What Is an Air Knocker?
An air knocker is a device designed to prevent clogging and accumulation in systems handling powdery materials. Delivering targeted vibrations helps remove blockages and ensure smooth material flow. Commonly attached to hoppers, tanks, and similar storage units, air knockers activate at predetermined intervals, utilizing air-induced vibrations for their operation.
Uses of Air Knockers
Employed extensively in hoppers and tanks, air knockers combat powder bridging—a common issue in food production and chemical manufacturing. Bridging, more likely when the angle of repose is large, can be mitigated with air knocker installations. The device proves particularly effective in handling powders that are not completely dry or have been mixed with additives, promoting uniform distribution in packaging processes and serving as a tool in vibration durability testing for products.
Principle of Air Knockers
Operationally, air knockers generate vibrations using either electromagnetic transducers or air nozzles. These vibrations are then transmitted directly to the material or object, facilitating movement or separation as required.
Characteristics of Air Knockers
Notable for their versatility across industrial applications, air knockers enhance product quality and process efficiency in powder handling, conveyor operations, and packaging systems. Their non-destructive vibratory impact ensures the integrity of the object or material being processed, allowing for effective mixing, separation of impurities, or simply ensuring material flow.
Other Information on Air Knockers
1. Principle of Relay Knocker
The relay knocker variant employs an electrical relay for vibration generation. Activating the relay causes an arm to vibrate, which then transmits this vibration to the targeted object, facilitating a similar effect to traditional air knockers but through an electrical mechanism.
2. Vibrators
Complementing air knockers, vibrators such as ball and piston types offer alternative vibration sources. These devices vary in their operation, providing either continuous or interval-based impacts to suit different industrial needs, with both types capable of air-driven operation.