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Case Study: How GK Removed Vibration Transmittal Due to High Water Table

 by General Kinematics,

Challenge

General Kinematics was notified that vibration was being transmitted to neighborhood homes in the Green Bay area. Due to the unusually high water table, the massive balanced units installed in the plant were in fact transmitting vibration.

 

Approach

This was a unique challenge for the GK team, but to add to this issue they had to be balanced in both the empty state and the loaded state to completely reduce any vibration transmittal whatsoever. The GK units that were installed at the plant were already balanced and only putting out very small dynamic forces, unnoticeable in a normal environment.

 

Solution

General Kinematics had to further the balancing to make it respond to any material loading changes. The balancing had to cancel as high of a percentage as possible of the loads to eliminate any forces being put into the water table. Next, any possible forces had to be dropped to a level that could not be felt by people. Next, an air bag controlled balancing system was installed. Controlled by accelerometer output readings to a PLC, this system adjusted the pressure to and from the air bags.

 

Results

General Kinematics was successful in achieving fantastic results in the balancing of the units and reduced the vibration to such a level that it was no longer detected by residents in the area. To this date the system has been operating with no problems.

 

About General Kinematics

General Kinematics Corporation, incorporated in 1960, was established to market, design, and custom fabricate innovative vibratory materials handling and processing equipment. Today the company is one of the world’s largest suppliers of vibratory processing equipment, holding more than 200 worldwide patents, and is acknowledged as a major contributor to the technical advancement of vibrating equipment design and application. Today, over 50,000 General Kinematics units have been installed in virtually all of the world’s industrialized countries. For more information about General Kinematics products and services, visit the company’s website at www.generalkinematics.com

General Kinematics Corporation, incorporated in 1960, was established to market, design, and custom fabricate innovative vibratory equipment for the foundry, recycling, mining, and processing industries. Today the company continues as one of the world’s largest suppliers of vibratory processing equipment and has evolved into an industry-leading EPC firm. Headquartered in Crystal Lake, IL, General Kinematics has seven global locations providing engineering and support to a world-wide customer base. GK is a third generation, family-owned company and is ISO 9001 certified.