Targeted use of vibrations

Vibration technology plays a major role in the dosing, conveying or sieving of bulk materials, from compacting and packaging to cleaning or emptying containers. Detailed preparation, recording of all conditions and the implementation of tried and tested process engineering solutions by experienced technicians and engineers are the be-all and end-all for the successful handling of bulk materials..

What vibration technology means

Vibration technology is a field of engineering that deals with analysing and controlling vibrations in machines and systems. Its task is to specifically avoid unwanted vibrations. If vibrations in production plants have an uncontrolled effect, this can lead to damage, failures or problematic behaviour. Vibration technology solution providers, on the other hand, specifically generate vibrations and develop technologies to make products, systems and processes safer, more efficient and more durable.

Bulk material, its pitfalls and handling

Whether powder, pigments or granulates: every bulk material has its own special properties. The particles differ in size, shape, density, distribution and surface. Some materials tend to form dust, are doughy, flaky or fragile, for example. For these reasons, vibration technology rarely supplies ‘off-the-shelf’ products. During the selection and development process, application engineers clarify the characteristics of the bulk material as well as details on product temperature, consistency, ATEX zone and quantities to be processed, etc., before customising the vibration technology to be used to the task and the specific bulk material and developing a proposed solution.

Why experience is crucial

Experienced suppliers such as NetterVibration know the pitfalls and pitfalls of incorrect design from a large number of customer enquiries. In practice, it happens time and again that customers order vibration equipment on the internet, for example, without advice and the necessary expertise, and then literally pay the price in the second step.

The number one problem is obviously that the use of vibration technology does not have the desired effect. If the design is too small or too large, for example, bulk materials are not conveyed and distributed quickly enough or with too much momentum. The materials used in the plant construction also play a role and must be in harmony with the vibration solution.

Avoidable signs of wear, damage and downtime are the second most common problem with improper vibration solutions. For example, users often use vibrators that are not suitable or optimal for the area (e.g. environments with heavy dirt build-up without a cover or excessively high temperatures). Or they proceed according to the motto ‘more is always better’ and cause massive damage to their own steel construction with an oversized solution. Inexperienced planners are not sufficiently aware of the force effects and potential destructive power of vibration technology devices. Only a correct design - if necessary with a moderate reserve - will bring optimum results.

How a good consultant avoids costly mistakes

Such problems can be avoided by working with an experienced provider such as NetterVibration, which has already implemented countless successful projects and has the most comprehensive range of products for all individual cases.

At the same time, such a provider has extensive possibilities for testing solutions before they are implemented. Such a test series is always cheaper than a faulty production process at the end. Using test and used equipment, various solutions can be quickly tested in the laboratory or on site and combined drives and different directions of force can also be easily analysed.

A specialised supplier is also often more familiar with new developments than users and can incorporate them into current solutions. For the installation of vibration technology devices, for example, which is often still unknown to the standard user, proven adhesive brackets that are gentle on the material or flexible vacuum fasteners are now available in addition to classic welding, which can be selected with expert advice depending on the container and application.

A provider such as NetterVibration also offers mobile and flexible solutions and can categorise their suitability in individual cases based on its experience.

Read the complete article (in German) including practical examples here, published in SCHUETTGUT & PROZESS 04/2024.

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