeder. They needed a precision-engineered system that could slot into a live production line and perform without fault from the moment it was switched on.
Customer Requirements
- Specific rolling orientation — discs fed onto their edges, not flat
- Throughput of 500+ parts per minute, sustained
- Seamless integration with existing downstream machine track
- Full system delivered and commissioned in under three weeks
None of these requirements are unusual in isolation. Together, at this speed, with this deadline, they demand engineering that leaves nothing to chance.
500+Parts Per Minute
<3Weeks to Delivery
±100mm Height Adjustment
Our Engineering Solution
We began with our proven Elscint drive base — a platform chosen for its rigidity and consistent vibrational performance at high throughputs. The real work was in the internal bowl tooling, custom-designed to capture each disc from the bulk mass and orient it onto its edge into a rolling position before it enters the track.
To sustain 500+ PPM without creating a bottleneck at the handoff point, we engineered a custom gravity chute to bridge the gap between our feeder and the customer’s input track. Gravity does the work; precision geometry ensures the orientation is never lost in transit.
Off-the-shelf solutions cannot guarantee orientation, speed, and reliability simultaneously. Engineered solutions can — and must.
Built for Real-World Integration
A feeder that performs in isolation is only half the job. The system had to function as though it had always been part of the customer’s line.
Smart Leveling Stand
The system sits on a robust cubical stand with integrated leg levelers with a central dia 60 mm screw, providing ±100 mm of height adjustment — enough to perfectly align with virtually any existing input track, horizontally and vertically.
Sensor Interlock
A Fork sensor monitored the downstream track in real time. If the track fills — due to a slowdown or stoppage downstream — the bowl feeder cuts automatically, preventing jams, protecting parts, and reducing energy consumption and wear.
These aren’t afterthoughts. They’re the details that determine whether a system runs for three months before a service call — or three years without one.
The Results –
| Metric | Outcome |
| Feed Rate | Exceeded 500 PPM target — sustained, consistent throughput from commissioning |
| Orientation Accuracy | 100% rolling orientation maintained through feeder and gravity chute transition |
| Delivery Timeline | Concept to fully operational on the customer’s floor in under three weeks |
| Maintenance Design | Precision-ground tooling engineered for years of maintenance-free operation |
| Line Integration | Seamless fit with existing downstream equipment; proximity interlock operational on day one |
When you invest in proper engineering upfront, you eliminate the hidden costs that accumulate over years of downtime, misfeed events, and reactive maintenance. The geometry of a part is never the whole story.
Have a Feeding Challenge?
Simple part or complex assembly — bring us the requirements and we’ll engineer the solution.