M-AF1 Auger Bagging Machine

Why do powders cause trouble in a gate?

Fine powders cause flow problems in two ways. Some form an arch-like bridge inside the hopper; the space below empties, but the product above does not come down and filling stops. Others behave like a liquid once mixed with air; they rush out uncontrolled the moment a gate opens and keep seeping past the edges after it closes. Either way, hitting the target weight becomes difficult and a dust cloud forms at the spout and around it.

On the M-AF1 the product is pushed towards the bag by the auger under the hopper. Because each turn of the auger carries roughly the same volume, flow depends on the auger’s speed rather than on how the product behaves. At the start of filling the auger turns fast, it slows near the target, and when it stops the flow stops too. With no free fall, the product entering the bag is aerated less and less dust spreads around.

What sets the M-AF1 apart in the range

• Widest bag range: the other models are limited to 25–50 kg, while the M-AF1 also fills 5, 10, 15 and 20 kg bags. For packs sold at retail or to small businesses, this difference is decisive.
• Tightest tolerance: at ±50–100 g it is the most accurate model in the range. Because the flow stops as soon as the auger stops, the amount of product in flight is small.
• Stainless option: for food products, or powders that absorb moisture and can cause corrosion, product-contact surfaces can be specified in stainless steel.
• Light, compact build: weighing 500 kg with a 200-litre hopper, it is the smallest machine in the range and fits easily under an existing silo or screw conveyor.

If your product is a free-flowing, coarse granule, you do not need the M-AF1; the gate model M-SF2 is a simpler solution at the same pace. The auger earns its place where product flow cannot be relied on by itself.

Accuracy and pace with small bags

Relating tolerance to bag weight shows what to watch with small bags. For example, 100 g on a 50 kg bag is two parts per thousand of the weight. On a 5 kg bag the same 100 g equals two percent. To avoid falling below the declared weight on small packs, the target is usually set slightly higher; how much higher is decided from the spread of your product in the first trials.

Small bags also affect pace differently. The table values of 270 bags per hour and 6–7 t/h match bags of around 25 kg (270 × 25 = 6,750 kg). As bags get smaller, the operator’s time to put each bag on stays the same, so the tonnage handled per hour falls. For 5 kg packs, planning capacity in bags rather than tonnes gives a more accurate picture.

Installation and feeding

The 200-litre hopper assumes the machine is fed continuously, like an intermediate bin. For example, if flour is taken at roughly 0.5–0.6 kg per litre, the hopper holds 100–120 kg of product, a buffer of four or five 25 kg bags. That is why the M-AF1 is usually installed at the end of a screw conveyor connected to a silo outlet, or under an intermediate bin that feeds product down continuously. The hopper volume is defined as variable; if feeding is intermittent, a larger hopper can be considered.

On the utilities side, plan for a three-phase 400 VAC, 50–60 Hz connection and an air supply at 8–10 bar; the table pairs this with a 300-litre compressor. In a dusty environment, a bag holder that grips the bag firmly throughout filling and a dust extraction connection on the spout greatly improve cleanliness around the machine.

Cleaning and product changeover

Powders stick to the auger flights and hopper walls and build up. Especially in humid weather, or with ground products containing oil, this build-up gradually narrows the flow and changes the amount the auger carries per turn. Cleaning the hopper and auger housing at the end of the shift is the shortest route to keeping filling accuracy. If you switch between products that contain allergens or must not mix, it is worth discussing at the quotation stage whether the auger can be removed for cleaning.