Rotary Electric Motors Archives

Frequently Asked Questions About Rotary Electric Vibration

By Steve Chinn

Nov 12

In 1923, The Cleveland Vibrator Company began its journey in the exciting world of industrial vibration, specifically the use of pneumatic powered options for foundry applications. As we ventured into other industries, we noticed a new trend: the demand for electric-powered motors.

Soon after, we decided it was time to explore this exciting new opportunity and set out to find a partner specializing in electric-powered vibration. We eventually partnered with an outside company to supply this demand from our customer base. As with any new venture, we experienced a few hiccups along the way; lead times were too long, insufficient force options available, and the lack of “Cleveland Vibrator Quality” our customers came to expect.

Reduce the Noise Level on Your Vibratory Equipment

By Jack Steinbuch

Jul 15

OSHA specifies that a hearing conservation program should be in place when “noise exposure is at or above 85 decibels averaged over 8 working hours, or an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA)”. This can be an issue for some vibratory equipment. However, we have selections available that will reduce noise levels which can result in many positives for your facility (OSHA).

For example, did you know investing in noise-reducing vibration can lead to an increase in productivity and overall safety? High noise levels can lead to short- and long-term physical damage including ringing ears, temporary changes in hearing, and long-term hearing damage or loss. But, less commonly known, it can also put a strain on your pocket by reducing productivity, contributing to poor communication and concentration, and can even contribute to workplace accidents by limiting your employee’s ability to understand speech (OSHA).

Since there is a wide variety of vibratory equipment, for this blog, we will focus on “brute force” vibratory equipment. The vibrating body is directly installed on the equipment and is driven by a vibrator or dual motors, and the supporting structure is isolated from the vibrating body. Now let us look at potential ways to reduce their noise level:

If Archie Bunker Designed Vibratory Equipment…

By CVC Team

Feb 22

When I joined the Cleveland Vibrator family, I had just graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and had no prior experience in the field of industrial vibration or vibrators. During the course of my formal education, I had one class that dealt with vibration, the focus of the class as I recall was how to eliminate it, certainly not how to use it to perform meaningful work. When I was hired on, my informal education into the world of industrial vibrators and vibration began. Just like coming into any family, you learn the way the family works, the teams they root for, the legends they admire and the folks to be avoided. I feel fortunate that I had some excellent family members to bring me up in the world of vibration.

When it comes to vibratory equipment there are many ways to introduce vibration into a structure and produce the desired results. You may be looking to use vibration to move bulk material from point A to point B, screen large particles from small or compact more material into a box. Read More…
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Can You Operate 460/3/60 Industrial Electric Vibrators at 380/3/50?

By Jack Steinbuch

Jun 05

Rotary electric motors, Industrial Vibration, Industrial Vibrators, The Cleveland Vibrator Company, Uras Techno, Vibratory Motor

I’ve noticed increased requests for operating stock U.S. rotary electric (motor) vibrators that are wound for 460/3/60 power overseas, where the power is often 380/3/50. The good news is, there are two options available to operate a rotary electric vibrator with this power rating.

First is the realization that you can operate a 460/3/60 vibrator using 380/3/50 power. It works due to de-rating the higher voltage 60 Hz motor since 50 Hz power rotates the eccentric weights at a lower RPM (rotations per minute) by a factor of 50/60. For example, an 1800 RPM vibrator would run at 50/60 x 1800 = 1500 RPM.

We can also apply this logic to voltage. So, a 460-volt motor would be de-rated to 383 volts by multiplying the 60Hz voltage by the same factor of 50/60. Therefore, due to 50Hz input, a 60Hz vibrator will accept 380 volts ± 10% without jeopardizing the motor.

Note: Due to the eccentric weights rotating at a lower RPM, the force output will experience roughly a 30% decrease.

The exact amount of reduction is the square of the factor provided above for determining the lower RPM of the vibrator due to 50Hz.

4 Construction Features to Consider When Choosing Rotary Electric Vibrators for Vibratory Equipment or Material Flow Applications

By Craig Macklin

Apr 20

Have you ever had someone try to push you over from your side? I recall skiing with my big brother once when we were kids. We had gotten off the chair lift and were stopped at the top of a run, getting ready to head down. I was standing with skis closely together in parallel, hands off my poles as I adjusted my goggles. Big brother gave me a push on my shoulder from the side, perpendicular to the direction of my stance and skis. I tipped right over. There was nothing I could do about it. It was hilarious… at least it was to him and everyone watching me flail about wildly on my way down. Had I positioned my skis and stance wider and center of gravity lower, I could have avoided this embarrassing failure.

rotary electric vibrator, eccentric weights

Figure 1. Rotary Electric Vibrator Shaft

Such is as it is with Rotary Electric Vibratory Motors. Imagine for a moment that you have a long bar going right through your solar plexus and out of the middle of your back. Now that you are over that painful thought, imagine that at each end of the bar, there is a weight dangling from a rope and swinging around that bar. Those weights are pushing you in every direction perpendicular to your feet and stance. You are now a Rotary Electric Vibrator! Can’t quite get the mental picture? Check out the photo to the right to see what I am talking about. 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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Installing Vibratory Aids on Equipment: What Are My Options?

By CVC Team

Apr 06

It seems to me that most applications start with a problem to solve; improve a process, simplify an operation, increase yield or throughput, or remove a bottleneck. This problem could be as simple as placing the appropriate size pneumatic piston vibrator on the side of a hopper. It could entail getting the right air-cushioned vibrator such as the 1200 VMSAC or maybe a single impacting SI vibrator along with the matching SMP mounting channel and controls. Or the problem could be broader with concerns regarding the process or task to be accomplished and the design envelope into which the solution must fit and then interface with other equipment.

