Products & Equipment Pits & Quarries
Martin Engineering customizes vibrator design

March 27,
2013, Neponset, Ill. – Martin Engineering has announced that it has begun
offering custom-engineered vibration technology for manufacturers of shakers,
separators, wash plants and other process equipment that uses vibration as a
working force.

March 27,
2013, Neponset, Ill. – Martin Engineering has announced that it has begun
offering custom-engineered vibration technology for manufacturers of shakers,
separators, wash plants and other process equipment that uses vibration as a
working force.

By adding the new capability to its extensive lineup of stock
vibrators, Martin Engineering will open up a wide range of new possibilities
for equipment designers who have traditionally had to engineer their products
around existing vibrator models. The design and engineering will be performed
at Martin Engineering’s new 22,600 square foot (2,100 square meters) Center for
Innovation, Research & Development (CFI) at the company’s Neponset, Ill.
headquarters.

Custom-engineered
drives are already being manufactured at Martin Engineering locations in the
U.S. and China, and as the business grows, the firm plans to supply them from
all eight of its business units around the world. “Global manufacturers need to
be able to count on worldwide availability of customized solutions like these,”
observed VP of Operations Robert Nogaj. “This approach is part of our evolving
global business strategy to tailor solutions for specific customers and
applications.”

“The
target market for these new services is any manufacturer that supplies
vibratory equipment of virtually any kind,” Nogaj continued. “If an OEM has a
unique need for a drive that hasn’t been (or couldn’t be) designed before, or
if there’s a design for a machine that they could not find a drive for, now
there’s a cost-effective resource for developing them.” 

Martin
Engineering is targeting continuous-duty applications that often require
explosion-proof construction and multi-year reliability, backing the products
with an three-year warranty, plus three additional years on bearings and
electrical parts. Customers will benefit from regional engineering,
manufacturing and service in virtually any location. 

“For the
builders of next-generation equipment, we can now deliver design options that
engineers have never had before. Instead of being limited to an off-the-shelf
vibrator, manufacturers can specify the exact sizes and parameters they need to
suit new and emerging designs.” Nogaj said that the designs are likely to find
utility in high frequency vibratory screens, sizing equipment, dewatering
operations and other vibratory equipment for the oil and gas industries, as
well as processing of coal, iron ore, gold and other elements, silica sand,
pharmaceuticals and even food applications.

While
traditional designs will remain a cornerstone of Martin Engineering’s family of
vibration products, the company is now able to custom-engineer the size and
shape of the drives, torque curves, weight and many other features, in both electrical
and mechanical units. “This will allow OEMs to build equipment that hasn’t been
available in the past,” Nogaj continued. “Rather than being handcuffed into
using the stock designs that are on the market now, they can order the exact
vibrator properties, profile and output that they need.” 

An
important component in the decision to offer custom-engineered vibration is
Martin Engineering’s extensive new R&D capabilities in the CFI. For
example, the firm has recently added four massive, spring-mounted 10,000-lb
(4,545 kilo) test blocks specifically for development and trial of new vibrator
designs. 

Martin
Engineering’s new capabilities also include sophisticated dynamometer testing
that allows the company to map the shape and values of an electric motor’s
torque curve. 

“The dyno
testing helps us analyze existing designs, but it also means that customers can
come to us to obtain a specific torque curve,” continued Pronschinske.  “That can be an extremely valuable asset for
new product development, and until now it’s been a service that has been nearly
impossible to find without investing huge amounts of money.”

Further
supporting Martin Engineering’s commitment to the custom engineering concept is
an endurance testing station located outside the CFI, where engineers can
evaluate new vibratory drives and screen designs on any of five different
shakers. A similar station at the company’s China facility also features two
shakers. “The outdoor test stations are intended to duplicate tough real-world
operating conditions,” Pronschinske added. “The setup at CFI has one shaker
design with a 4-pole drive unit that can develop as much as 10 Gs of force,
helping us to engineer the highest quality, longest-lasting vibrators in the
world.”

Martin
Engineering will offer an extensive range of designs and features for specific
applications, including explosion-proof models, vertical shaft units,
flange-mounted designs and even low-profile vibrators that can be incorporated
as part of a support structure. “This capability allows us to take a huge leap
beyond the conventional 4-footed designs that dominate the market today,”
Pronschinske said.