6/19/2013

AUTOMATION DEVICES INC.

Manual for New Sales Representatives


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Table of Contents
History of Automation Devices Inc.
Main Divisions
Company Directory
Our Customers
Expectations of Sales People
Prospecting
Typical Parts That Can Be Fed Using an ADI Vibratory Feeder
Recognizing a Good Feeding Application
Know Your Product Line
Bowls
Feeding Tip: Negative Angles can lead to Positive Results
Feeding Tip: Bowl Tooling Fundamentals Part III: Twisting a Track
Feeding Tip: Over-Kill on Linear Track Designs
Feeding Tip: Part Transfer is Like Threading the Eye of a Needle
Track Talk: Various Tracks & Symbols
S Configuration Gravity Discharge Tracks
C Configuation Gravity Discharge Tracks
90 Arc Track
Floating Mandrel Track
Single Plane Track
J Configuration Gravity Tracks
Horizontal Tracks
Orienting Rolls
Know a Little of the Lingo
Bowl Selection
Multiple Track Bowls
Bowl Lining
General Feeding Techniques
Feeding Tip: Feeding and Sorting Bottle Caps
General Feeding Techinques Continued
Feeding Tip: Bowl Tooling Fundamentals Part II: Spill-Offs
General Feeding Techinques Continued
Sending in the Sample Parts to the Engineeers
Back Pressure
Parts Feeding Tip: Back Pressure Tooling
Things to Look for During Your Walk-Thru
Good Feeder Practices
Feeder Dos and Donts
Feeding Tip: Bowl Tooling Fundamentals: Part I
Different Types of Hoppers
Interfering Vibration
Feeding Tip: Isolating Vibration Enhances Feeder Performance
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Feeding Tip: Dont Let the Tail Wag the Dog!
Maintenance and Troubleshooting
Feeding Tip: Eliminating "Dead Spots"
Feeding Tip: Are Your Vibratory Feeders Slowing Down?
Feeding Tip: Parts Feeder Drivers and the Tuning Process"
Feeding Tip: Reducing Feeder Coil Meltdown

Notes




















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History of Automation Devices Inc.
Founded in 1947 and known as a forefather of vibratory parts feeding and parts orientation,
Automation Devices, Inc. produces some of the industrys most durable and highest quality tooled
feeding units. The company was founded by Floyd E. Smith and is now headed by 2
nd
Generation
Mr. Larry V. Smith, CEO, and 3
rd
Generation Mr. Kevin Smith, President. For over a half a
century, the orienting and conveying of parts has been the very core of Automation Devices'
(ADI's) existence. Starting in the basement of his house, the business was moved to a larger
facility and in 1966 moved its operations to the current 20-acre suburban site in Fairview, PA.
Automation Devices, Inc. is ISO 9001:2008 registered.
Our vibratory parts feeders sort, orient and convey small parts. You may now be using, or could
use, this technology when you assemble, test, or package sub-assemblies and/or components.
Introducing parts feeding to manufacturing can be as simple as having the discharge track of the
feeder present a 100% oriented part to an operator. The operator wouldnt need to go through
the bother of selecting each and every uninspected part from a bin, inspecting it, and then
laboring to orient it, before installing it into your product. The time saved could be applied to
increasing productivity or to improving the quality of the assembly.
The majority of those who apply parts feeding to their processes do so to free valued employees
from mundane jobs. One example is installing a parts feeder in a place where a previously skilled
employee had been hand feeding parts into a centerless grinder.
The internal organization has seen many changes over the years. Currently, operations are
centered on three main divisions:
1. VFC Division This division focuses on stock components (aluminum bowls, base units,
hoppers and tuning feeders, as well as, inline feeders and vibratory controls.
2. PEECO Division (Perry Equipment and Engineering Company) This division designs,
engineers and fabricates stainless steel vibratory bowls, part conveyors and escapements,
bowl tooling and specialized hoppers and pre-feeders.


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3. Swan-Matic This is our bottle capping machines and capping equipment division. The
bench-top capper is a bottle capping machine designed for small to medium size
production runs in a variety of situations. We manufacture an explosive proof capper
(electric or pneumatic) for capping highly volatile substances.
Are we the cheapest feeder company? Probably not, but being a low cost provider is not our
focus. ADI chooses to promise quality while others maintain a narrow focus on price. ADI does
not partake in the practice of sacrificing quality or customer service for price.
What sets our feeder apart from the competition?
Springs Our springs go through a proprietary stregthening process and are individually
inspected prior to use ensuring that each spring will provide optimal performance. This
reduces the likelihood of a production line going down because of poor feeder
performance or maintenance needs.
Consistent materials ADI maintains consistent quality levels by ordering raw materials
in large volumes. Many competitors have to buy whatever materials are cheapest at the
time of production to be the cheapest producer on the block. But when time comes to
buy replacement parts, they are difficult to find or costly to reproduce. We always have
the right replacement parts for our feeders!
In-Stock Items Virtually all the items in our catalog are in stock, with the exception of
stainless steel bowls, Centrifeeds and a few other specialized products. Any product that
is in stock ships within in a week.
Why ADI over the competition?
Knowledge We take the guess work out of feeding. Our feeding techniques have a
longer history of success and are more refined than any other feeding company. Our
knowledge base offers our customers a wealth of knowledge on which they can rely on for
a tried and true solution every time. Many times we have seen customers choose another
companys quote over ADIs then later turn to ADI because they need a real solution.
Price-based decisions most often result in a poor investment decision.
Reliance ADI is committed to being a long term supplier and is able to offer longevity
in our business relationships. This allows customers to focus on what they do best and
not have to focus on finding suppliers, changing equipment, product support and other
resource consuming tasks.
Delivery Time As mentioned above, stock items ship within a week. Very few feeder
companies can even come close to under a week delivery. Vibratory feed systems are
typically back-logged four (4) to eight (8) weeks, sometimes longer. Be sure to check with
someone at the office prior to estimating a delivery schedule.




