What is a friction feeder?+
A friction feeder separates flat or semi-flat products from a stack using belts and separation components, then introduces each product into a printer, conveyor, inserter, packaging line, or another downstream process.
What is the difference between a pile feeder and a friction feeder?+
A friction feeder generally separates products from a hopper or stack using friction belts. A pile feeder is designed to manage a larger stack of sheet material and may use air, vacuum, pile-height sensing, registration, or other controls to introduce sheets into downstream equipment.
Can feeders be added to existing production equipment?+
In many applications, a feeder can be connected to an existing printer, transport, inserter, conveyor, finishing machine, or packaging line. Compatibility depends on the material, speed, controls, pass-line height, available space, and equipment interfaces.
What information does ATP need to recommend a feeder or folder?+
Helpful information includes product or sheet samples, dimensions, thickness, stack characteristics, production speed, required product gap, fold requirements, current equipment, available space, and photographs or video of the process.
Do you offer feeders and folders that are not shown on this page?+
Yes. The machines displayed on this page are a featured selection and do not represent ATP's complete equipment offering. Our equipment specialists can help evaluate additional manufacturers, models, configurations, and integrated systems based on your application and production requirements.