• International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.3-7
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• 2008

Vibratory conveyors are widely used in industry to transport granular materials and products. A theoretical point mass model for vibratory conveying was studied. The results agreed well with experimental observations. The model theory included the resting, sliding and flight states of the material. Each state was considered separately when determining the equations of motion. For the coefficients of restitution, values of zero for the normal component and 0.8 for the tangential component were found to be appropriate for modeling the collisions of the granular particles with the conveying surface. The vibration angle had a large influence on the mode and rate of transport. There was an optimum vibration angle for a given set of conditions. The optimum vibration angle decreased and was better defined as the coefficient of friction increased. The results suggest the existence of an optimum dimensionless track acceleration (throw number), which does not support general industrial practice in which the track acceleration is limited when the feed cycle becomes erratic and unstable.