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Company Directory
Role Name Email/Extension
Administrative/Accounts
Payable
Jane Johnson
Barb Kuzmin
johnson@autodev.com
814-474-5561 x 100
bkuzmin@autodev.com
814-474-5561 x 139
Application Engineers Jim Winschel


Brent Kowalczyk
jwinschel@autodev.com
814-474-5561 x 124


bkowalczyk@autodev.com
814-474-5561 x 132

Office Manager Colleen May cls@autodev.com
814-474-5561 x 140
Drive Unit Assembler Bob Hoover 814-474-5561 x 111
Project Manager Dallas Holmes dhomes@autodev.com
814-474-5561 x 135

Accounting/Receivables Monica Ray mray@autodev.com 814-474-
5561 x 119

Sales Manager Dave Welch dwelch@autodev.com
814-474-5561 x 126
Purchasing Dave Repko drepko@autodev.com
814-474-5561 x 130
Swan-Matic Engineer Bob
Pacansky/Sean
Parker
sparker@autodev.com
814-474-5561


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Marketing Specialist Alicia Tellers atellers@autodev.com
814-474-5561 x 133
President Kevin Smith ksmith@autodev.com
814-474-5561 x 112
CEO Larry Smith lvs@autodev.com
814-474-5561 x 122
Our Customers
Existing customers include:
Pharmaceutical companies
Medical device companies
Cosmetic companies
Sheet metal stamping companies
Screw machine companies
Plastic injection molding companies
Automotive & related businesses
Companies that have high volume product lines
Electronics manufacturing companies
Assembly Machine Companies
Expectations of Sales People
Irrepressibly Positive Attitude: Maintain a glass is half full attitude. Expect to be knocked
down 9 times and get up for the 10
th
. An Iron Optimism is necessary.
Live to Prospect: Good Salespeople are prospecting all of the time especially when things are
going well. They know that sales success is directly dependent upon continually filling their
pipelines with well-qualified prospects. Prospecting is their obsession they never stop.


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Totally Sales Driven: Good Salespeople live for the chase that results in a closed deal; they are
internally motivated to go to whatever lengths they must go to win the business.
Competitive: Good Salespeople dont like second, and they are not good losers. Sure, they know
they must affect a good-loser performance from time to time for social reasons but deep down,
they need to win.
Obsessed with Next Step: Everything a good Salesperson does is about getting to the Next
Step about getting to the next level of commitment to bring the customer even closer to the
next level of trust and confidence needed for a Yes. Good Salespeople think solely in terms of
specifics like where, when, how and how much. Concepts like sometime, in the future, later,
whenever are simply not in their vocabularies. Good Salespeople know that success is inevitable,
but they still drive to accelerate the inevitable.
Know that You and Your Products are World Class: Quiet confidence oozes out of Top
Salespeople, and unbridled enthusiasm for their company, their products and services gushes from
them at every meeting. No one is left untouched by the passion they pull upon when they talk
about themselves, their companies, or their products and services.
Expect to hear NO: Once a good Salesperson knows he is in front of the right people, he is
confident that he has considered every possible NO situation that might arise, and understands
how to address every objection in a way to build the confidence and trust of his prospective
customer.
Sell through Customer Knowledge: Understanding the customer is what will set you apart from
other Salespeople. Never stop trying to find out more information about the customer and their
needs.
Prospecting
Content to come


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Typical Parts That Can Be Fed Using an ADI
Vibratory Feeder

Recognizing a Good Feeding Application:
Scout out production lines that you know could be sped up by vibratory feeding or where
you see a production worker doing a repetitive task such as insertion, placement or
positioning
Automation is a good candidate where the operation is increasingly labor intense
Inspection operations lend themselves nicely to Vibratory Feeders
Delivery and Presentation of a part for future assembly is a common feeder application
Putting a part into a package is a good feeder placement
Any operation where a part needs to be conveyed in a single file, brought through a series of
qualifying stations and held in the correct orientation prior to assembly, inspection or packaging
operation is a good feeder application.
Clearly state the value added benefits of feeders in their application. This may require some quick
calculations of the customers production expecatations compared to an estimate of the prescribed
feeding systems cost to the customer. Be prepared ahead of time with some of these statistics.
Parts bigger than your hand are probably too big to be oriented in our feeders. Parts 6 to 8 in
any dimension are pushing the upper limits.
Avoid part non-symmetry which cannot be detected by the feeder. Parts with an off-center hole
are extremely difficult to feed with complete orientation. A flat on the periphery or a projection
on the face of the part can be detected.


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Know Your Product Line
Bowls
Many of ADI vibratory bowls are made of heavy stock cast aluminum alloy because of its
excellent resonance characteristics.
ADI has patterns for nearly 600 different blank or un-tooled cast aluminum feeder bowls.
Most of which are in stock and ready to be tooled by the customer or by ADIs many skilled bowl
toolers. These bowls range in size from 3 in diameter to 42 in diameter and are available in
many configurations and track multiples.
When there is an application that requires a configuration not available in cast aluminum, a
stainless steel bowl is used. Outside tooled and straight wall bowls are predominately constructed
with stainless steel. Other applications such as medical, food, pharmaceutical, etc. are generally
candidates for stainless steel. Stainless steel bowls are generally more expensive due to the heavy
labor value assoicated with it.
The Helix (climbing spiral inside the bowl) in a bowl should never exceed a 3 degree climb.
Advantages of a larger bowl is that it can carry a greater reserve of stock customer parts (one to
two part level only) and since the track helix is longer in a larger bowl, it provides greater and
longer opportunities for separating and orienting parts.
*Feeding Tip: Negative Angles can lead to Positive Results
The Negative-Angle vibratory feeder bowl represents a significant design breakthrough for the
parts feeding industry. Negative-Angle bowls, often referred to as high negatives, bring
stamped parts up on their edge, assuring reliable side-for-side orientation. Use the Negative-
Angle bowl to orient a variety of bottle caps where open-side-out or open-side-in part
orientations can be selected in accordance with the caps geometry and moment. Select a
negative angle bowl as a means of eliminating two part widths of parts from passing a given
point on the narrow rail-like bowl track.
Discharge Tracks
External discharge tracks deliver the part from the feeder bowl to the using machine. Orientation
processes can take place in the track also by the use of a twist or a curve in the structure of the
track. Tracks should not be mounted to the bowl. They need to be isolated from the bowl
vibration.
Gravity S Type
Gradient Angle Gravity Type
Gravity J Type


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Twisted Gravity Tracks
C Tracks
Linear Tracks
Single/Same Plane Gravity Track*
*Feeding Tip: Bowl Tooling Fundamentals Part III: Twisting a Track
Twisting a Vibratory Track
ADI's vibratory bowl toolers sometimes say that the most difficult technique to teach is the
proper way to design a twisted vibratory track. The latest CAD programs now help with the initial
design of the track by allowing the designer to establish dimensional requirements. However, a
great deal of customization is required as well as knowledge of the behavior of the parts under
vibration within a twist.
Determining Requirements
Track Twist

1. First determine which position the part will feed best in and produce the optimal rate.
o Test this using various bowls with different track angles.
o Use the natural position as the reference angle.
o Determine the angle at which the part will exit the bowl.
2. Determine the orientation, in degrees, that is needed at the end of the track.
3. Subtract or add, depending on reference point, the start angle from the finish angle.
4. The resulting number will provide the amount, in degrees, that the track will need twisted.
Example (See photo above): A bowl best feeds this punch-clip with the insert end up. However, the
clip is needed insert side down. So, the bowl feeds the clips end up using a flat track bowl that
transitions to a 60 negative angle. Therefore, the clip leaves the bowl on a 60 negative angle,
insert side facing in, and is twisted 120 to the horizontal position laying insert side face down.



