packing and settling Archives

Who Knew “Shaking the Popcorn Bowl” Applied to Industrial Vibration?

By CVC Team

Feb 03

My first introduction to the productive work that can be accomplished with vibration was probably by my dad. Back in the day our family would on occasion sit down for some TV and popcorn. Sorry, no movies on demand, no DVDs or even VHS, I’m not sure how we made it through those dark days! This was pre-microwave popcorn and my mom would pop it the “old school” way, with a heavy pan and oil. I think you can still see this technique demonstrated at a museum or two. Traditionally the popcorn was served up in a large spun aluminum bowl. My dad had the rather annoying habit of shaking the bowl which would vibrate the un-popped kernels, “old maids,” down to the bottom of the bowl which created a rather loud noise as they hit the aluminum. More than once I asked him what the heck he was doing, he’d say he was “bringing the big popcorn to the top”. When I asked how that worked his pat response was – “physics”!! Read More…

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Stroke, Frequency and Force: The Keys to Vibratory Compaction

By CVC Team

Sep 05

One of the more common applications for industrial vibration is settling or compacting a wide variety of products with a vibratory table. Compaction applications range from foundry sand around a core to powdered metal, beer bottle caps, individual sugar packets, ceramic mixes, to concrete blends used in ATM wall enclosures.

There are many vibratory equipment options available that will effectively settle and compact your material, including:

Regardless of the equipment, we start by understanding the material and working with a few basic parameters

The most critical parameters in any compaction project are vibration frequency, and the amount of force applied. These two parameters drive the third parameter, stroke or displacement. Heavier materials respond best to high-frequency vibration and the resulting smaller stroke that high-frequency vibrators produce. Lighter material or discrete parts often compact best with a lower frequency vibration and a larger stroke. Typically, we start testing a product at a given frequency based on bulk density and adjust the force to load (g’s) ratio to get the best compaction results. With the wide range of vibrators at our disposal, we can choose from air-cushioned pneumatic vibrators (VMSAC), rotary electric (RE) vibrators, or electromagnetic (CM) vibrators that best suit the frequency and force requirements.

Designing Vibratory Equipment to Meet Size Contraints

By CVC Team

Jul 22

My wife will be the first person to tell you that she hates shopping. At almost six feet tall, it can be a challenge for her to find something that fits right with an arm length that isn’t some place closer to the elbow when it should be at the wrist. Therefore, it always kills me when she comes home with something that is touted to be “one size fits all” my standard response is “one size fits none!” Over the years, I’ve found that this theory applies to material handling equipment as well. On most applications, each customer’s requirements are just a bit different from the previous set of design parameters.

When I first started working at The Cleveland Vibrator Company, Read More…
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Slack Fill Packaging and Economics of Marketing vs. Material Cost

By Craig Macklin

May 24

Not too long ago, I was speaking with Jack regarding a letter he was writing regarding the extra space he found in the packages of Non-Dairy Creamer Powder he likes. His theory was that the powder product was settling after packaging and during transport, which was leaving more space in the package than was needed. He was writing to the manufacturer to suggest that they investigate a vibratory table to settle the product during packaging, which would allow them to make the packages much smaller (likely ~25%) and save significant dollars on the material for the packages. I stipulated that the extra packaging Read More…

Craig Macklin

Craig Macklin joined The Cleveland Vibrator Company in 2010. Although his prior experience is mired in the world of theoretical, intangible products and services such as software and consulting sales, the past 11 years have developed his passion for this industry and molded the vibration expert we know today. Now, as President and CEO, Craig has a deep understanding of the value and importance of industrial vibration to numerous industries and applications. He enjoys fine, locally roasted espresso, good food, and spending the day with his wife and two daughters. He has cried at multiple Browns and Indians games and likes to get outside and golf in his free time.

What’s his area of expertise, you ask? “Making sure the people on our team are better and smarter than I am.” – Craig Macklin

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packing and settling

Regardless of the equipment, we start by understanding the material and working with a few basic parameters

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