How to choose the right vibratory feeding solution

A bowl provider should be an addition to your team that brings a significant amount of value. Their expertise should be leaned upon to provide insights that they have, and you may not. Many integrators and machine builders have a small stable of providers based upon the types of parts, or end users they work with. Some bowl providers have gained a reputation in industry segments based upon their solutions and previous experience. Life sciences and pharma have significantly different requirements than say, the automotive sector. It is important when talking with a prospective bowl maker to ask questions about their solutions and what experiences they have with your parts, market, and industry specifics. Do they understand clean-room manufacturing? Have they ever worked with passivate-coated parts before? What experience do you have with O-rings, or silicone? What type of coating works best with this material? Why should the bowl be coated? Can you tell me about part marking or scratches? Can you show me similar solutions that you’ve created and explain the results? Are your solutions CAD based? Do you hand-weld? Is the solution reproducible? Can you guarantee the lead-time?

Asking questions of your bowl provider (and their answers) should give you a very good idea if you’re going down the right path with the right people.

While some vibratory solutions look the same as those of the 1950’s, the technology is evolving. This is not your father’s vibratory bowl feeder. Or at least, it shouldn’t be. Vibratory drives have grown in sophistication over the years. The use of new and stronger materials coupled with research and development of vibration control technology have produced quieter and more reliable drives that last longer and are more suited to today’s manufacturing environment. Noise pollution is a significant factor for many purchasers today and is a key factor when specifying a bowl solution. Will a sound enclosure be required? That means more space is required, and possibly a tougher time for maintenance and cleaning of the solution. Are the drives quiet enough to move the parts without an enclosure? That means an easier time of it for all involved, including production personnel.

A welded sheet metal bowl is not the only answer these days. Many bowl makers have begun using other materials such as polyamide for their bowls. This material has proven to be a remarkable alternative to sheet metal. It is quieter, more resistant to heat and atmospheric changes, treats the parts better, and is highly reproducible. It is milled to the part rather than a flat track welded together like many other bowls. Also, in recent years additive manufacturing has played a big part in vibratory bowl creation. While not commonplace yet, there is a growing development around printed bowls. Some companies are employing the technology currently for proof of concept work and simulation studies.

But having said all that, it is a people business. A bowl feeder provider can have all the latest technology, bells, whistles etc. But if they do not understand your needs, what it is your asking for, and no clear path to provide it, then what good are they? When discussing a bespoke engineered solution, it is the people that consult, design, create, and service the solution that are key to it’s success. It is imperative that whatever solution is chosen, the team that you bring on board that creates it for you understands that your success is at stake, and that you’ve made a significant investment in them to see it through. 

Vibratory bowl feeders can be a critical piece in the overall manufacturing process of many assembly systems today. They are deployed in almost every market segment and continue to be a valuable tool in creating reliable and lower-cost assembly solutions. But conversely, they can be a nightmare in the short and long term if not applied correctly or chosen based upon the wrong attributes.

 In today’s assembly machines the need for seamless integration, low maintenance, and high autonomy are just some of the key aspects to watch out for when choosing a vibratory bowl solution. Space constraints, noise level, speed and accuracy round out the basic list of attributes a company generally looks for in a solution.

 In many cases, choosing the right solution means choosing the right manufacturer. And in this, the decision can get tricky. Many bowl providers have decades of experience, a large sales network, and thousands of systems deployed throughout the years. Start-up bowl providers are generally ex-employees of a larger company that strike out on their own in either a part-time or full-time capacity; having gained welding knowledge and a working knowledge of vibratory drives. Use caution. A large buying factor for many users of this technology is after-sale support. It can be very hard for a one-man shop to fill the roles of sales, production, technical assistance and on-site service. Not impossible, just tough!

 For years, vibratory feeding has been called “black magic”, or some type of witchcraft. It isn’t. It’s high science. So, when choosing a provider, make sure they convey a good working understanding of this because it could become rather important during installation or in the middle of production when something breaks, or a noticeable lack of performance is observed. Knowing how to quickly diagnose and rectify performance issues is a critical piece in choosing the right provider. But an even more important aspect is choosing a provider that creates solutions that are exacting, works well “out of the box” and are designed to the customer’s specifications without bias. There is no black magic in vibration control technology.