Vibratory Feeders

Vibratory feeding, also known as vibratory conveying, offers low-maintenance parts and material handling, as vibratory conveyors and bowls use no moving parts except the vibrating drive installed beneath the bowl or feeder pan, away from contaminating materials. There are two main types of vibrating feeders: vibratory bowl feeders and vibratory conveyors. Vibratory bowl feeders, also known as vibratory bowls or centrifugal feeders, are a type of parts feeder used in parts manufacturing to align finished or semifinished parts for final processing or packaging. Vibratory conveyors encompass a wider range of troughs, vibrating screens and trommel screens which convey and/or sort bulk materials during processing. Rotary feeders, also known as rotary airlocks or rotary valves, occupy a third category by providing air-tight bulk material feeding into screw conveyors or vibratory conveyors. Linear feeders, also referred to as inline feeders, are typically used to convey parts in a consistent flow from bowl feeders over short to relatively long distances in a vibratory linear motion.

Vibratory bowl feeders are used extensively by small parts manufacturers as an extremely efficient means of orienting products for further finishing or for distribution. Originally designed by pharmaceutical companies to count, sort and organize pills, bowl feeders also orient fasteners, ammunition, o-rings, molded rubber parts, toothpaste caps and many other small parts for packaging or finishing. Vibratory conveyors, screens and trommels are used for powder and bulk material handling in a range of industries, including pharmaceutical, agricultural and food processing. Recycling industries use vibratory conveyors extensively to convey and sort materials such as plastic, wood, crushed cement and metals for reclamation, while fertilizer, sand and gravel, mining and pulp industries use trommel screens and vibrating screens to convey, sift and sort. A particularly powerful type of vibrating screen is a grizzly screen, which is most often used in the mining industry. Rotary airlock feeders often accompany vibratory conveyor systems, particularly when conveying powder bulk solids. Rotary feeders are often used in conjunction with dust collecting systems to convey collected waste dust into disposal areas or reclamation processing. Electromagnetic vibratory feeders are one of the two main types of vibratory feeders in terms of how they are powered, the other being electromechanical vibratory feeders which are typically driven by a motor supported by either an eccentric crank or eccentric weights.

Similar to vibratory finishing bowls, bowl feeders are metal, silicone or plastic bowls equipped with a vibrating drive beneath the bowl, where the bowl is mounted to the base. A ramped ridge runs up along the edge of the bowl in a spiral, leading to the outfeed area. Bowl feeders vibrate in a circular motion, driving parts up the ridge, which is usually designed for a specific part; it narrows as it reaches the outfeed, forcing parts to form a single-file uniform line. Washers, o-rings, legos, coins and an unlimited number other small parts are quickly and flawlessly aligned for counting and packaging by being dumped into the center of the bowl feeder. Vibratory conveyors are metal troughs which vibrate in one direction, conveying powder bulk solids or heterogenous mixtures from one process to another. Some vibratory conveyors have ultra-low vibrations designed specifically for solids which are delicate, sticky or may liquefy, such as gummy bears or lettuce. Trommels, or trommel screens are vibrating screens which help sort small particles from large particles. Rotary trommels, a large tumbler design, aid in gravel processing and recycling; trommel magnets are often used in conjunction with metal recycling rotary trommels to help sort ferrous materials from non-ferrous materials. Continuous flatbed trommels may have screens or filtering devices which sort particles of different sizes as large particles are conveyed to containment or further processing.

There are many advantages to incorporating vibratory feeders into various industry processes. For instance, parts feeders provide a cost-effective alternative to manual labor, saving manufacturers valuable time and labor costs. One operator can oversee a number of automated machines, as opposed to one worker hand loading one machine. Bowl feeders align, count and sort small parts far more quickly, effectively and accurately than could be done by hand; this also provides an ergonomic solution to monotonous and physically strenuous sorting tasks. Vibratory conveyors present alternatives for powder bulk solids and heterogeneous mixtures which are too delicate, or difficult to convey by pneumatic conveying, screw conveying or belt conveying. Friable or sticky powder bulk solids which would normally cake or agglomerate during screw or pneumatic conveying flow evenly on vibratory conveyors. Trommel screens and rotary trommels cut down on the huge amount of labor required to sort recyclable materials, an important step in making recycling a cost-effective part of manufacturing processes.

Image Provided by Suncoast Feeders, Inc.

Images Provided by Carrier Vibrating Equipment, Inc.

