We worked with a local cement manufacturer who had asked for Cleveland Vibrator’s assistance on clearing up flow problems in 8″, 10″, 12″ and 14″ diameter flow pipes. The accumulation had built up over several years partly to moisture contamination through worn out seals in the pipe flange connections. Cleveland Vibrator visited their facility and quoted our SI Single Impact Air Knockers, due to what we understood was severe blockage in the pipes. We soon found out they intended to take down the flow pipes and hammer out most of the cement lodged inside.

Once they had seen the amount of build up that had occurred over time, they wanted to find a solution that would eliminate these problems in the future. They requested a low maintenance vibratory flow aid option that would get the job done.

The main reason for this request was the mounting of the vibrators would be several floors up and wouldn’t be as easy to access once they were installed. We suggested using a turbine vibrator initially but after much discussion with their main maintenance folks, they felt as if an electric option would be a better solution. After all was said and done, a single phase electric vibrator was the best solution for this specific customer’s application.

The bottom line is that the amount of vibration required to keep the pipes clear had changed from the initial call, to the first visit, to the ordering point while also considering the power sources they had available. In this application, Cleveland Vibrator suggested four separate family groups of vibrators before the Single Phase Electric Motor was decided on. Whoever said “patience is a virtue” is most certainly onto something.

We would also like to add that for this application, the customer went away from the norm of using a pipe bracket assembly. We had also set the motors up on a recycling timer to operate for a specified amount of time and would shut off just by throwing a switch. With different size pipes, this method allows the customer to set the time cycles differently on each individual pipe as needed.

The Rotary Electrics also have adjustable weights  that can be set for a force that ranges between 0 to 100%, which also helps set particular preference for individual pipes according to the severity of the clogging. With all the variables listed and conclusions drawn for the best plan of action, we think it is safe to say that this customer will not have to deal with clogging in their flow pipes for many years to come!

Looking to clean your pipes? Contact us for more information about what Cleveland Vibrator can do for you.