Vibrating Mini Motor Disc

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dshotwell
 
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Vibrating Mini Motor Disc

Post by dshotwell »

Hello,

I work with biopharmaceuticals and I am in the process of making a small vibrator funnel. I found this vibrating mini motor disc (http://www.adafruit.com/products/1201) and I wanted some more information on it to see if it will work with my requirements. I am using a small funnel which will have powder flowing through it. The powder isn't overly caking and it is fairly fine (like flour). The most that will need to flow through the funnel at one time is just under 30 grams and the vibrator mush be rated for continuous use. Also, I was thinking that I could use a few of the vibrators on the funnel if needed.

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adafruit_support_mike
 
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Re: Vibrating Mini Motor Disc

Post by adafruit_support_mike »

I've built a couple of vibration cups using disc motors, and while they produce good motion, they depend heavily on the structure you're moving and the kind of motion you want.

The best suggestion I can make WRT the motors is to start with one and see how you like the results.

dshotwell
 
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Joined: Wed Jun 11, 2014 4:16 pm

Re: Vibrating Mini Motor Disc

Post by dshotwell »

Thanks for the suggestion. I think I will have to try it out and see what I can come up with. Another question, there shouldn't be any problems wireing the vibrators up so I can plug them into a wall socket right?

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: Vibrating Mini Motor Disc

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

They run on up to 5v DC. This power supply should be enough to power up to 20 of the vibrating motors.
https://www.adafruit.com/product/276

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adafruit_support_mike
 
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Re: Vibrating Mini Motor Disc

Post by adafruit_support_mike »

BTW - if you've never designed a vibration unit before, it's easiest to think about them in terms of hinged-struts and springs.

The struts define the shape of the moving surface's motion. Each point where the moving surface connects to a strut follows an arc defined by that strut. The combined motion of those points defines the motion of the moving surface as a whole.

The springs hold the moving surface at a neutral point, usually the midpoint of each arc defined by a strut.

The vibration motor pushes the moving surface away from the neutral points.

For your application, you might want to look at a set of three struts arranged in a triple helix.. start with two circles, one above the other, put three equally-spaced vertical struts between them, then twist the upper circle by 60 degrees. If you look down on the arrangement, the ends of the struts will sit on the points of a hexagon.

If you bent the struts so they followed the surface of a cylinder, they'd be parallel threads of a 3-pitch screw.. a triple helix.

If the struts rock back and forth, the upper circle will both twist and move vertically, but it should remain parallel to the lower circle at all times. It's a popular motion for parts bowls. The up-stroke moves the parts in one direction (clockwise, for the sake of argument) then throws them at the top of the stroke and moves back the other way (counterclockwise) on the down-stroke. As a result, parts tend to move in a clockwise circle while the bowl is vibrating.

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