Vibratory Parts Feeding Tips

 

Parts Feeding Tip: Are Your Vibratory Feeders Slowing Down?

Posted on September 2nd, 2016 at 5:00 PM

Vibratory Feeders are often misdiagnosed when it comes to determining the cause of slow down over time.
Here are the most common causes of poor vibratory feeder performance:

Electrical Settings

Electrical settings on the controller are a common cause of poor feeder performance. Here are some of the things that should be inspected prior to placing a feeder back into production:

  • Check the AC/DC Setting on the Controller and the Vibratory Drive Unit.
    Are they the same?

  • Is the cycle output of the controller the same as what the drive unit is tuned for?
    For instance, the controller may output 60 HZ but the base unit may be tuned for 50HZ or vice versa. A variable frequency controller may be able to fix this issue for you automatically.

The feeder controller's internal max adjustment is turned down too low.

This happens quite often when a controller set for one unit is used to power a different unit. The max adjustment may have been turned down to reduce coil hammering on a smaller unit, but when used on a larger unit, it will seem as the the coil is "losing its strength". Refer to the controller instructions, in the vibratory feeder controller section for turning up the max adjustment

Cracked Vibratory Base Unit Springs

A cracked spring will often cause a feeder to slow down. If this seems to happen often to units that are turned on and off, try increasing the soft-stat ramp-up. This helps reduce the shock to tooling as well as springs. Refer to the vibratory base units section for instructions on how to detect broken springs, tune and repair base units.

Tooling Added After the Unit was Tuned

Adding feeder bowl tooling after a base unit is tuned is a very common problem that causes the slow down symptoms. Make sure that the base unit is re-tuned after all tooling is added. This will save a lot of trial and error in the future.

These are just a few of the common problems and oversights we see. Never hesitate to contact ADI for assistance or call 1-(814)-474-5561. We are always eager to help.

Worn Linings

As linings wear out, the ability to move parts may also diminish.
ADI can replace most linings within a few days or less. Read more about Vibratory Bowl Linings and how they can help your feeding application.