Industrial Vibrator Beat Archives

How to Protect Your Vibrator Investment

By Mike Stratis

Nov 24

The Cleveland Vibrator Company has been manufacturing pneumatic piston vibrator units since 1923. Over the past 90+ years, we have learned a few things about how to protect your investment in an air piston vibrator. There are a few main procedures and components we strongly suggest and will review:

Air Supply
Exhaust Ports
Gaskets

The air supply should be dried and filtered, then regulated and once between 0-80 PSI, the air should be lubricated. We have Watts Filter-Regulator-Lubricators available ranging in size for 1/4″ to 1-1/”4 NPT. Glycerin filled regulator gauges help to read the PSI setting easily. Lightweight 10W/NR oil should be dropped into the airline prior to reaching the vibrator. We have pints of Vibra-Lube available to help save the search for this type of oil.

These TLC steps can double or triple the air piston vibrator’s life expectancy. Our dual-diameter piston design allows for start-up in any mounting position (e.g. at 30° on a vibratory feeder or 60° angle on a hopper or 90° on a vibratory table) and eliminates the need for a spring. The springless unit keeps replacement parts and internal components to a minimum. So, with a proper air supply plumbed to the vibrator and a low number of wearable parts, these units can last a long time and return the money on your investment. Read More…

Mike Stratis

Mike joined The Cleveland Vibrator Company team in 2013 with prior experience in manufacturing sales with a Cleveland company in the tool and die industry. Now, he’s the Director of Sales and specializes in “making stuff that shakes stuff”.

When he’s not immersed in the world of industrial vibration, as rare as that might be, Mike keeps busy *not finishing in last place* in Fantasy Football and enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids. It’s always golf season for Mike, and he’s been known to 3 putt his way around any course and can roll tee balls in rain or shine. You can find him tailgating in the Muni Lot before Browns games or supporting local breweries.

As an avid provider of #VibrationEducation, he offers this free bit of advice, “Not all vibration is the same. Force and frequency do matter!” However, there is a 2% upcharge for all Michigan and Steeler’s fans.

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Vibration Force: Is Faster Actually Better?

By CVC Team

Nov 09

I have attached some photographs of a couple vibrators returned to Cleveland Vibrator for evaluation over the past year. It’s pretty clear that these units were not operated as per our operation manuals would instruct. Human nature causes us to try and make something work better or faster, we are the products of an an instant gratification way of life. We believe that products can work up to our lofty expectations even though we know it will work best to follow instructions in a user’s manual and to operate the product as instructed. As we used to hear at the beginning of the Six Million Dollar Man TV show many years past,”We have the technology to make it bigger, faster and stronger.” This hold true in many cases, especially relating to air piston vibrators, we shorten the life of the vibrator by believing we can use such technologies to override suggested operating specs. Read More…

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It’s Halloween… Tales from a Small Town Boy Will Have You Shakin’ in Your Boots

By CVC Team

Oct 26

With Halloween approaching fast, it has reminded me that over the years Cleveland Vibrator has sold several vibrators to entertainment enterprises for use on their Halloween projects. One of these projects, I was told, was for a Haunted Mansion Halloween Party for a pretty well known publication here in the U.S. (*Mansion may be a pretty big clue here). They used two 1125 VMS Air Piston Vibrators mounted below the floor to surprise folks as they walk on them. We even built an “Earthquake Machine” for the Natural History Museum here in Cleveland, Ohio to give visitors the experience of what an earthquake may feel like. They even covered the drive motors so you could actually sit on them. This holiday also brought back an experience I had at a burial vault company visit just a few years past. But, before I tell this story would like to explain what led up to my reaction to this visit.

I think that our beliefs and fears about Halloween go back to what we have learned or were told as kids. This for sure applies to my background as a youngin’. I was raised in Southern Ohio on a small farm that had no phone service until I was twelve or thirteen. Read More…

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110v/60hz Vibrators, 3 Options: When to Choose Electromagnetic Vibes

By Mike Stratis

Aug 31

The Cleveland Vibrator Company was established in 1923. During the last century, the flagship product for our company has been the pneumatic piston vibrator. However, to meet the demands of our ever-changing industry, our product offerings have been adapted to fit customers’ requests. Before we delve into it, let’s look at the three options available for the users who require a 110v/60hz vibrator. These units include:

Electromagnetic Vibrators
(CM product line)

The Top 8 Lubricants You Shouldn’t Use on Your Industrial Pneumatic Vibrator

By CVC Team

Aug 24

We often have customers send our products back for routine maintenance checks and to address functionality problems they are experiencing. A customer sent us their 1350 VMS impact vibrator used on a railcar to unload dry cement. We typically recommend a lightweight oil lubricant for our pneumatic vibrators. In the pictures below, you can see that our customer used grease. This is a major no-no and will only lead to premature failure of the vibrator. Our air piston vibrators carry fairly tight tolerance between the piston O.D. and the body I.D. This tolerance can be as small as tenths of a thousand to just a few thousand. If you add anything to the air stream that changes that tolerance, you may affect the performance of the vibrator.

No Lube? No Problem.

