Understanding the Difference Between Tumbleback and Metering Conveyors
20/10/2025
In the waste metal recycling industry, maintaining consistent material flow is critical. Uneven or overloaded feed can disrupt production, reduce recovery efficiency and increase wear on key machinery. That’s why conveyor design plays such an important role, particularly when it comes to tumbleback and metering conveyors, both designed to regulate how material moves through a processing line.
Tumbleback Conveyors: Managing Heavy or Irregular Feed
A tumbleback conveyor acts as a built-in buffer. It’s designed with an angled or stepped section that allows excess material to roll or “tumble” back onto the belt. This simple mechanical action naturally evens out the flow, preventing surges from downstream equipment such as shredders, screens, or eddy current separators.
Tumbleback conveyors help regulate the amount of bulk material being delivered and the spacing between specific items, ensuring smoother, more efficient flow across the system.
As it relies on gravity rather than complex control systems, a tumbleback conveyor is robust, low-maintenance and ideal for tough environments. It’s particularly useful where material feed is uneven or delivered in bulk, for example, from hoppers, grabs, or loading shovels. In simple terms, the tumbleback conveyor helps protect downstream machinery by evening out the flow and maintaining steady throughput.
Metering Conveyors: Delivering Precision and Control
Once the flow has been balanced, a metering conveyor takes over to deliver a steady, controlled layer of material to the next stage of processing. These conveyors typically use variable-speed drives or adjustable gates to regulate discharge speed and spread material evenly across the belt. This ensures that recovery systems such as eddy current separators, magnetic drums, or screening units receive a consistent feed, a vital factor in achieving accurate separation and maximum recovery rates.
While the tumbleback conveyor focuses on levelling heavy or inconsistent feed, the metering conveyor focuses on precision, feeding material forward in a uniform, measured way so the separation process performs at its best.
In Summary:
Tumbleback conveyors even things out when the feed is heavy or irregular. Metering conveyors make sure material flows smoothly and consistently, for cleaner, more efficient metal recovery.
Built for Demanding Recycling Applications
At BlakerTech, we design and manufacture tailor-made Metering and Tumbleback conveyors that play a vital role in improving material flow across recycling plants. Manufactured in the UK, our conveyors are engineered to handle demanding materials, including wire-rich waste streams such as Auto Shredder Residue (ASR). Each system delivers a consistent and controlled feed to downstream recovery equipment, from eddy current separators to advanced non-ferrous sorting lines.
Every conveyor is individually designed and built to specification, ensuring reliability, performance, and long-term value for our customers. Our systems are used by recycling facilities around the world, where they have become a game-changer in processing lines that depend on accuracy, uptime, and throughput.
How They Work Together
Tumbleback and metering conveyors are often used in sequence. The tumbleback section takes care of the initial buffering, allowing any excess material to roll back until the feed becomes even. The metering conveyor then takes over, feeding the regulated material forward at a controlled rate. Together, they form a balanced and efficient system that keeps metal recycling plants running smoothly from infeed to separation.
Why It Matters
Poorly regulated feed can cause:
- Overloaded or inefficient separation systems
- Reduced recovery of valuable non-ferrous metals
- Increased wear on components
- Unplanned downtime
By integrating tumbleback and metering conveyors, recyclers achieve:
- Steady, even feed to downstream equipment
- Higher recovery efficiency
- Lower maintenance costs
- Improved overall plant performance
Engineered for Performance. Proven in Practice.
At BlakerTech, we believe reliability starts with design. All our conveyor systems are built in the UK and tested in harsh metal recycling environments, ensuring each unit performs exactly as required, day after day.
Whether part of a new installation or an upgrade to an existing line, our conveyors deliver strength, simplicity and precision control, supporting the entire waste metal recycling process.