Regardless of the problem, options and choices are always good.

cleveland vibrator vibratory conveyor, electric vibratory conveyor, electric vibratory feeder

Uras Techno Rotary Electric Vibrators Placed Below the Table Deck

Often with equipment one of the first things that comes up in initial discussions is the design height or discharge height of the unit. With vibratory feeders (EMF) and screeners (EMS) there’s always a concern about the product discharge height, as the equipment is often feeding material downstream to other devices. One of the options that impact the design and therefore the height of the unit is the location of the vibrators. Typically on vibratory feeders and screeners, the default Read More…

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3 Variables to Consider That Influence Material Flow from Vibratory Hopper Feeders

By CVC Team

Jan 10

When it comes to a vibratory hopper feeder and end-user requirements, The Cleveland Vibrator Company has worked with customers that span the range from simply wanting to increase material flow from point A to point B to more precise applications sending bulk material to downstream processes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjeHeUauwF4

Customer Example

For example, we had the opportunity to visit a local customer and assist him with setting up a hopper feeder unit. Their goal was to place a dry material into plastic trays while they moved on a conveyor under the feeder. Precise metering of the dry material into the trays is critical to this customer’s success.

It seemed this would be an excellent opportunity to discuss material flow and the impacting parameters. As mentioned, the equipment provided by The Cleveland Vibrator Company is a vibrator hopper feeder. The hopper is a stationary non-vibrating hopper with an adjustable slide gate. The vibratory feeder utilizes two rotary electric vibrators. A variable frequency drive (VFD) with a dynamic brake resistor controls the vibrators.

The Evolution of Industrial Vibrators: From Pneumatics to Electric Powered Vibrators in the 20th Century

By CVC Team

Dec 19

The Cleveland Vibrator Company started manufacturing air-operated vibrators in 1923 and for several years air vibrators are all we pretty much offered. This worked well in our primary foundry customer base through the first half of the 20th century. As we expanded our customer base, we found more and more customers wanting to use electrical power to operate the industrial vibrators. It became obvious that we needed to give our sales staff an alternate source besides air to offer our valued customers.

We started with fairly basic electromagnetic vibrators with the MC-1, MC-2, etc. and started to introduce these units into the marketplace. The MC series is considered the “grandfather” to our current CM-5, CM-10, and CM-30 and more recent Super 30 vibrators. You can see a success story of this product in the field in the case study on the right-hand side of this paragraph. In the early ’60s, we contracted with a company from Sweden called Dynapac to market and sell their rotary electric vibrators mostly here in North America. They were supplied in 1800 RPM and 3600 RPM (revolutions per minute) which opened the door to customers having hoppers, bins, chutes, bunkers as well as other applications which include vibratory tables, feeder, and screeners. Read More…
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Manufacturing Solutions, From Start to Finish.

By CVC Team

May 10

Cleveland Vibrator recently added a new employee in the Fabricated Equipment area of the company. At the end of 2015 our CEO declared that 2016 would be a “year of investment” here in terms of both people and equipment. It’s exciting to see this sort of thing happening, good people coming on board as well as some new CNC equipment on the immediate horizon. It all makes Cleveland Vibrator a better company. While getting to know a bit about our new guy in the Fab area, we talked some about his work experience and the opportunity at Cleveland Vibrator. One of the things he already likes about the position is that he gets to see a piece of equipment completely manufactured, start to finish. I told him that’s one of the things that I’ve always enjoyed about my job, getting to be involved with the complete process often starting with the solution concept generation phase to final testing of that solution prior to it shipping out to the customer.

I think most engineers are problem solvers and that’s one of the aspects of this profession that they find interesting and rewarding. That’s certainly the case for me. I’ve always found the diversity of Cleveland Vibrator’s customers and their problems very interesting. Plus, I feel that we have a very “intimate” manufacturing process, it’s all here in one location. Whether it’s the manufacture of a pneumatic piston vibrator, as an example the 1300 VMSAC, air cushion vibrator piston vibrator or a large vibratory feeder Read More…
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What’s the Difference Between Attached & Unattached Volumetric Hopper Designs for Vibratory Equipment?

By CVC Team

Apr 04

Generally speaking, in life, choices are a good thing. This applies to industrial vibrators and vibrating equipment as much as it does for lunch time options. In terms of fabricated vibratory equipment, Cleveland Vibrator offers a variety of solutions to processing and material handling problems. Regardless if the need is for a vibratory feeder, screener, compaction table or vibratory belt table, our sales and application folks are up to the challenge of solving the particular needs and requirements of our diverse customer base. As I mentioned in earlier blogs, when it comes to vibratory equipment, one size in fact doesn’t fit all. Rarely do one customer’s particular requirements match up exactly with another customer’s, the solution may be similar in type but not in exact physical size. Tailoring to meet the individual needs of each customer is part of the Cleveland Vibrator fabricated equipment DNA.

One of the many types of fabricated equipment manufactured by The Cleveland Vibrator Company is the volumetric feeder. Internally, they are generally referred to as Hopper Feeders, RFM, these units can be pneumatic or electric powered. The key design element is that a vibratory feeder has a storage hopper associated with it which accepts and stores dumps of material and then feeds the material out of the hopper in a controlled manner. Read More…
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Rotary Electric Motors

Note: Due to the eccentric weights rotating at a lower RPM, the force output will experience roughly a 30% decrease.

Customer Example

Solutions in Motion!

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