Vibrators Help Eliminate Dust Collector Clogs

“Small things can cause the biggest headaches,” says Chris M., a maintenance manager in Ontario, Canada. “I’d always get frustrated whenever I’d see one of my employees have to walk out the door, go around to the back of the building, and bang on the discharge for the dust collector. I’d been meaning to do something about the clogging problem for a while, but it kept dropping down on the priority list. By some twist of fate, or luck, or whatever, I had just watched someone take 10 minutes to go clear the clog when I got an e-mail from VIBCO about eliminating ‘sticky situations.’ The timing couldn’t have been better.”

Two VIBCO Model VS-160 silent pneumatic turbine vibrators were installed using the company’s easy mounting system in order to best distribute vibratory force. The operation of these units needed to be hands free, so solenoid valves were added to run the vibrators for 30-second intervals throughout the day. This intermittent use provided the correct amount of vibration to prevent all clogs from disrupting the process. Instead of an employee going outside to bang on the hopper, this solution continues to keep the dust collection system free of problems. The entire solution—from the vibrator to the accessories—was in stock and ready to ship at time of order.

After installing the two vibrators, an engineered easy-mounting system, and hands-free solenoid automation, the customer received the following benefits: a fast solution to a consistent problem; no more downtime as clogging and buildup inside the dust collection system was eliminated; no more costly time spent outside the facility unclogging the discharger; no more worrying about the safety of staff running outside in the winter to unclog the system; and an efficient dust collection system that is hands free and customized to fit the problem.

VIBCO manufactures high-quality, engineered vibration equipment and vibrators for industrial and construction applications, and has more than 40 years of vibration experience. The company has a manufacturing plant in Rhode Island and satellite locations across the United States and Canada. For more information, visit www.vibco.com.