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Track Length
The track length is relational to the length of the product and the tangent points of the track.
Essentially, the longer the product being fed is and the greater the degree of twist, the longer the
track will need to be. As products travel through the track, ensure the angular transition of the
product is gradual: the angle of the leading product should not differ much from the lagging
product angle, usually only several degrees difference. This helps prevent overlap and jamming in
the track.*
*Feeding Tip: Over-Kill on Linear Track Designs
In-Line Feeder tracks need NOT be designed as heavy anvil-like structures. They can be
milled from aluminum bar stock or other compounds. When wear protection is required, hard
coat anodizing or heat treat is a practical solution. Take a U-shaped track as an example. The
floor of the track can be thin, but the sidewalls need to be thick to make the design rigid. Be
judicious with the use of covers on tracks. They can inhibit the forward movement of parts and
are a source of grief when a misformed part jams in the track. ADI will always ask for a
LOAD RATING (in ounces) when taking orders for In-Line Feeders from customers with
existing discharge tracks. In effect, we are asking for the weight of the track, mounting
screws, and any other hardware that will be mounted on the top casting of the In-Line
Feeder. It is critcal that this weight is precise due to the sensitivity of tuning parameters.
A quick word on In-Line Feeder stands : They will be subject to some vibration. Avoid
mounting methods that are a cantilever design, where only half of the vibratory feeder and
stand are supported and the other half overhangs the mounting plate and dangles in the air! *
*Feeding Tip: Part Transfer is Like Threading the Eye of a Needle
This tip is in response to calls ADI receives regarding parts feeding systems where the bowl
feeder delivers an acceptable number of parts, yet the transfer of parts to the adjoining gravity
track or In-Line feeder track is unsatisfactory.
Proper alignment to the track and dimensional allowances in the tracks design are of primary
concern. Note that the vibratory feeder bowl discharge is in motion and the gravity track is not.
The opening of the receiving track must have some room on either side to compensate for the
fact that the feeder bowls discharge could be to one side or the other. Parts will not always be
delivered to the center of the track. Allow a working gap between the end of the bowls
discharge and the gravity track. This is equally important with In-Line feeders. The In-Line
could be moving back at the same time the bowl is moving forward. *


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Track Talk
Various tracks & symbols
Type of Track Actual configuration Comments

S



Can be twisted up to 180 in either direction usually
delivers part to approximately the feeder baseline.

C

Inverts part 180 used on close tolerance parts.
Saves space and should follow the natural radius of
the part. Discharge point is normally at feeder
baseline.

90 Arc


Can be twisted up to 180 in either direction.
Usually delivers part to approximately the feeder
baseline.

Floating Mandrel



Used for very special jobs must always be preloaded
and maintained. Loaded part discharges at approx.
baseline or below.

Same/Single Plane

Used with negative or positive bowl in situations that
will not permit a twist in the track. Delivers part to
approximately the feeder baseline.

J

Can be twisted up to 180 in either direction.
Usually delivers part to the feeder baseline.


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For the purpose of this discussion, it should be understood that the term track refers only to
the external track, be it gravity or powered, and not the bowl tracks. The track not only provides
a means of conveying the part from the discharge plane of the feeder bowl to some point away
from the feeder bowl, but can also further orient the part by twisiting the track.
S Configuration Gravity Discharge Tracks

A simple sketch along with a sketch illustrating the part attitude of discharge is very helpful in
clarifying part orienation for engineers upon quotation.


In the case of the above, it is presumed that we can feed the part in a hanging attitude. The
discharge track would then be twisted 90 in one direction or the other, depending on which side
they require the head (or large dia. end). The top view has told us the head is pointing toward the
bowl side, therefore, the track is an S configuration with a 90 clockwise twist.
Discharge tracks must be preloaded in some cases, due to the part configuration and the manner
in which it must be confined. This is normally determined here at Automation Devices Inc., in
which case the customer is advised in the quotation. If this condition is not recognized at the
time of quote, it is always specified on the inspection sheet at the time of shipment.

Horizontal
(Inline)

Can be twisted up to 180 in either direction. Track
length will determine size of and number of power
unit or units.


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C Configuation Gravity Discharge Tracks

This track will always invert the part 180 and discharge the
part in the opposite direction from which it came. Normally used
on parts that can not be inverted in a twisted S track due to lack
of sufficient part definition, tapered parts, long narrow parts, or
where space is a consideration.
This part would not track well in a twisted S track due to the taper and lack of
proper definition that might otherwise permit confinement. Due to the taper, the
parts want to assume the natural attitude of a radius. Since this would probably
jam in the twisted section of another type of track, it is prudent to take adavantage
of the natural radius.
This track follows the natural radius of parts. This can
also be a determining factor in the track size and point of
discharge.
This type of track can be machined on a rotary mill if the part
configuration is such that conventional means of bending is
impractical.








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90 Arc Track

Floating Mandrel Track
For very special application; used when feeding certain parts in a stacked attitude. A mandrel is
used supported by the parts. Must be preloaded and maintained loaded. Typical parts for this
type track would be washers, D rings, and screw eyes.


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Single Plane Track
This is used in conjunction with a high negative or high positive bowl where part thickness or
configuration will not permit the required clearance for a twisted S track. (The clearance for a
twist might allow part to overlap.)



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J Configuration Gravity Tracks

This type track is used to change part attitude. This change in part attitude
will normally affect the feed rate.

Horizontal Tracks

Used in cases where part will not move in a gravity track, or the part is very thin or has features
too fine to allow clearance for a bend. This track can be twisted up to 180 to provide radial
positioning.


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A T-8 inline is designed for an 8 track. In some cases this can run up to 12 but never in excess
of 12. A T-18 inline can power an 18 track and in some cases up to 24.

Example of 18 bowl and 8 horizontal track. Note
the track starts at approximately 1 past bowl centerline.

Orienting Rolls Orienting Rolls (also known as Orienting Rollers) effectively orient
and convey parts in a quiet and gentle non-vibratory manner. Increased spacing between parts is
often achieved, lending itself to other applications where parts are inspected or gauged.



