In extrusion, consistency is essential. When material flow becomes unpredictable, everything downstream suffers: throughput slows, product quality varies, and systems face unnecessary wear. For extruder manufacturers, that puts a premium on what happens upstream.
That’s where AZO’s new Flow Hopper comes in. Engineered for consistent, blockage-free discharge of bulk materials, this compact, intelligent unit is ideal for feeding materials into extruders, especially in processes where powders are difficult to handle.
Let’s explore why this matters and how AZO’s Flow Hopper brings reliable material handling to the most demanding extrusion environments.
Before it was ever called the Flow Hopper, the design carried a different name, one that came straight from the plant floor. In an early installation at a small plastics processor, the team was handling material that looked harmless until it packed down. Low density regrind and flake can compact into a dense plug that behaves less like a free flowing bulk solid and more like a single cohesive mass. Once that happens, traditional screw feeding is often unable to reestablish flow, and discharge becomes unreliable.
The solution to the problem was an agitated hopper configuration built around high torque shafts equipped with pins that mechanically break up compacted material above the outlet. By continuously disrupting the consolidated bed, the agitators maintain a conditioned, more fluidized region near the discharge point, allowing consistent release even with compaction, broad particle size distribution, or irregular geometry.
After seeing the unit clear persistent blockages and restore steady flow, the reaction was basically, “That’s magic!” The nickname stuck — the Magic Hopper — and the story traveled. The product has since evolved, and the name has formalized to Flow Hopper, but the origin stayed the same: a piece of equipment that earned its reputation by doing what conventional designs could not.
Whether you’re processing plastic regrind, mineral-filled compounds, biodegradable resins, or fine polymer powders, feeding extruders with consistent flow is critical. Material bridging, rat-holing, or clumping at the feed point can lead to:
These issues are especially common with materials that don’t flow freely, those prone to caking, sticking, or compacting under pressure. Without the right feeding equipment in place, process control becomes guesswork.
AZO designed the Flow Hopper to eliminate these issues at the source.
The Flow Hopper is a compact, integrated unit that combines an agitator and a discharge screw to ensure smooth, metered flow of powders and granular bulk materials directly into your extrusion process.
Installed at the bottom of a hopper or silo, it acts as both a flow aid and a feeding mechanism. It agitates, conditions, and conveys product all while maintaining a uniform discharge profile into the extruder inlet or downstream conveyor.
The machine receives product from an upstream device through its inlet and directs it into the vessel. Inside, up to two agitators rotate continuously to loosen and condition the material. This prepared product is then passed on to one or two discharge screws. The discharge screw works as a controlled transfer point between process stages, which conveys the bulk material into the outlet housing. The product then exits the unit and continues on to the next part of the system.
The agitator can be fed either by pressure conveying or in free flow. For gravity fed applications, the agitator is fed from a hopper above in atmospheric conditions.
It also plays well with upstream silos, day bins, or surge hoppers. For OEMs, this means you can add AZO’s Flow Hopper to your system design without major footprint or control changes.
Explosion protection and dust safety are front-of-mind in modern extrusion facilities. AZO engineered the Flow Hopper with safety in mind:
Combined with AZO’s expertise in Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA) and NFPA 660 updates, this equipment supports your broader plant safety initiatives.
The Flow Hopper also supports hygienic operation through:
It also plays well with upstream silos, day bins, or surge hoppers. For OEMs, this means you can add AZO’s Flow Hopper to your system design without major footprint or control changes.
AZO has spent decades helping manufacturers engineer systems that perform where it counts. Whether you're building next-gen extrusion lines or retrofitting your facility for better throughput, AZO provides the upstream reliability that keeps lines running and operators safe.
The Flow Hopper is the latest evolution of that mission: an intelligent, compact solution that solves real-world feeding problems at the point where they matter most.
Let’s talk about how the Flow Hopper can fit into your extruder project. Contact us today.