Powder transfer method and apparatus

A method of transferring powder from one or more sources to one or more destination receptacles, said method comprising the steps of

• establishing an upward flow of air or other gas through one or more transfer ports of a hopper,
• maintaining said upward flow at an aspirating velocity sufficient to aspirate powder into the hopper from at least one of said one or more sources through at least one of said one or more transfer ports to form a fluidized bed of powder in the hopper above said at least one transfer port, and
• reducing the velocity of said upward flow to a dispensing velocity less than said aspirating velocity to dispense powder from the hopper by allowing powder from the fluidized bed to gravitate through at least one of said one or more transfer ports into at least one of said one or more destination receptacles.

A method of transferring powder from one or more sources to one or more destination receptacles, said method comprising the steps of

• establishing an upward flow of air or other gas through one or more transfer ports of a hopper, and
• varying said upward flow through the transfer port to have different velocities greater than 0.0 m/s, including an aspirating velocity for aspirating powder into the hopper from at least one of said one or more sources through at least one of said one or more transfer ports to form a fluidized bed of powder in the hopper above said at least one transfer port, and a dispensing velocity less than said aspirating velocity but sufficient to maintain fluidization of the bed while allowing powder from the bed to gravitate through at least one of said one or more transfer ports for dispensing into at least one of said one or more destination receptacles.