Know a Little of the Lingo
Bowl Selection


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The bowl diameter should be 7 x (times) the dominant width or length of the sample part. There
are several exceptions (thru sidewall technique for feeding nails, etc.).
Multiple Track Bowls
Advantages of Multiple Track Bowls include higher production rates and the simultaneous
delivery of fixed numbers of parts to the bowl discharge.
Disadvantages of Multiple Track Bowls include exponetially higher amounts of manufacturing
time and tooling with expensive back pressure control complications.
Bowl Linings
Though they are often used for noise level reduction purposes or to increase the coefficient of
friction driving the parts through the bowl, various linings can be used to extend the wearable life
of a bowl. These linings can be applied to both cast aluminum bowls and stainless steel bowls.
After untold hours of running, often times customers will need their bowls re-lined. Depending
on the lining, there genereally is a stripping charge in addition to the price of a new lining. Many
of the standard linings require that the bowls be baked for an entire day and then scraped or sand
blasted to clear the worn out lining before a new lining can be applied.
Black Polyurethane Provides good part drive due to its resilliance and elasticity while
offering very good wear characteristics and sound dampening. Polyurethane is generally
gloss black and is very attractive against stainless steel or nickel plated tooling. This lining
is sprayed at ADI.
Brushlon There are two sizes (long knap and short knap) of Brushlon bristles. This
lining is best utilized to achieve higher feed rates, to overcome the stickiness of an oily part
and to make an otherwise noisy part silent in the bowl. It is a very labor intense process to
install since each piece is cut and fit into place. Contact adhesive or epoxy is used to bond
the Brushlon to the prepped bowl surface.
Line-X A very durable lining with excellent impact resistance from parts dropping from
rejection tooling or hopper trays. The textured lining keeps the parts moving in oily
conditions and is easily cleaned. This lining is commercially sprayed.
Teflon An extremely hard and slippery lining used for sticky or soft rubber and silicon
parts. This lining is commercially sprayed.
Hard Anodize This process increases the strength and wearability of the aluminum
bowl surface. Used for abrasive parts. This process is applied commercially.
Neoprene - This lining offers the greatest impact resistance against falling parts and
softens the surface for brittle parts while maximizing part drive. This lining is somewhat
labor intense to install since each piece is cut and fit. Contact adhesive is used to bond the
Neoprene to the prepped bowl surface.
General Feeding Techniques


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Scallops Utilized on parts such as bottle caps where there is one flat side that is flat and
the other side is open or concave
*Feeding Tip: Feeding and Sorting Bottle Caps
The most common tooling technique for feeding bottle caps with a
vibratory feeder involves a technique called scallops. The scallops are
typically located prior to the bowl exit point after wipers have reduced
the line of caps to a single part (cap) height.
0

The scallops are designed to distinguish between caps with the thread side down and the thread
side up. The caps that go across the scallops with the thread side down are tipped back into the
bowl. This happens because the scallop 'fits' inside the cap and causes it to tip.
Essentially, the cap is riding on its edges which fall through the gaps in the tooling. Caps with the
thread side up (or flat side down) ride across because they have a constant source of support at
any given point in the tooling.
Want to feed various size caps?
Simply design different sized scallops that fit in place of the original tooling to accomodate
various size caps.
This looks so easy. Why have ADI build it?
o You are assured a durable piece of equipment
o Shaping the metal requires a lot of different and expensive tools which some
companies have, others do not.
o ADI has already been through the trial and error phases.
o ADI can often build one bowl to suit a variety of caps. This can require a lot of
experience of which ADI has*
General Feeding Techniques (cont.)
Adjustable Sidewall Usually used in conjunction with a return pocket allowing the
undersize profile of a part to slip to the outside of a bowl to be returned via the pocket.
Adjustable Track Width Can be used as a spill-off to create a single line of feed and to
reject the wide profile of the part while allowing the narrow profile part to continue.
High Negative Generally used to singulate overlapped or shingled parts. This
technique allows for the rejection of an undesirable part by taking advantage of its tipping
moment.


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High Positive This technique works similar to the High Negative technique but with
the added advantage of a higher feed rate and part separation due to its down-hill travel
around the outside of the bowl and more room for tooling sequences. This technique
usually includes a large return pocket.
Hang Used with headed parts or tapered parts such as screws.
Pendulum Acts to orient a part that has a closed end and an open end (pen cap). As
the open end approaches the pendulum, it is hooked and carried beyond the tipping point
where it slides off the pendulum to fall closed end leading.
Squeeze-Off Often acts as a pressure break or forces a part with a wide profile to return
to the bottom of the bowl allowing thin profile parts to narrowly pass by.
Spill-Off Often acts to thin the line of feed down to a single line of parts. By narrowing
the riding surface of the part, points of balance on the part allow certain parts to remain
on the track while spilling off undesirably oriented parts.
*Feeding Tip: Bowl Tooling Fundamentals Part II: Spill-Offs
Vibratory Feeder Spill-Off Tooling
The Spill-Off Technique is used to narrow the parts in the bowl to the narrowest width of one
part that is capable of being fed up a vibratory bowl's track. For longer parts, it can be used to
dump radius to radius parts when end to end feeding is desired.

This spill-off is part of a v-track. The technique here allows the user to
add sandwiched steel plates as the part size increases. This particular bowl,
a multi-purpose tooled CB372 (Universally Tooled Vibratory Bowl works
extremely well with headed parts such as screws and nails.
Adjustable Vibratory Bowl Tooling

This spill-off was designed to accomodate parts of different sizes. A section of
track is removed from the bowl and an adjustable slide plate is inserted. This
particular example features replaceable steel plates in places that wear. This will
eliminate the need to remove the bowl from production to repair it. With these
replaceable plates, all that is required is to temporarily stop the bowl, remove
the worn plates and insert the new ones.
Design Tips:
o Typically, the width of the track at the spill-off is a little more than one-half the
diameter of a headed part.
o For other parts, the width is determined by testing which track width supports a
desirable part but allows undesirable parts to fall off. *


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General Feeding Techniques (cont.)
Rat Hole Often used for round ended parts such as ball bearings or bullets. Many
times this technique takes advantage of a heavy end vs. a light ended part where the light
end will bridge the gap of the hole and consistently tip the heavy end down the hole first.
Thru-Sidewall Technique Used for headed parts that have long shanks such as nails.
This technique acts similar to the hang technique but allows long parts to transition from
an end to end fashion to a side-by-side orientation allowing for more oriented parts per
square inch and higher feed rates.
You can predict how parts will behave in a vibratory feeder bowl by dropping a handful of parts
on a table and analyzing their positions. Once a consistent part tendency is established, the part
manipulation process can start to evolve.
Center of gravity plays a large part in progressive orientation sequences.
There may be 2 or 3 different techniques to tool a bowl for the same part. The best way will be
the technique that requires the least reliance on air and has the most simplistic orientation
sequence from start to finish without compromising perfection in orientation and speed.
Sending in the Sample Parts to the Engineeers
Make sure the sample parts sent into the Application Engineers are exactly what will ultimately be
fed. Alterations in the part configurations between the quotation phase and the build phase can
ruin a project and a customer relationship. And dont cherry pick the samples either send the
good and the bad parts along with any tramp material or flash that may typically be present when
the ultimate run-off will take place.
Starting the Orientation Process
The orientation process starts by dropping the parts in random fashion into the vibratory feeder
bowl, then progressively manipulate the part in every potential position it could present itself until
all potential positions have been manipulated rendering a correctly oriented part.
Back Pressure
*Parts Feeding Tip: Back Pressure Tooling


