Industrial vibrators use rotary or linear motion to provide consistent vibration for laboratory and industrial shakers, screeners and classifiers, and bins and hoppers. They are powered by an electric motor, pneumatic pistons, or hydraulic fluid. There are several basic types of industrial vibrators. Devices that use rotary motors induce vibration through the rotation of a motor shaft with an eccentric weight. Ball vibrators also use rotary motion, but deliver vibration via a ball rolling around a race. Turbine vibrators resemble ball vibrators in appearance, but use a turbine rotating from the motive force of compressed air rather than a rotating ball. Typically, these devices are flange-mounted. Linear industrial vibrators induce vibration with a linear actuator or motor with a reciprocating piston. 

Performance specifications for industrial vibrators include motor speed, power, force, voltage, diameter, and length. Motor speed measures the speed of the rotating element and is typically expressed in revolutions per minute (rpm). Power, the motor output rating, sometimes reflects nominal rather than exact values. For motorized vibrators, force represents the centrifugal force generated by the rotating eccentric mass. For piston-based devices, force is added by the reciprocation. For both types of vibrators, force is typically measured in pounds (lbs). Dimensions such as diameter and length are expressed in either inches (in) or centimeters (cm). 

Industrial vibrators are available with a variety of special features. Some devices are washdown-capable and rated for sanitary applications such as food processing and beverage bottling. Others provide explosion-proof housing or intrinsically safe (IS) wiring for hazardous areas or potentially explosive environments. Industrial vibrators with variable speed motors allow users to adjust the motor speed to the requirements of the application. Devices that are UL listed meet the safety requirements of Underwriters’ Laboratories (UL).    

There are many applications for industrial vibrators. Non-impacting linear vibrators deliver low frequency, high amplitude force that is well-suited for moving particles with larger sizes and lighter bulk densities. By contrast, rotary turbine vibrators are designed to move fine, dry materials in bins, hoppers, chutes, screens, and feeders. Specialized railway vibrators are used to unload dry bulk material from bottom-dump rail cars. Industrial vibrators are also used to remove air pockets and other surface flaws from core boxes and cement, wooden, and steel forms.