Powdery-material feeding device and powdery-material feeding method

A method of feeding a powdery material to a compression-molding machine configured to obtain a molded product by filling a die bore with the powdery material and to compress the powdery material with punches, the powdery-material feeding method comprising:

• detecting a biologically-originated foreign matter mixedly contained in the powdery material to be fed to the compression-molding machine;
• and
• controlling to remove the powdery material mixedly containing the biologically-originated foreign matter detected during the detecting to avoid the feeding of the powdery material mixedly containing the biologically-originated foreign matter to the compression-molding machine or controlling to stop the feeding of the powdery material to the compression-molding machine,
• wherein, after the detecting the biologically-originated foreign matter, the punches move with a speed that is different from the speed of the punches when the punches move before the detector detects the biologically-originated foreign matter, and
• wherein the different speed maintains an upper surface level of the powdery material in a feed pipe, located above the die bore, within a constant target range.

A powdery-material feeding system, comprising:

• a compression-molding machine configured to obtain a molded product by filling a die bore with a powdery material and to compress the powdery material with punches;
• and
• a powdery-material feeding device configured to feed the powdery material to the compression-molding machine, the powdery-material feeding device comprising:
• a detector configured to detect a biologically-originated foreign matter mixedly contained in the powdery material to be fed to the compression-molding machine;
• and
• a controller configured to control to remove the powdery material mixedly containing the biologically-originated foreign matter detected by the detector to avoid feeding of the powdery material mixedly containing the biologically-originated foreign matter to the compression-molding machine, or to control to stop the feeding of the powdery material to the compression-molding machine,
• wherein the controller is programmed such that, after the detector detects the biologically-originated foreign matter, the punches move with a speed that is different from the speed of the punches when the punches move before the detector detects the biologically-originated foreign matter, and
• wherein the different speed maintains an upper surface level of the powdery material in a feed pipe, located above the die bore, within a constant target range.