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42 Inch, 10 Track Cast Aluminum Bowl, CB185, with Polyurethane Lining.
Multi-track vibratory bowls usually need to maintain a consistent feed rate across the various
tracks. However, variables such as tooling and parts falling onto lower tracks can cause the feed
rates of each track to vary. For most parts, the upper most track features the highest feed rate
while the lower tracks have a lower feed rate. This fluctuation, if not accounted for when
determining parts feeding system requirements, may cause delays in production due to missed
machine cycles or in worse cases, damage.
As a bowl's amplitude is turned up to achieve a desired feed rate out of the slowest rate track, the
faster rate tracks may begin to experience problems associated with back pressure such as overlap
and jamming.
Determine whether or not you need tooling to control back pressure
Block the flow of parts at the exit of the bowl and allow them to back up. If the parts naturally
relieve their own back pressure, likely, you will not need to do anything. However, if the back up
produced jams or bypassed tooling, then consider the following options.
Several options exist for eliminating the problem:
1. Build pressure break tooling.
2. Use air-jets to blow parts off of a track when it is full.
3. Mechanically actuated tooling, such as wipers, can be used to clear parts until they
are needed.
4. Electronic photocell to turn the feeder off when the discharge track is full.
Sometimes, the characteristics of a part do not permit the use of pressure break tooling. In cases
such as these, the other options may be used. However, the tooling option is often the more
simple and less costly choice.
Purpose of a "Pressure Break"
Pressure break tooling prevents parts from jamming into each other when the feed rate of the
bowl exceeds the rate at which the parts are used. Overlap and disoriented parts may jam tooling.
As above, this is often a problem in multi-track bowls.
How Does It Work?


24
The tooling relieves pressure on the parts by creating sort of 'by-pass'. When the parts would
normally jam, the tooling forces the parts off of the track and back into the bowl or onto a lower
track. The technique shown below works exceptionally well with cylindrical parts.

In this particular example, once the parts begin to back up, the parts from behind are forced out
and over the next part. The track is not wide enough to support two parts. The excess part falls
onto one of the successive tracks below, enhancing feed rate.
Notes for Designing the Tooling
1. Make sure the pressure wedge is at least as wide as the outside diameter (O.D.) of the part.
2. Start with the upper track and place successive lower track tooling after the previous break.
This will prevent falling parts from interfering with oriented parts below.

Things to Look for During Your Walk-Thru
Good Feeder Practices:
Rigid Mount (See feeding tip Isolating vibration enhances feeder performance, and Tail
Wagging the Dog). Also, proper track alignment for transer.
When operating Under Backpressure (feeder producing more oriented parts than are
being used), the overfeed should be carefully re-directed back into the bowl to minimize
part and bowl damage and wear.


25
When evaluating sample parts, avoid part non-symmetry which cannot be detected by the
feeder. Parts with an off-center hole are extremely difficult to feed with complete
orientation. A flat on the periphery or a projection on the face of the part can be detected.
Back Pressure Control Devices may be used to prevent unnecessary abrasion of the parts
and the bowl.
Maintaining a consistent part level in the bowl will afford the maximum orientation
opportunities and output. (See Storage Hopper).
Avoid using the feeder for anything but orientation no storage gauging, escaping, etc.
Feeder Dos and Donts
Consistency of parts: Dont try to use the feeder as a guage for sorting oversize, undersize or out
of tolerance parts unless the feeder is specifically designed and constructed to do so.
Scrap or foreign material from a previous operation are jam opportunities.
Tangling Parts (Open Coil Springs) Under vibration, springs have a tendency to roll on
their axis effectively threading themselves onto the leading or trailing spring. It is
impossible to separate open coil springs mechanically.
Snaking Parts (Long Nose Wire Nuts) This situation occurs when nesting type parts join
under slight backpressure. These parts are very difficult to separate through vibration and
often cause mass rejection of parts by feeder tooling causing large gaps in production.
Shingled (overlapping) Parts (Thin wafer shaped parts) Much like the shingles on a roof,
these parts create a wedge under tooling which ultimately causes a jam. Certain tooling
techniques can deal with a shingle part but there are definite limitations with very thin
parts.
Nesting Parts (Cup shaped parts or funnel shaped parts) These parts have the ability to
assume the same profile as a single part which is extremely difficult for the feeder to
recognize. Nesting parts can turn into snaked parts very quickly.
Sample parts could be shaken in a container and then inspected roughly simulating a backpressure
condition to see if there is the possibility of the above situations.

*Feeding Tip: Bowl Tooling Fundamentals: Part I
Bowl Tooling is seen as a "Black Art" since some of the techniques are often undocumented,
misunderstood or simply taken for granted. The items below aim to provide feeder bowl users a
clearer understanding of the basic tooling stages within a bowl and the purpose of each.
Automation Devices is always willing to discuss and provide guidance on bowl tooling. Never
hesitate to contact with any questions.
Bowl Tooling Fundamentals: Part I - Wipers


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A reliable feeding process starts with a consistent and congruent product free of flashes, burrs, oil
and other contaminants. Just like any inspection device, a bowl's tooling can only inspect one
item at a time. Therefore, it is imperative to the successful operation of a bowl that the orienting
stages of tooling are presented with a singulated part. The following tooling principles assist with
singulation.
Wipers
A wiper is used to reduce the level of the parts on the track to one product height tall. Where a
wiper is located is usually dependant on several factors. The most important factor is usually that
it reduces the level of parts prior to tooling that may be affected from parts underneath. For
instance, a spill-off may not work properly if the parts that are supposed to fall off can't because
of interference from parts on the track below.



Design Tips:
A wiper must be fit to the rise in the track. It often works best when the clearance
between the part and the wiper is kept constant. In other words, make sure the wiper is
tapered to the rise in the track If it is not, parts will often jam or wedge under the wiper
because of the tapered relationship between the track and a wiper positioned on the
horizontal plane. Thinning of parts early on in the bowl allows gaps in production to close
up before discharge which keeps production at a maximum.
Make sure the wiper extends from the bowl wall enough so that parts will fall off the track
and not work their way around the tooling. *
Different Types of Hoppers
Pan Feeder Hoppers
The model 5500 Series Pan Feeder Hopper is a stationary bin with
a vibratory pan feeder mounted under the bin's discharge funnel which
stores parts and delivers them on demand.


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Side Delivery Hoppers
The model 8200 Series of Side Delivery Hoppers are basically vibrating storage
bins for vibratory feeders and are available in sizes of 1, 2, 3 or 4 cubic feet.
Larger sizes are available upon request.



Overhead/Gravity Hoppers
This hopper operates without the need for a direct source of electrical power and
is suited to perform exceptionally well in a variety of vibratory feeding
applications.



Elevator Hoppers
The general construction of these hoppers includes a storage bin, a motor
driven conveyor, controls and a mainframe to support individual components.




