Woodfeeders

Woodfeeders are mechanical devices designed to feed wood material into processing equipment, such as saws, grinders, shavers, or pellet presses. They can be standalone units or integrated into a production line. The primary purpose is to regulate feed rate, improve throughput, and reduce operator handling.

Most wood feeders consist of a hopper to hold material, a metering mechanism to control the amount released, and a drive system (belt, roller, chain, or screw auger). Some designs use gravity to move material, while others are powered to deliver a constant or adjustable feed. Modern feeders often include sensors or control systems to synchronize with downstream equipment and to monitor material quality and occupancy.

Common applications include lumber mills processing boards and billets, wood recycling facilities handling chips and shavings, and pellet or briquette plants where wood dust or small particles are fed into presses. They are designed to handle varying moisture content and particle size, and may incorporate anti-blocking features for cohesive or bulky material.

Materials are typically steel or stainless steel with abrasion-resistant surfaces; some units use polymer liners for lighter loads. Maintenance focuses on clearing jams, inspecting drive components, and preventing dust buildup. Safety features may include guards, interlocks, emergency stops, and proper lockout procedures.

This topic also intersects with related equipment such as conveyors, hoppers, feed screws, and process control systems used in wood processing industries.