Abstract
In an automatic combination weigher, the line feeders distribute the product to several weighing hoppers. The ability to supply appropriate amount of product to the weighing hoppers for each combination operation is crucial for the overall performance. Determining the right duration of operating a line feeder to supply a given amount of product becomes very challenging in case of products which are irregular in volume or specific gravity such as granular secondary processed foods. In this research, several schemes were investigated to determine the best way for a line feeder to approximate the next operating time in order to supply a set amount of irregular goods to the corresponding weighing hopper. Results obtained show that a weighted least squares method (WLS) employing 10 data points is the most effective in determining the operating times of line feeders.