Custom Conveyor Hoppers
ADI custom engineers and manufactures elevator/conveyor hoppers.


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Interfering Vibration
*Feeding Tip: Isolating Vibration Enhances Feeder Performance

Vibratory Parts Feeders are often affected by the transfer of vibration to a weak support system.
When possible, the feeder stand should be made more rigid or reinforced. However, this is often
difficult due to the inability to shut down a production line. In cases such as this, here are some
techniques that can be attempted to better isolate the vibration and enhance feeder performance:

Drive Units
Check the condition of the rubber feet
Based on our experience, this is leading cause of poor feeder performance.
As rubber ages, it begins to harden and crack and vibration sometimes accelerates the process
(called "Curing"). A hardened foot will transfer too much of the vibration to the stand. If the
rubber feet are hard or are worn to the point that the bolts on the bottom are resting on the table,
they need replaced.
We offer two types of rubber feet for vibratory feeders hard and soft. The hard are chosen for
durability. The soft feet greatly enhance performance, but are more succeptible to tearing. If the
feeder is often moved around, choose the hard feet.
Hoppers
The same principles apply to vibratory hoppers. To optimize performance, the goal should be to
isolate the vibration.
The first step to ensuring proper performance is to ensure the stand or table the vibratory hopper
is bolted to is rigid.
These two techniques are the most common ways to isolate the vibration from hoppers:


29
Add rubber feet to the base of the hopper between the hopper and the base plate/table.
Place a rubber mat between the hopper and the base plate/table.
Vibratory Track Feeders
Vibratory inline feeders, also known as track feeders, should be mounted directly to a rigid
surface. They do not require rubber insulating feet or a rubber pad. *
*Feeding Tip: Dont Let the Tail Wag the Dog!
Does the vibratory feeding device perform better when it is set on the floor?
If the answer is yes, then something is wrong with the stand or base plate the feeder sits on. It
is imperative the vibration emanating from the feeder base be transferred to the bowl, track, or
bin mounted to the drive portion of the feeding device.
Thin base plates, weak stand legs, and poor structural rigidity lead to a disproportionate
amount of the feeders energy being transferred to the feeder stand. This is a situation where
the tail is wagging the dog. *

Maintenance and Troubleshooting
Maintaining Feeders:
Customers are often faced with the issue of poor bowl performance at times when automation is
most needed and the bowl cannot be taken out of production for any great length of time. To get
by, ususally someone is appointed the task of monitoring the bowl which can become extremely
expensive in terms of labor expense and productivity.
To avoid down-time situation, some steps can be taken when considering a parts feeder system:
Install Back Pressure Controls: When a bowls production output (feed rate) is greater than the
production needs of the end user, parts will back up in the bowl and remain vibrating in place.
This causes the bowl to wear excessively fast. Back Pressure Controls which are integrated into
our standard controllers can eliminate this problem. They either tell a bowl to quit running or
allow parts to recirculate back into the bowl instead of vibrating in place. They can be the most
important step in adding to a bowls longevity.
Replaceable Tooling: Areas of a bowl that are prone to wear include sections that change the
velocity or orientation of a part. If wear is anticipated and unavoidable, replaceable tooling can be
developed for the bowl. This can include stainless steel replaceable inserts, spill-offs, replaceable
scallops, wipes and virtually any other tooling. Many times, a potential wear area in the bowl


30
tooling will be accompanied by detailed drawings upon initial construction in the event that a
customer may order a replacement piece of tooling.
Cleaning the Feeder Bowl: Most parts make very little residual contact with the inside track and
wall of a vibratory feeder bowl. One of the easiest ways to improve the drive on parts is to clean
the bowl with a clean cloth at the beginning of each shift. Spraying the bowl with a foaming
bathroom cleanser before wiping will help to remove oxidation and lubricants. Beware of harsh
chemicals for cleaning lined bowls. Even alcohol may attack certain linings.
Troubleshooting Feeders
Dont overfill a feeder bowl with parts. You will want to keep the part level, in the center of the
bowl, down to two or three parts high. Any higher than that and those parts will not have enough
space in which to assume their natural orientation. Or, they may interfere with properly oriented
parts already on their way up the bowls track. Overfilling results in reduced bowl output not
better output. Cant have the operator replenishing the bowl every couple of minutes? Time to
investigate Pan Feeder Hoppers.
Most vibratory feeders function for long periods of time, without maintenance, without attention, and
little contact is had with them by the people who are responsible for their performance. Feeders usually
feed parts into equipment or processes many times more expensive than the feeder itself. Indeed,
during visits to plants, it will many times be found that a machine that has an initial cost of $50,000 will
be operating at 70% of capacity because the $1000 feeder is not putting out parts at a sufficiently high
rate. One can see that the economics of this situation are such that attention should be paid to the
feeder, and usually an hour or two of maintenance will bring it back to peak performance and greatly
increase production.
Problems occurring in vibratory feeders
There are 4 basic symptoms that bring attention to vibratory feeders:
2. Declining feed rate due to low amplitude. Usually this will occur gradually over a
period of time.
3. A dead spot in the bowl parts will not feed past a certain point in the bowl, even
though they are moving elsewhere in the bowl
4. Intermittent operation the feeder will spontaneously go to high amplitude, or
possibly no amplitude without apparent cause. Included in this category is for the
feeder not to work at all.
5. Noise in vibratory feeders.
Declining feed rate
There are many causes for the feed rate to decline with time. Usually this occurs gradually over weeks
or months, and, if the feeder is not operating near its capacity, the operator simply turns up the


31
controller. Finally the day comes when the controller is turned all the way to the top, and then when
the rate gets too low again, the maintenance people are called. This kind of problem is best solved with
a complete disassembly and re-tuning of the unit. However, the causes of this declining could be one
or more of the following conditions:
A. A cracked spring can cause this problem. Usually a cracked spring will cause a dead spot,
however, it has been known to slow down the feeder all around. The crack always occurs
adjacent to one of the holes in the spring, and sometimes is so fine it can only be seen with
a magnifying glass.
Before inspecting for a crack, the ends of the spring should be wire brushed or polished
with emery cloth. A quick test is to throw the spring onto a concrete floor with some
force, usually the spring will break into two pieces if cracked. The remedy, of course, is to
replace the spring.
B. A change in the durometer of the rubber feet can cause this problem. The feet can harden
with age. Also, usually from sitting in oil or a solvent solution, they can get softer or swell.
The remedy is to replace all the feet.
C. A cut in a rubber foot can cause this problem. Again, the foot must be replaced. Usually
the cause here is from the feeder being dropped, or being picked up with a lift truck, and
not getting squarely on the forks.
D. Loose feet can cause this problem. Since the feet are part of the springing system, they
must be tight.
E. Too large a gap between the coil and the armature can cause low amplitude. This
adjustment will be discussed later.
F. One of the welds on the coil assembly can break and cause low amplitude. Usually the
cause of this is operating the feeder with the armature hitting the coil. After some time, a
weld will fail. Sometimes it can be rewelded, although it may be best to replace the coil.
G. Presence of rust coming out from between the springs and spacers is a symptom that
shows that there is corrosion between the springs and spacers. This will cause low
amplitude. When this is detected it is necessary to disassemble, clean and retune the drive
unit.
H. In some feeders the absence of the shell or cover can cause low amplitude. The feeders
manufactured by Automation Devices, Inc., are tuned for use with the shell in place.
Removal of it, especially on some larger models, can cause a severe loss of amplitude.
The springing tables developed for Automation Devices vibratory feeders are based on the
cover being present.
Dead spots in the feeder bowl


