Alongside its design and manufacture of screw conveyors, the Wrights Dowson Group also manufactures bin activator systems to discharge complex materials from silos and bins.
Our bin activators are manufactured in the UK under license from Metalfab Inc., New Jersey, USA, one of the world’s leading bin activator designers and manufacturers.
Bin Activator Overview
The purpose of the bin activator is to ensure the continuous gravity flow of dry bulk materials.
This piece of equipment is made from mild steel and stainless steel and of heavy-duty construction. The conical-shaped design is built to last for many years with minimal maintenance requirements.
In addition, the activator’s suspension hangers are made from solid steel. It is drilled at 90° so that the activator never moves off-centre.
There is an energy-efficient outlet. This design ensures that when materials are discharged, their exit is not impeded in any way.
Above the outlet is a secondary baffle. This is in place to help material discharge. It often removes the need for surge hoppers and cycling. This is particularly useful in situations when a low discharge rate is needed.
The bin activator is available in different ranges of diameters from 2ft to 16ft.
So how Do Bin Activators Work?
The purpose of the bin activator’s cone is threefold:
- To provide an outlet and flow for materials
- To impart force into the bulk material. The force breaks down potential arches
- To shield flow over the outlet. This reduces stress in the outlet area.
The discharge of bulk materials through the bin activator is made possible by the gentle vibration of the bin activator. A unitised vibrator and motor provide the vibration. The vibration levels can be quickly and easily adjusted with the eccentric weights on the activator’s drive motors. The motor is contained in a single sealed enclosure, with no belts to either break or slip or for oil to leak out and cause contamination.
When the material comes into contact with the bin activator to be processed, it compresses the material and compacts it before discharge.
The conical shape of the bin activator plays a crucial role in the discharge of materials from the lower section of the activator. The cone baffle moves beneath the fabric to relieve the product’s weight and pushes it in all areas next to the cone’s surface. The conical shape also helps to overcome materials getting packed or stuck in the lower part of the cone.
In addition, this strong force is sent to the material found in the upper section of the bin activator, as the movement is carried from particle to particle. As a result, all the particles flow freely in the bin activator towards its outlet.
As long as nothing impedes the flow of material, it will be discharged from the bin activator. One way of enabling this to happen effectively is to ensure that the outlet in the design is large enough. In addition, the Wrights Dowson Group bin activator has a secondary baffle design. This is to prevent material from jamming or becoming compacted, which may happen when other devices regulate flow.
You can set the rate at which material is discharged by ensuring that your design has the correct and most suitable mix of outlet size, annular space width, on/off cycles and frequency/amplitude of vibration.
It is worth noting that there are both advantages and disadvantages to using the on/off vibration cycles. For example, vibrating a product with the outlet closed for an extended period can mean you experience arching difficulties and material compaction. However, if you run the vibration cycle on “on” all the time, this can end with mechanical failure. It is best to talk with your design and manufacturing partner about the best way forward.
Get in Touch
The Wrights Dowson Group has a long and trusted reputation as a leading UK-based designer and manufacturer of bin activators and other products such as screw conveyors.
To find out more information and advice about our bin activators and other products, get in touch and talk to one of our expert team.
