Using Acceleration Sensors to Diagnose the Operating Condition and to Detect Vibrating Feeder Faults

Vibrating feeders are used to empty bulk materials from storage bins, to feed and dispense materials into weighing bins or dispensers, or to feed materials evenly and smoothly into downstream equipment. The harmonic oscillation of the trough can be provided by an electromagnetic oscillator, which consists of an electromagnet consisting of a core and a coil with a given number of coil turns and armature. The aim of this paper has been to verify whether the working condition of the vibrating feeder, i.e., its fault-free operation and the ability to transport the required mass amount of material, can be described on a basis of the measured vibration values using acceleration sensors. This paper describes three experimental methods that allow us with the use of force sensors to measure the adhesion force of the electromagnet and the deformation force of the bent leaf springs, and the use of acceleration sensors to measure the vibration on the trough and on the steel frame of the vibrating feeder. The highest average value of the effective vibration velocity (56.7 mm·s^-1) in the horizontal plane was measured on a steel frame of a vibrating feeder using FR4 Epoxy leaf springs with a stiffness of 47.8 N·mm^-1 and a weight of 2.57 kg of conveyed material per trough. The lowest average value of the effective vibration velocity (24.6 mm·s^-1) has been measured at a weight of 5.099 kg of material conveyed on the trough. We can state that from the analysis of the measured vibration velocities transmitted to the steel frame of the vibrating feeders, it is possible to monitor the partial phases of their operation and diagnose any faults that may occur. It is also possible to determine whether the optimal amount of bulk material is being loaded onto the trough.