Originally Posted by 6PakBee
Originally Posted by jcc
Originally Posted by NITROUSN
I don't get what the weight does or has on these tumblers. The one I have the basket is oscillated on rubber cushions. All the motor does is spinning an offset weight to make the basket oscillate. The motor is on its own and knows nothing about the weight in the basket.


My thinking, there are a few constants and a few variables in a "typical" vibrator system. The motor (excitor) hp and speed is fixed, the weight of the container is fixed, the imbalance weight and geometry is fixed, and the suspension/damping system is fixed. A;ll these constants determine a fixed oscillation resonance frequency of the unit. The variables are the weight ( I suspect size here doesn't matter much here) of the item(s) being processed, the weight of the media, the weight and viscosity of any process lubricant, and time. Combined Weight directly effects the frequency of the process, heavier being a lower frequency (meaning weight matters, how much is dependent mainly on available hp to overcome the above factors), based on the factors noted above. Condition, shape, etc of the parts being processed and the media and its size would be the last considerations. Did I miss anything?

Reminds of car tuning, everything effects everything else. biggrin


I don't think that changes in weight will affect frequency as that is a function of motor/drive speed. But I do think that more mass means more inertia. For a given amount of energy being supplied to the "tub" by the drive, as mass (and inertia) increases the less the tub will move with each cycle with the corresponding reduction in cleaning peformance.

So....as the mass (inertia) increases you have to supply more energy and you do that with more offset weight.


The main thing I think you are overlooking above is these systems are not free weights, ie no friction, no dampening. They are sprung in one fashion or another, and as the weight/load increases, in most cases the damping/rates will increase, and start to burden the system if the motor becomes further loaded.

Another aspect I did not address earlier, is the heavier the media, the greater gravity/compressive force it transits onto the part being processed, and I also did not mention there maybe and likely, 2nd order and higher harmonics at play in these systems, that might factor into the process. Trying to calculate and predict those in advance would require a lot more information and I suspect a lot of run time on a super computer, or just 10? minutes. biggrin of real world testing

Reality check, that half the population is smarter then 50% of the people and it's a constantly contested fact.