When it comes to your vibratory equipment, maintenance and high-quality parts are critical.
That’s why we’re talking about the importance of rocker legs and slats, as well as how to properly maintain them to get the most out of your vibratory equipment.
Rocker legs
Rocker legs, also called stabilizers, eliminate vertical and horizontal deflection and guide your equipment’s movement in the desired direction. When you purchase General Kinematics’ rocker legs, each one is equipped with replaceable bushings, making it easier to maintain your equipment, as well as extend its life (and your investment).
If you’re noticing the stroke increasing or your unit running erratically, it could be due to worn rocker leg bushings. Replacing your rocker leg or rocker leg bushings will improve the stabilization of your equipment, therefore decreasing unexpected downtime. Our traditional abrasion-resistant aluminum or fabricated I-beam rocker legs offer exceptional stability, and the aluminum option helps transfer heat away from the bushings. This heat transfer extends the life of the rocker leg, as well as the bushing, reducing maintenance costs and downtime even further.
In addition to aluminum rocker leg options, we also offer premium ductile iron and steel rocker legs that are ideal for certain applications, i.e. where sand, chemical, and other environmental exposures affect non-ferrous alloys like aluminum. Our ductile iron and steel rocker legs can be used to replace the rocker legs on your current GK or non-GK equipment.
Due to increased weight, GK ductile iron and steel rocker legs are recommended for only the most difficult environments and running conditions. Contact a GK component parts specialist to discuss your specific application.
Vibratory slats
Depending on your exact application and equipment design, slats may be used to ensure the application-specific spring rate. When slats wear, the spring rate starts to slip the stroke will increase and the unit may run erratically, slat replacement may help. Of course, improperly sized or installed slats can have very negative impacts on your entire system, so you should ensure the use of high-quality materials and proper installation for your slat replacement.
If your non-GK slats need replacing, we engineer slats in a range of materials and sizes, from plastic, scotchply, fiberglass, to steel. Our slats are engineered to guide your equipment and ensure the correct vibrating spring rate. When you need a replacement slat for your equipment, we can supply one as a stand-alone slat or as an entire kit including hardware and spacers. We custom-cut slats to your machine dimensions and requirements, no matter what brand of vibratory equipment you might have.
Replacements and upgrades
As part of your routine maintenance, it’s important to assess your rocker legs, slats, and other base-supporting components to ensure the best output for your larger system components. Following your maintenance schedule and manufacturer recommendations, you should also follow proper protocol for replacement.
And while GK provides a number of parts and maintenance video tutorials, it’s important to know specs before ordering replacements. If you are replacing all of your non-GK parts with GK-made parts, it’s important to factor in changes to the weight, quality, and structure of your materials to ensure that you’re supporting your current system in the best way.
If you are seeking GK parts replacements but are unsure of how it will affect your vibratory equipment, do not hesitate to contact GK. We’re here to answer questions about our replacement parts and to ensure that the configuration of your system will be improved upon by their use.
