I attend quite a few tradeshows every year, in fact, in the earlier part of my career I directed GK’s tradeshow program. The purpose of a tradeshow is to introduce prospective buyers to new or innovative technologies that could bring value to their business.
When General Kinematics attends a tradeshow, we like to bring actual equipment as it showcases the unique ability of our Two-Mass technology. Whether it’s a small model of a feeder or a large recycling FINGER-SCREEN™, our machines always run in our booth. The philosophy is simple: if we don’t feel good about turning on a vibratory machine in our booth, it probably isn’t good enough to be installed in your facility.
So why don’t other companies run their vibratory equipment at tradeshows? Many companies that exhibit their vibrating screens and different types of brute force equipment simply cannot run equipment on the tradeshow floor because of the design resulting in a static display of vibratory equipment. Usually, these machines require separate mounting assemblies to handle the giant horsepower hungry motors needed to shake their machines. Often these motors require more power than tradeshow facilities can supply.
They also have to worry about how loud the machines are, as many brute force machines rattle, create a lot of drive noise, and have excessive isolation hop when turned off. Brute force machines tend to transmit more vibration into the surrounding structures as well, which can be bad if you are on the large, sometimes “springy” concrete floor of a tradeshow hall.
With our Two-Mass drive technology, General Kinematics machines start, run, and stop quietly. They require very little horsepower to run, usually up to 2/3rds less than comparably sized brute force equipment. They are also designed using motors integrated into the machine assemblies, so they arrive at the show ready to plug into the facility’s power and run. The robust design of our machines, coupled with the Two-Mass drive systems, allows for smooth and silent startup, running, and shutdown. In fact, sometimes they are so quiet, show attendees don’t believe they are running until they get right next to them!
So next time you are at a tradeshow, look for the companies with static displays of vibratory equipment and ask why they chose not to run their equipment. The answer may just be what you need to know to make a decision.
