There are many advantages to two-mass natural frequency vibratory equipment. Two-mass refers to a style of vibratory equipment where an exciting mass containing a vibratory drive is attached to a trough via a spring system. This exciter creates vibratory energy that is then amplified through the spring system to the trough, creating vibratory conveyance.
In order to excite vibratory equipment, the drive must be able to create an imbalance. On brute force (direct drive) equipment, the unbalanced weight and motor horsepower must be substantial in order to impart enough energy to convey the material across the troughs surface. The motor load also remains at 100% throughout the operation of the unit.
With two-mass vibrating equipment, the tuned natural frequency spring system amplifies the vibratory energy created by the drive, requiring substantially less unbalanced weight and horsepower to do the same amount of mechanical work as a brute force unit. This reduction in unbalanced weight creates less load on motor bearings and overall structure of the machine. The natural frequency amplification also allows the motor to run around a 40% loading once the machine ramps up to running speed.
When comparing two similarly sized units utilizing the two different types of drives, you can see the brute force unit requires two large vibratory drives to create enough energy to convey material, while the two-mass unit requires only a single, small drive with minimal unbalanced weight. This reduction in drive size and motor loading equates to up to a 60% reduction in energy consumption over brute force equipment.
For more information about two-mass equipment, contact one of our GK vibratory experts here.