32
Dead spots usually appear suddenly, however they can develop gradually. They are always caused by
some imbalance in the springing since we have assumed that the feeder once worked satisfactorily. The
presence of unbalanced tooling can cause dead spots, and this usually is noticed when the bowl is tried
for the first time.
A. A bolt that holds the springs in position can loosen or break. This is found when checking
out the unit. Of course, broken bolts must be replaced. Caution must be taken to use only
thru-hardened bolts, as the load on them is high. Case hardened or mild steel bolts will fail
quickly.
B. A loose foot or a cut foot will cause a dead spot.
C. A broken spring will cause a dead spot. Checking for this is covered above.
D. The support upon which the feeder sits can cause a dead spot. This is true especially if the
support is light to begin with.
E. The bowl being loose on the drive unit will cause a dead spot. This is true especially on
bowls held with three or more bolts, and one of them loosens.
*Feeding Tip: Eliminating "Dead Spots"
If you have experienced dead spots (places where parts slow down, stop, or even back up) on a
track inside the feeder bowl, you will need to identify the source of the problem.
How do you know if the problem is the fault of the bowl or when the problem is the
vibratory base unit? Do this:
1. Mark the bowl to show the exact position of the spot.
o Note its position relative to the base unit.
2. Rotate the bowl on the base unit.
o Does the spot remain in the same position on the bowls track or does it stay
in the same position over the base unit?
If the spot follows the bowl:
o Look for a broken weld in the fabrication or try a counterbalance when the
weight of new bowl tooling puts the bowl out of balance.
If the spot remains over one base unit spring bank:
o Loosen the top clamping screw and then slowly tighten it while watching the
movement of parts as they go over the spot. If the effected area lies between
two spring banks, you will want to try the loosening-tightening procedure on
each bank. *
Intermittent Operation


33
Intermittent operation is nearly always electrical. Generally, the symptom is that the feeder will increase
its amplitude to the maximum amplitude for no apparent reason. Occasionally it will simply return to
the correct amplitude, again for no apparent reason or another symptom is that it will simply run at
maximum amplitude no matter where the control is set.
The causes of intermittent operation generally fall into the following categories:
A. This kind of performance is sometimes the symptom that the SCR Controller is about to
fail. Generally, once it occurs, and this is actually the cause, the SCR Controller will stop
functioning in two weeks or so. It is for this reason a wise policy to maintain a spare
controller of each type.
Also this kind of problem usually occurs very early in the life of a feeder, sometimes in the
first month or less.
If this is the case, it is usually easy to diagnose.
B. External sources can cause intermittent operation on feeders with SCR Controllers.
Resistance welding, arc welding, ultrasonic cleaners, and other high frequency equipment
can generate electrical noise which will affect the SCR and turn it on. If the feeder goes to
maximum amplitude while the resistance welder is being cycled, it is rather easy to notice
this if you are aware of the possibility of it being a problem. The point should be made,
however, that the source of the noise does not necessarily have to be in the same room as
the feeder. It can be on the same electrical line and sometimes be quite a distance away. It
is practical sometimes to filter the noise by using capacitors across the incoming line to the
feeder, and this will eliminate the problem. Most controllers are designed to filter out this
noise.
C. Rectifiers and other electronic components age with time, and sometimes their maximum
performance declines over several years. It is not often that a controller is replaced because
of this, but it can occur if the feeder is to run at maximum performance at all times.
This is determined by an electrical check that should be done by an electrician. Another
cause for unsatisfactory performance can sometimes be low line voltage in a plant.
If the feeder is operated at maximum performance, then it usually requires a minimum of
115 volts AC on the incoming line. However, in many plants this voltage may drop to
below 100 volts when machines, ovens, and other large current devices are in operation.
Generally, it will be noticed that as these are turned off the performance of the feeder
comes back.
If this is the case, it is sometimes necessary to install a constant voltage transformer ahead
of the feeder. This will keep its performance even throughout wide fluctuations of the
input voltage.
Noise


34
Noisy operation of vibratory feeders is becoming more and more of a problem in factories. There are
two sources of noisy operation which can be fixed by maintenance to the feeder, and these will be
discussed below.
Noise in vibratory feeders comes from several sources, some of which can be controlled. These will be
discussed briefly.
1. Noise is generated by customer production parts in motion hitting against other customer
production parts in motion in a bowl, and cannot be controlled except by muffling the feeders.
It can sometimes be reduced by keeping the number of parts in the bowl to a minimum
through the use of a side delivery hopper.
The ADI sound enclosure is an excellent way to reduce the sound from this source. Other
remedies include the various bowl linings offered by ADI.
2. Many times the feeder will appear to be noisy, however this noise will be generated by the base
upon which it is sitting. If you were to set the feeder upon the center of a desk and operate it, it
would make considerably more noise than it will sitting on a floor. Many times the feeder
stands that are made generate noise from the transmission of vibration. This can be minimized
by bracing the open spans in the stand.
3. The feeder itself will generate the noise. This is true simply by the fact that it is a vibratory
machine. There are two components of this noise which can be reduced, or minimized
completely. They are:
a. The feeder can be improperly adjusted such that the magnet will be struck by
the armature. When that occurs a great deal of noise is generated. This is
eliminated simply by lowering the magnet down. The procedure for this is
discussed elsewhere.
b. Often times a bowl will not be tightly fastened to the drive unit. This condition
is a very loud generator of noise. In this case, it is necessary to remove the
bowl and clean with emery cloth, or a flat file, the mating surfaces of the bowl
and the drive unit. The reduction in noise will be dramatic.
c. Many times the feeder is operating in such a way that it is striking the detached
track into which the parts are being fed or some other stationery parts of the
machine. This again is obvious and can be easily remedied.
Overhaul and readjustment of vibratory feeders
It will be presumed that the remedies for problems outlined in the section of this booklet above have
not worked, or that you have felt it wise to overhaul and retune the feeder for a preventive maintenance
reason. If the feeder is not easily accessibly on its stand, it is advantageous to remove it to a solid work
bench. It is important that this work bench be very sturdy so that when the feeder is tested, its
performance can be optimum.