By Mike Stratis

Jul 27

Here at the Cleveland Vibrator Company, we are constantly looking to help solve a customer’s problem. That problem could range from breaking up bridging material in a hopper, deblinding a screen deck, compacting dry bulk products or anything in between. Regardless of the processing line hurdle, we have the experience to assist.

Since 1923, the flagship product line for our company has been the pneumatic piston vibrator. In the 90+ years of manufacturing here in Cleveland, Ohio, a few new kids have entered the block…the vibratory material flow aids block, that is. As with any industry, applications change over time. In our world, a few that come to mind are the food and pharmaceutical projects. As our country has progressed with health standards and regulations, manufacturing facilities have had to adapt products to meet the needs for the evolving problems. The change we are going to focus on here is the elimination of lubricant, oil or grease in the air lines at processing plants. Read More…

Mike Stratis

Mike joined The Cleveland Vibrator Company team in 2013 with prior experience in manufacturing sales with a Cleveland company in the tool and die industry. Now, he’s the Director of Sales and specializes in “making stuff that shakes stuff”.

When he’s not immersed in the world of industrial vibration, as rare as that might be, Mike keeps busy *not finishing in last place* in Fantasy Football and enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids. It’s always golf season for Mike, and he’s been known to 3 putt his way around any course and can roll tee balls in rain or shine. You can find him tailgating in the Muni Lot before Browns games or supporting local breweries.

As an avid provider of #VibrationEducation, he offers this free bit of advice, “Not all vibration is the same. Force and frequency do matter!” However, there is a 2% upcharge for all Michigan and Steeler’s fans.

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Unique Vibrator Installations & 5 Ways To Repair Damaged Walls

By CVC Team

Jun 15

Since 1923, we have been a part of many vibrator installations on hoppers and bins. One of our major markets is supplying industrial vibrators to the feed and grain industry. I have spent time talking to and visiting folks who ensure their facility operates efficiently with minimal downtime. During those visits, I’ve come across many unique techniques to mount a vibrator on a bin or hopper—specifically, the installation and types of channels and mounting brackets.

Where should you install your industrial vibrator?

Even if the installation doesn’t fit the standard mounting practices, our installation manuals are still helpful. In most cases, we suggest mounting the vibrators on the sloped section of the hopper or bin about one-third of the way up from the discharge. If using two vibrators, we recommend spacing them 180 degrees apart. If using three, we recommend 120 degrees apart. Staggering the vibrators will maximize the effect on the bin walls to assist in material flow.

Temperatures Are Rising…So Are Moisture Content Percentages

By Mike Stratis

Jun 01

Now that we are past Memorial Day weekend, and thank you to all that have served, are serving or will serve our country, the summer months are upon us. For some, and depending where you live, these are the best parts of the year, namely, because of the warmer temperatures. While we enjoy the extra hours of sunlight and are exposed to more vitamin D, Mother Nature can have a serious effect on manmade structures. This is certainly the case for Texas and Oklahoma right now as many cities in this part of the country have experienced record rain falls for the month of May. This amount of rain can often be attributed to the rise in moisture content within the atmosphere.

So, why is this important for industrial vibration? Good question. Read More…

Mike Stratis

Mike joined The Cleveland Vibrator Company team in 2013 with prior experience in manufacturing sales with a Cleveland company in the tool and die industry. Now, he’s the Director of Sales and specializes in “making stuff that shakes stuff”.

When he’s not immersed in the world of industrial vibration, as rare as that might be, Mike keeps busy *not finishing in last place* in Fantasy Football and enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids. It’s always golf season for Mike, and he’s been known to 3 putt his way around any course and can roll tee balls in rain or shine. You can find him tailgating in the Muni Lot before Browns games or supporting local breweries.

As an avid provider of #VibrationEducation, he offers this free bit of advice, “Not all vibration is the same. Force and frequency do matter!” However, there is a 2% upcharge for all Michigan and Steeler’s fans.

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The Importance of Proper Installation of Industrial Vibrators

By Mike Stratis

Apr 13

“If you don’t have the time to do it right, when will you have the time to do it again?”
– John Wooden, former UCLA Men’s Basketball Coach and Presidential Medal of Freedom award winner.

We have a few frequently asked questions regarding bin vibrators, many of which revolve around how to install the unit. Here is the down and dirty:

When Two Vibrators are Better than One

By Mike Stratis

Mar 02

Hello, world! First-time blogger here, so go easy on me. If you are reading this, I’d like to say thank you. Hopefully, the next few minutes help you choose and install the optimal number of industrial vibrators for your application, and give you plenty of #vibrationeducation!

In my 7+ years with The Cleveland Vibrator Company, I’ve been lucky enough to learn from some of the most experienced in the industry. Glen Roberts has learned and thus forgotten, more than I’ll ever know about pneumatic industrial vibrators. Jack Steinbuch can size vibratory equipment in his sleep. David Strong can design anything these two toss on his desk (or in his inbox). They have more than twice my age in combined years at The Cleveland Vibrator Company between the three of them.

That’s a lot of vibrators!

Industrial Vibrator Beat

Electromagnetic Vibrators(CM product line)

Where should you install your industrial vibrator?

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Electromagnetic Vibrators
(CM product line)