Feeding
Feeding With Vibration
Feeding product into containers for shipping or retail packaging can take a lot of time and accuracy can be inconsistent if it’s done manually by workers. Conversely, a feeder assembly that uses adjustable vibration to move product along yields highly accurate and far more efficient results, improving product quality and increasing throughput. Plus, product damage is minimized because vibration moves materials more gently than mechanical or manual processes.

At NetterVibration, we produce high-quality vibration equipment engineered to perform a wide range of industrial tasks, from the feeding of products for shipping or packaging to testing products for vibration and shock tolerance. For more information on how our products can contribute to your company’s profitability, call +44 1543 278981.
Efficient Conveying of Production Waste
A major supplier of the automotive industry is replacing his pneumatic thrust cylinders for conveying the waste parts of the punching tools by Netter conveyor system series LineDrive. With the new conveyor system it will be possible to significantly reduce the operating costs, which means that the investment costs will have paid off within 6 months.
The user is the world’s leading supplier in the field of acoustic and thermal management for motor vehicles. He provides innovative and cost-efficient solutions for acoustic and thermal management to increase vehicle comfort and value. During the manufacturing process of vehicle parts there are also waste parts produced in the punching tools. These waste parts fall down into troughs, from where they have to be removed to avoid clogging of the tools. Up to now long pneumatic cylinders have been used for this task. These cylinders have high air consumption, high maintenance requirement and lead to hundreds of thousands in maintenance and repair costs.
After extensive consultation with the local application technician from NetterVibration a punching tool was equipped with the Netter conveyor system of the series LineDrive. Continuous accurate measurements of air consumption, maintenance works and handling prove significant benefits such as:
- Constant conveying
- Distinctly reduced air consumption
- Considerably less maintenance requirement
- Quicker and easier tool change
- Adjustable conveying rate
- Lower investment costs
Due to the positive results all punching tools are now being retrofitted with the Netter conveyor system of the series LineDrive.
Conveying Sticky Bacon Slices Safely
A Netter customer in the food service industry was challenged with moving slices of cooked bacon from a production station into a bin. Due to the grease on the product, it does not move easily along the surface of the conveyor. Also, food safety concerns required that the equipment be easy to clean thoroughly between batches.
The customer purchased and installed a stainless steel conveyor system equipped with a Netter Series NTS pneumatic linear vibrator. This allowed the bacon to be moved gently and evenly from the conveyor tray into the bin. The stainless steel construction made it easy to clean, fulfilling the customer’s food safety requirements. Also, because there are no moving parts, aside from the vibrator, very little maintenance is required and downtime is minimised.
Preventing Logjams During the Conveyor Process
A Netter customer working with metal bolts without heads was using a conventional linear conveyor system to feed the bolts along the process. With this system, the bolts would frequently become wedged between moving parts, creating a logjam as bolts accumulated behind the wedged pieces. This caused substantial downtime because it required workers to stop the conveyor while they manually broke up the accumulation then loosened the wedged pieces.
The customer purchased a bowl feeder mounted with a Netter NTS 100/01 pneumatic linear vibrator, in which the bowl is supported and balanced by blade springs. Because the frequency and amplitude of the NTS 100/01 are adjustable, the customer was easily able to fine tune the settings so that the metal bolts are moved gently through the process.
Constructing a Convey System in a Small Space
A chemical industry customer that manufactures additives for food and cosmetics faced a troublesome challenge in that they needed to feed product from a hopper within a tight space that was too small for a conventional conveyor system with multiple moving parts. Due to the configuration of the existing equipment, building a frame on the floor was not an option. Also, there was only room for a small angle of inclination in the space available.
The customer purchased and installed an enclosed hanging feeder equipped with a Netter NEG 501140 electric external vibrator, suspending it from above and insulating it with coil springs. Because both the feeder and the vibrator comprise a compact assembly, the limited space did not compromise the construction or mounting and throughput has been maximized.
Automatically Conveying Tobacco for Increased Profit
A Netter customer in the tobacco industry was having workers manually move product from one production station to the next. This was an inefficient and costly process, with substantial room for human error and inconsistency in the amount of product being moved and the time it took to move it.
The customer purchased an NTK 40 pneumatic linear vibrator that now moves the tobacco through an enclosed tube from station to station. This has resulted in a significant reduction in cost because it requires less manual labor and downtime is minimized. Additionally, the process is faster and the product is fed with more uniformity.
Feeding Lettuce Through a Washing Process
A Netter food industry customer working with lamb’s lettuce was using a conventional belt conveyor to feed the product through a cleaning process and into a collection basket, during which the lettuce was washed with water. Because belt conveyors are constructed of multiple moving parts that include a belt made from flexible material, cleaning and drying the equipment between batches proved to be a difficult task.
The customer purchased and installed a stainless steel feeder equipped with an NEG 16190 S electrical vibrator to move the product through the process. They were then able to move the lettuce through the system faster and more accurately with better uniformity. Plus, because the equipment is constructed of stainless steel, it is easier to clean and maintain. As a result, the customer was able to move more product through the process at a reduced cost.