More thoughts on the topic of process speed, and a potential idea...
The fastest system I've seen is dual Prometheus set up next to a press for seating bullets. The user would grab an empty empty case, drop a charge from the Prometheus straight into the case, seat a bullet, then grab another case and start over. The bullet seating was faster than the Prometheus could weigh the charge so two were used in alternating rotation with the same charge weight.
It would be cool to move this auto-trickler towards a system where you could dump the powder straight into the case without needing to move pans and swap funnels, etc. I was thinking about a potential idea on these lines:
Instead of a powder pan that you removed each time, what about a small, lightweight tipping pan assembly that could stay on the scale? Imagine a tiny dump truck bed, maybe something as simple as an axle on each side of a powder pan, set for the proper balance point. Then construct a small chute that the powder could go down on the side of the scale into a drop tube that charged a case? When the trickler finishes, just tip the pan with one hand while holding the case under the drop tube with the other hand and charge straight into the case. Then you could seat a bullet while the trickler worked up the next charge.
Or... perhaps a much simpler idea. Fabricate a funnel holder to act as your drop tube.
It would need to mount the funnel suspended in the air perhaps six inches above the workbench so you could move a case in and out from underneath. It would need to be rigid so you could push up or down on it without moving the funnel. Something like a Lee powder measure stand with a Saturn funnel epoxied onto it. You would grab an empty case with one hand and push it up underneath the mouth of the funnel. Then with your other hand you grab the finished powder charge off the scale, dump it in the top of the funnel into the case, then replace it back on the trickler to be filled with a fresh charge of powder. Then since you have the full case in your hand already, just put a bullet in it and seat it on the press while the trickler finishes the next charge.
This system combined with the auto drop that Kiba made would be very quick indeed. And the fact that you would be filling the "dead time" with the bullet seating operation would totally negate the need to run a dual pan system on the trickler.
Sheldon, I think you're onto the start of a great idea.
I've been thinking how to minimize the "handling time" of moving two pans around and how get the powder into the case with less hand movement along the lines of the Prometheus with the auto-dumping funnel.
A tipping powder pan that dumps the charge into a short chute leading directly to a case funnel would be fast.
Taking a cue from the Prometheus, I could hang the front of the storage cube off the edge of the workbench and have the funnel poking out the bottom of the storage cube. Place a case under the funnel, tip the pan, done.
Now, for the next step... you could automatically tip the powder pan with a motorized hook suspended under the lip of the tipping powder pan. Normally the hook would not touch the pan and affect the weight the scale sees, but when you're ready to dump the hook could cycle upwards, grabbing the lip to tip and dump the pan into the chute/funnel/case, and then lowers the pan back onto the scale ready for the next charge.
The tipping mechanism could be cycled manually via pushbutton or automatically via an optical switch at the tip of the funnel so it dumps the pan when the case neck is presented to the funnel. Could even put it on a microswitch so you have to lightly press upwards on the funnel ensuring the case is seated into the funnel to avoid any spills. Charge dumps into the case automatically, pan returns to the home position, the scale sees zero again, the powder measure and trickler do their thing, seat the bullet in the case you just charged, repeat.
Another benefit to this approach is since everything at that point will be self contained inside the storage cube you could put a lexan cover over the front to seal it off and block out all influence from drafts.
Of course the combined weight of the pan, tipping holder, and your maximum charge weight all has to come in under the maximum 120 gram capacity of the FX-120i, so building it light will be a must.
I think I can make this happen.
First thing to do though is get my measure integrated with Adam's trickler to cycle automatically, then I'll start figuring out the automatic dumping pan / chute / funnel arrangement.