Vibratory Feeders Types

• Adjustable rate vibratory feeders, also called "variable rate vibrating feeders," are feeder systems that allow the flow of parts to be changed during operation.
  
• Bowl feeders consist of a feeder bowl with a spiral track inside of the bowl. As the drive unit produces vibrations, the bowl vibrates, moving the parts up the track.
  
• Centrifugal feeders, also referred to as "rotary feeders," utilize rotary force to separate materials. The parts are placed within a bowl, and as it revolves rapidly, the parts are pulled to the outside of the bowl.
  
• Electromagnetic vibrating feeders are vibrating equipment driven through electromagnetic force. Electromagnetic vibrating systems are common in the steel industry.
• Electromechanical vibrating equipment uses a motor along with an eccentric crank or eccentric weights to develop the driving force.
• Feeder bowls are part of vibratory feeders.
• Fixed rate vibratory feeders are feeder systems that maintain a constant flow of parts at a specified rate. The feeding rate remains unchanged during operation, but may be altered when the feeding system is not running.
• Flexible feeders consist of a series of conveyors and robots that work together to feed hard-to-align parts.
• Grizzly screens are extremely rugged types of low horsepower vibrating screens that are placed between a vibratory feeder and a primary crusher.
• Linear feeders, consisting of linear trays, orient smaller parts quantities than bowl feeders, decreasing the noise level.
• Natural frequency conveyors or feeders are machines whose operating frequency is close to or at the natural frequency of the connecting spring system.
• Parts feeders are machines that distribute parts to robots.
• Pneumatic feeders are driven by a linear piston located in the drive unit. Because no electricity is used, pneumatic feeders are advantageous in applications where the potential for explosion exists.
• Rotary feeders utilize rotary force in order to orient and sort parts before feeding them to the next stage in automated processes. 
• Vibrating feeders convey parts or bulk material through various stages of finishing, packaging and recycling by means of vibration
• Vibrating screens are a type of vibratory conveyor that conveys and/or sorts bulk materials during processing.
• Vibratory bowl feeders orient parts.
• Vibratory bowls are a kind of feeder bowl with a spiral track inside.
• Vibratory conveyors encompass a wider range of troughs, vibrating screens and trommel screens which convey and/or sort bulk materials during processing.

Vibratory Feeders Terms

Approach - The location in the parts feeder bowl at which the parts begin to ascend the bowl feeder track.
 
Backpressure - The exertion of force when parts emerge from the vibratory feeder.
 
Cascade Bowl - A bowl feeder that consists of basic tooling on its inside track. Cascade bowls are advantageous when orienting larger, standard parts.
 
Depth of Bed - Also known as "material depth (mat. depth)" it is the thickness of the layer of material that is being carried on the conveyor or vibratory feeder surface.
 
Discharge End - The vibratory feeder exit where the parts emerge from the vibratory feeder system.
 
Drive Unit - Also referred to as the "drive base unit" it is the device that provides power to the vibratory feeder system.
 
Explosion Proof - Equipment that meets the standards of operation in a specific hazardous environment as set by recognized organizations such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
 
Feed End - The feeder entrance through which the parts enter the vibratory feeder system.
 
Grizzly - A hard wearing screen used in the sizing of bulk material.
 
Hanger - Also called "suspension assembly" or "bail assembly" it is a support device for vibratory feeders.
 
Head Load - A term referring to the weight of the material supported by the vibratory feeder, which is located in the trough and hopper/bin.
 
Hopper - Large, bulk container that stores material and regulates parts flow into the vibratory feeder system.
 
Isolation - Also referred to as a "vibration absorber" it is a device that separates the vibration between the machine and the structure. Examples of isolations include coil springs and rubber.
 
Load Sensitivity - The difference in performance as the vibratory feeder empties.
 
Orientation - The act of setting or arranging in a determinate position from random positions. Vibratory feeders usually have three types of orientation: simple, moderately complex and complex.
 
Outside Track Bowl - A bowl feeder that consists of complex tooling for parts, which have intricate part configurations.
 
Rotation - The direction, either clockwise or counterclockwise, in which the drive base unit shifts the bowl feeder and parts.
 
Singulation - The separation of a mass of parts into individual parts.
 
Sound Enclosure - A foam-lined structure that absorbs the noise created by the vibratory feeder.
 
Spring - Device that generates vibration or isolates vibration between the machine and the structure.
 
Trough - Also called a "pan" it is the tray on which the material is loaded into the vibratory feeder system.