Due to high operating expenses in the biofuel industry, waste-to-energy, wood pellet, and plant-based biofuel manufacturers strive for efficiency. Weigh feeders and conveyor belt scales from Thayer Scale track raw ingredient amounts and monitor and control material inputs and outputs; these systems ensure bioenergy manufacturers meet or exceed their stated goals for cost efficiency and environmental compliance.
The following biomass projects employ Thayer Scale equipment today:
- Municipal solid-waste-to-energy producers use Thayer conveyor belt scales to monitor incoming material stocks.
- Wood pellet producers rely on Thayer Scale’s certified-for-trade conveyor belt scales to weigh materials for export.
- Biofuel (ethanol) manufacturers employ Thayer Scale’s weigh belts to accurately meter fuel inputs, including corn stover, whole corn starch, germ, and bran.
- Hybrid power plants use Thayer Scale’s conveyor belt scales to blend coal with waste wood to create a cleaner heat source and to reduce pollution.
Thayer Scale equipment for the biofuel industry includes:
Light- and heavy-duty weigh-belt feeders that are “Built to Survive” in harsh environments
Loss-in-weight feeders
- Single- or twin-screw
- Vibratory pan or rotary feeder
- Feed rates from grams/minute to tons/hour
Flexible and easy-to-integrate conveyor belt scale designs
Hopper and silo discharge solutions
- Created to ensure precise, uninterrupted flow of material
Remote process-control and instrumentation-monitoring packages

Biomass Energy: A Primer
What are the primary methods used to create clean energy from biomass products?
- Burning or gasifying biomass products to produce steam to turn turbines, which generate electricity
- Burning biomass products to generate heat in thermal systems (when combined with electricity generation this is known as “combined heat and power”)
- Processing biomass feed stocks to produce liquid fuels such as corn ethanol or biodiesel