35
Remove the bowl, and clean the mating surfaces between the bowl and the top casting of the base.
These surfaces can accumulate dirt, production parts, and other material that will make it difficult to
draw the bowl tightly down on the top casting of the base. These surfaces should be flat and clean, and
using emery paper or a flat file is adequate.
Operating on one bank of springs at a time, loosen the springs top and bottom and remove them.
Both ends of the spring, as well as the spaces and mounting surfaces should be thoroughly cleaned with
either emery paper, a wire brush, glass shot peen.
Each spring should be examined for cracks and corrosion. The cracks will always occur adjacent to the
hole punched in either end, on this type of spring. Sometimes these cracks are not visible to the naked
eye, and a simple test is to hit the spring on something solid. Usually this will cause the spring to break.
Another test is dropping the suspect spring on a hard surface. If you hear a sharp ring, the spring is
good. If you hear a dull clank with no resonance, there is a defect in the spring.
Reassemble the springs and spacers in the manner in which they were prior to disassembly. Any pitted
springs or spaces should be replaced. Draw up the screws snug. Do this on each remaining banks of
springs.
On larger units, Model 20 and up, the bottom of the spring is sometimes fastened into a block which is
in turn fastened into the base casting. In this case, if the block is removed, the reassembly requires
special care. It is important when reassembling the springs to the top and bottom castings that the
springs not be stretched as they are drawn tight by the screws. Adding stresses in this fashion to the
springs will limit the maximum amplitude and consequently the performance of the feeder.
When the springs are reassembled, each screw holding the springs should be drawn up to torque of
about 50 inch pounds. While it is not generally necessary to measure this, an Allen Wrench with a piece
of pipe about one foot long pulled up with good strength is adequate.
It is important that the springs be drawn evenly, and it is advisable to make two or three attempts to
pull up the springs in each case.
*Feeding Tip: Are Your Vibratory Feeders Slowing Down?
Vibratory Feeders are often misdiagnosed when it comes to determining the cause of slow down
over time.
Here are the most common causes of poor vibratory feeder performance:
Electrical Settings
Electrical settings on the controller are a common cause of poor feeder performance. Here are
some of the things that should be inspected prior to placing a feeder back into production:
Check the AC/DC Setting on the Controller and the Vibratory Drive Unit.
Are they the same? When in doubt, check the inspection report supplied on all PEECO
manufactured feeding systems. Inspection reports are also retained by ADI.


36
Is the cycle output of the controller the same as what the drive unit is tuned for?
For instance, the controller may output 60 HZ but the base unit may be tuned for 50HZ
or vice versa. A variable frequency controller may be able to fix this issue for you
automatically.
The feeder controller's internal max adjustment is turned down too low.
This happens quite often when a controller set for one unit is used to power a different unit. The
min/max adjustment may have been turned down to reduce coil hammering on a smaller unit,
but when used on a larger unit, it will seem as the the coil is "losing its strength."
Cracked Vibratory Base Unit Springs
A cracked spring will often cause a feeder to slow down. If this seems to happen often to units
that are turned on and off, try increasing the soft-stat ramp-up. This helps reduce the shock to
tooling as well as springs. Refer to the vibratory base units section for instructions on how to
detect broken springs, tune and repair base units.
Tooling Added After the Unit was Tuned
Adding feeder bowl tooling after a base unit is tuned is a very common problem that causes the
slow down symptoms. Make sure that the base unit is re-tuned after all tooling is added. This will
save a lot of trial and error in the future.
Worn Linings
As linings wear out, the ability to move parts may also diminish.
ADI can replace most linings within a few days or less. *
*Feeding Tip: Parts Feeder Drivers and the Tuning Process"
A vibratory feeders amplitude of vibration is a function of the base units spring size selection and
how tightly those springs are clamped to the top and base castings. The spacing between the base
units coil and armature has only a minor role in what is often call the feeder tuning process.
When the coil is energized it act to arch the springs much like the way an archer flexes a bow. The
critical element is how fast or slow the springs return to their at-rest position. The feeder
company chooses the spring thickness and quantities of springs, all that remains is how stiff or
loose the springs are clamped and that is the Tuning Process. Feeders must be tuned following
unit assembly and when re-assembled. Contact Automation Devices directly or speak with any of
our Representative to obtain additional information on the vibratory feeder tuning as a means of
improving feeder performance. *
*Feeding Tip: Reducing Feeder Coil Meltdown


37
Here are some reasons and preventive steps that can be taken to reduce or eliminate parts feeder
coils from "burning out".
First, the vibratory feeder unit is rated for a given load. For instance, a T-8 Inline Feeder is rated
for a 3 pound (1.36 kg) load rating. The load rating is expressed as the weight of the track only.
The weight of the parts / products traveling over the track is not considered because, once
operating, the parts never really "rest" on the track. Please make sure the actual load does not
exceed the rated load. Visit the respective Products page of the ADI website for load ratings.
Second, ensure the coil gap is set correctly. It should be about .060 or under for inlines and
approximately .030 for base units. Anything more and the coil will operate too inefficiently and
will most likely overheat.
The most common cause of coil melt-down is the wrong input voltage. Ensure that 120 Volt units
are plugged into 120 Volt Service. A 120 Volt rated coil does not last much more than a few hours
when the input line is 240 Volts. The feeder will run violently until it burns out or overheats the
coil
Also, a correctly operated coil never really looses its strength. A coil gap that is too large will often
lead the user to believe it has lost its strength. Before deciding to replace it, check the gap.
If you are experiencing difficulty with coils overheating and burning out, ADI will gladly
investigate the problem for you. Please return the unit if possible and we will diagnose it. Our
warranty is timeless and of all the components, the coils are among the ones that should out-live
any wearable component. All you have to do is ship the unit to ADI and we will replace or repair
the unit free of charge if it is a result of faulty workmanship. We stand behind our products and
will ensure you are re-supplied with quality. *
Notes
It is the responsibility of the Reps to keep their ear on the pulse of our competitors.
When at a customer facility, they should ask about the competitor equipment that they see
concerning their service, pricing, function and viability and differentiate ADI from the
competition.
Reps are eyes and ears concerning the financial health of the customer which allows ADI
to safely set terms. At times they may even become bill collectors or The Repo Man.
When visiting a company, the Rep should not be reading the magazines in the lobby, they
should be reading the Visitors Log sign-in book to see who else has visited for leads or
competitor intel.
Always ask for a plant tour when visiting a customers plant. Use the tour to uncover
potential opportunities for new feeders or repair of others.
Use Rep etiquette: When a factory person travels with a Rep., the Rep. should only focus
on that Principals product line, not the Reps other lines. The Reps other lines are for
another visit.


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Contributors: George Crawford, Ron Ruhl, Taith Rupp, Lee Kallsen, Kevin Smith, Jim Winschel, Tom
Welch, Alicia Tellers