Alliance Prefeeders: A Brief Overview
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
A Coser Look at our Prefeeder Product Lines - Built to Keep Things Moving
Alliance sold its first prefeeder in 1984 and throughout our many years of operation, we've been dedicated to one thing – keeping your converting line moving. As line speeds continue to increase, the prefeeder has taken on a more critical role. Prefeeders set the pace for the entire line, as they are often the first step in the converting process, so avoiding a bottleneck is especially important. Alliance has developed a range of prefeeder models designed to keep board moving efficiently no matter the press, with each model built to support specific applications, speeds and plant requirements.
FEEDMAX BLOCK PUSH BOTTOM FEEDER
The FeedMAX Block Push Bottom Feeder uses our original block push bottom feeding technology to feed blanks into the press. Block pushing has been the industry standard for decades and was pioneered by Alliance (then known as TEI) in the 1980’s. To feed the material, the prefeeder receives a stack of corrugated material, lifts it up and divides the stack into measured blocks using a “block-pusher”. The block can be optionally inverted, and sheets are then fed off the bottom of the block under a vertical shingle gate onto the extendo. The shingled stream of material then moves down the extendo into the hopper of the press. Options are also available for a “continuous shingle” module, which allows an unbroken shingle of material to travel down the extendo. Read more about the FeedMAX HERE
ULTRAFEED
The UltraFEED is an Electric Hybrid prefeeder that uses the same block push bottom feed technology as the FeedMAX but with primarily pneumatic/electric operation. The hybrid model allows for smoother, quieter operation while still maintaining the high-performance of our block push bottom feeder machines. Similar to the FeedMAX, different configurations are available: continuous shingle, block-staging, inverting and standard. Read more about the UltraFEED HERE.
FEEDMASTER® TOP FEEDER
The FEEDMASTER® Top Feeder is one of our most popular legacy designs and continues to be a reliable option for top-printing finishing machines. In the Top Feeder, stacks of material are lifted, divided into measured blocks and inverted. Sheets are then fed off the bottom of the block under a shingle gate onto the extendo in a shingled stream for delivery into the hopper. The Top Feeder offers a great, lower-cost top feeder with a long history of reliable operation in the corrugated industry. Read more about the Top Feeder HERE.
HIGH-SPEED TOP FEEDER
As prefeeders continue to evolve, the need for higher levels speed and efficiency remain a major focus. The High-Speed Top Feeder is built to keep up with faster machines to avoid the bottleneck of a mismatched line. Similar to the FEEDMASTER® Top Feeder, the High-Speed Top Feeder uses block pushing technology to separate blocks and prepare for inverting. However, instead of a single chamber inverter, the High-Speed Top Feeder uses a 360-degree dual chamber inverter that greatly increases the efficiency of the inversion and staging process. The High-Speed Top Feeder was specifically designed to integrate with 38” (1 meter) Flexo Folder Gluers but can be engineered to integrate with a variety of converting machines. Read more about the High-Speed Top Feeder HERE.
INVERTING TOP FEEDER
The Inverting Top Feeder is our highest performing prefeeders designed for top-printing converting machines and is especially effective at running smaller board sizes. As stacks are received, the lead stack is conveyed to a side-shifting conveyor, centered and shifted onto lifting forks. The stack is then inverted while being held by anti-topple forks and fed gradually into the Prehopper where it is accumulated and squared for the shingle gate. The material leaves the Prehopper in a continuous shingle down the extendo and into the hopper of the press. The ITF is capable of reaching and maintaining blazing fast speeds of up to 500 kicks per minute. Read more about the Inverting Top Feeder HERE.
FEEDMASTER JUMBO BOTTOM FEEDER / JUMBO TOP FEEDER
When operating larger board, the FEEDMASTER® Jumbo Bottom Feeder and Jumbo Top Feeder are designed to manage oversized sheets while maintaining steady, shingled, delivery into the finishing machine. These feeders use the same block push technology as the FeedMAX and and UltraFEED, while handling jumbo sheets of up to 100” x 215”. Read more HERE.
DIGITAL PREFEEDER
The DIGITAL PREFEEDER is specifically engineered for digital printing presses, with the ability to orient board 90-degrees using a specialized corner and 90-degree extendo. The digital prefeeder has the unique ability to feed dual lanes of corrugated material into a digital printer at one time. It uses our classic block push technology, along with an optional inverter. Read more about the Digital Prefeeder HERE.
AUTOFEED BY ALLIANCE AUTOMATAN
For more unique feeding applications we offer the Automatan AutoFeed, which can save up to 50% floorspace compared to conventional prefeeders. This robotic prefeeder transfers product from an inbound conveyor using a FANUC robotic arm with custom end-of-arm-tooling. The AutoFeed uses six axes of motion to lift, pick, transfer, and place blocks into the hopper. This process is highly efficient, as feeding and flipping the board can take place simultaneously, and takes up significantly less room. The AutoFeed has the ability to slide using a rail system, maintaining the operators ability to open the press. The AutoFeed can also be adapted to feed specialty folder gluers, removing the need for manual feeding. Read more about the AutoFeed HERE.
MACHINE UPGRADES
For plants with existing prefeeders, upgrades are a great way to improve performance without replacing the entire machine. Alliance offers a variety of upgrades to help legacy machines run more smoothly with less downtime while increasing both operator safety and machine productivity. If interested, see the Machine Upgrades page and contact your local sales representative for more information.
Comments