Under What Circumstances Should a Parting/Separating Structure Be Added to a Vibratory Bowl?

Under What Circumstances Should a Parting/Separating Structure Be Added to a Vibratory Bowl?

A parting or separating structure is typically added to solve specific part-handling challenges:

1. Parts Tend to Overlap or Stack

• Symptom: Flat or sheet-like parts stack on top of each other on the track.
• Solution: Add flipper blades, air jets, or steps to knock down the top layer, allowing only a single layer to pass.

2. Parts Are Unstable and Stand Up or Tilt

• Symptom: Cylindrical or asymmetric parts stand upright or tip over.
• Solution: Install pins, overhead wipers, or covered tracks with a gap. These allow only correctly oriented (lying flat) parts to pass, knocking upright parts back into the bowl.

3. Selecting a Specific Orientation from Multiple Possibilities

• Symptom: Parts enter the track in random orientations, but only one is required for assembly.
• Solution: Add precision sorting tracks. For example, a gap that only lets screws with washers pass washer-side-up, or a ramp that allows countersunk screws to pass only head-first.

4. Feed Rate is Too Fast for Downstream Process

• Symptom: The bowl feeds faster than the downstream machine can handle, causing a pile-up at the exit.
• Solution: Add a metering gate or escapement at the discharge to convert the continuous flow into a controlled, single-file output.

5. Need to Split the Flow to Multiple Outputs

• Symptom: Sorted parts need to be delivered to multiple workstations or assembly heads.
• Solution: Incorporate a diverting gate or rotary distributor at the end of the track to route parts to different discharge chutes.

Summary: Parting structures act as the “traffic cops” and “quality inspectors” of a vibratory bowl. They are essential for active intervention and guidance when the natural flow of parts cannot meet the requirements for singular, stable, orderly, and synchronized feeding.