Troubleshooting Methods and Essentials for Vibratory Feeder of Vibratory Feed Terminal Crimping Machine

I. Possible Causes of Vibratory Feeder Malfunction:

1. Insufficient power supply voltage;
2. Broken wiring between the vibratory feeder and the controller;
3. Blown fuse in the controller;
4. Burnt coil;
5. Improper gap between the coil and the frame;
6. Parts jammed between the coil and the frame;
7. Vibratory feeder coming into contact with hard objects, causing the top plate or base plate to collide with other equipment.

II. Vibratory Feeder of Vibratory Feed Terminal Crimping Machine Weak or Slow Vibration, Intermittent or Irregular Feeding, may be Due to:

1. Broken springs;
2. Thin base plate;
3. Defective installation tabletop, lacking hardness. If suspended on the equipment tabletop, it will result in weak vibrations. The tabletop thickness should be at least 1-1/2 inches to prevent vibration absorption. Cylindrical support feet must be equipped with triangular support pieces.
4. Uneven tabletop;
5. Debris inside the feeder;
6. Coil air gap should be minimized;
7. Machine rhythm too fast causing parts to slip off the feeder;
8. Fluctuating power supply, controller needs readjustment to adapt to power supply fluctuations;
9. Part issues: oversized, bent, oily, etc.;
10. Loose or misaligned screws securing the feeder to the base;
11. Too many parts;
12. Improper base adjustment;
13. Material change, requiring readjustment of the feeder surface and base;
14. Some problems may arise when using compressed air, such as unstable air pressure, contaminated air source with water or oil, resulting in slowed or halted feeding. The air source must be clean, dry, equipped with independent regulators, and filters. Avoid using rigid pipes as it will reduce feeding performance. Flexible hoses should be used instead.

III. Other factors affecting tuning:

1. The frequency of the controller (such as half-wave/full-wave selector switch).

Turn on the controller, adjust the amplitude to about 35% to 40% of full scale. Some parts should begin to move. If the speed is too slow, slowly increase the amplitude until reaching a satisfactory level. If adjusted to 80% without satisfactory results, follow these steps to adjust the feeder:

1. Loosen one of the spring plate fixing screws slowly until acceleration or deceleration occurs. If acceleration occurs, it indicates excessive elasticity. Remove the thinnest spring plate from the relative set of spring plates. When replacing spring plates, refer to the attached table.
2. If there is insufficient elasticity, additional spring plates should be installed. Very important: to maintain smooth feeding, the number of spring plates in the relative set should be equal.
3. Spring plates will gradually harden over time, leading to over-tuning. Check the vibration condition as described in 1.
4. If adding spring plates still feels under-tuned, there may be spring plate fractures. Fractures usually occur at the bottom of the spring plate and the top of the spring plate support. In some cases, spring plate fractures are not easy to detect. Remove the spring plate and collide with a hard object to see if it fractures.
5. If you need to find a fractured spring plate, check the thinnest spring plate first.
6. Ensure that the screws have sufficient length to tighten the spring plates to the base.
7. Another factor affecting tuning is the ductility of the screws. Generally, use grade 5 bolts to ensure lasting hardness.
8. Weld cracking in the following parts of the vibrator will also affect the vibration frequency: A. Installation flange of the top plate B. Spiral track C. Bottom of the return plate D. Suspension straps, side walls, return material area (generally, these parts will generate additional noise, which can be easily felt)
9. Another often overlooked but not easily discovered situation is: the rubber feet are not tightened and turned, causing hard contact with the mounting tabletop, resulting in resonance drift, and the feet must be retightened.
10. It is especially important that the connection between the top plate and the vibrator must be firm. When reinstalling or moving the top plate, use an iron pipe as a leverage wrench. (Using a torque wrench will have better results)
11. Also, do not pull the top plate outward, even gently, towards the already installed feeding rail with the fastening bolts. A jack can be used additionally. If the top plate is not level, it will cause parts to fall, slide off the feeding track without entering the positioned material seat, and cause jamming, deviation, and reduced feeding rate. The feeder must be kept level to ensure smooth feeding.
12. Never ignore the role of shims between the spring plates, which are often overlooked when replacing spring plates. The function of these shims is equivalent to that of the spring plates, and it is difficult to accurately adjust the feeder if they are missing.
13. If the feeder is installed on the machine without securely fixing the rubber feet, it will also affect the feeding effect.
14. If the vibratory feeder is equipped with chutes or linear tracks and relies on the driving force of the vibratory feeder for feeding, side effects may occur. The solution is to use an independent linear drive unit.
15. If multiple “dead spots” occur in the vibratory feeder, it is usually necessary to focus on checking the diagonally opposite corners of these “dead spots.” Generally, it is necessary to readjust the balance weight, re-adjust the coil air gap, and there may also be weld cracking, spring plate fractures, and loose spring plate fixing bolts, etc.