For feed bins, what is the recommended action to control segregation?

• A. Ignore segregation until the end
• B. Communicate, determine source and stop/slow production
• C. Increase feed rate
• D. Move bins closer together

Answer: (B)

When feed segregation is a concern, the priority is to address the flow and mix quality before production continues. The best action is to communicate with the crew, determine where the segregation is coming from, and stop or slow production as needed. This allows you to pause the process long enough to inspect the feeding system, chute design, and discharge behavior, and to identify whether issues like uneven flow, bridging, or size separation are causing the problem.

Stopping or slowing gives you a chance to correct the root causes—adjusting the feeder rate, changing the discharge geometry, or reconfiguring how material enters the mixer—so a uniform blend can be achieved when production resumes. Increasing the feed rate would likely worsen segregation by accelerating selective flow of different particle sizes. Simply moving bins closer together doesn’t address how material is dispersing or required control of flow.