Feeder Troughs Without Ribs
  
 

Sponsored by:

 

In cooperation with:

  

Team Memebers:
Peter Reed (Chief Engineer)
Joseph Ober (Communications Officer)
Scott Sanders
Paul Sealock
Jeff McDowell

      
BACKGROUND

FMC Technologies is a leading supplier of vibratory feeder troughs used in bulk material handling from coal to Cheerios.

The goal of FMC Technologies is to provide troughs that can feed the largest amount of material at a constant and reliable rate.

These troughs are mounted to a magnetic pulse drive via a base plate and can range in size from 3”x12” to 12”x32”

PROBLEM STATEMENT

A recent development of the new line of HP high-speed drives develops up to 22 g’s in the trough systems.

A design matrix indicates trough sizes and their current performance with the new drives.

The trough sizes indicated with a X denote troughs that do not work and are to be fixed by Trough Technologies.
OBJECTIVES
Trough Technologies will develop, test, and manufacture satisfactory prototypes for trough sizes indicated as marginal and/or unsatisfactory based on the criteria below:

* No “wrap-around” ribbing
* Less than 12lbs
* Uniform feed
* Operates at 60Hz and 50Hz

Trough Technologies will PUSH the limits of trough length and width with satisfactory performance.
DESIGN

Trough Technologies has developed a new base plate that extends throughout the entire trough length to add stiffness and rigidity to the trough. Picture to right.

It is believed the FMC base plate design is the flaw in these troughs. FMC baseplates were no bigger than 1.5"x4" square. At 22 g's the trough pan would flex around this small baseplate and create "dead zones" or places of little or no flow.

Trough Technologies redisign of the baseplate allows for very little or no flex of the trough pan.
MANUFACTURE AND TESTING

The manufacturing process turned out to be the most time consuming process of the entire project. About one and half months out of a three month time period was taken up by manufacturing.

A CNC controlled plasma cutter was used to cut out both baseplates and trough pans.

After baseplates and pans were cut out the pan must be bent into shape and back welded on. Then the baseplate was welded on. Both welds utilized the MIG welding process.
Testing went as planned. The troughs with new baseplate design worked to Trough Technologies expectations. The design matrix was pushed untill the 12lbs limit was reached. Some of the larger sizes were just to big to be made of steel and make this requirement. A recomendation of research into alternative materials such as aluminum and plastics will be given to FMC Technologies.
 

Trough Technologies
April 2003