Vibrator (mechanical)

A vibrator is a mechanical device to generate vibrations. The vibration is often generated by an electric motor with an unbalanced mass on its driveshaft.

There are many different types of vibrator. Some are components of larger products such as cellphones, pagers, and vibrator sex toys.

When mobile phones and pagers vibrate, the vibrating alert is produced by a small component that is built into the phone or pager. Many older, non-electronic buzzers and doorbells contain a component that vibrates for the purpose of producing a sound. Tattoo machines and some types of electric engraving tools contain a mechanism that vibrates a needle or cutting tool.

Vibrators are used in many different industrial applications both as components and as individual pieces of equipment.

Vibratory feeders and vibrating hoppers are used extensively in the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries to move and position bulk material or small component parts. The application of vibration working with the force of gravity can often move materials through a process more effectively than other methods. Vibration is often used to position small components so that they can be gripped mechanically by automated equipment as required for assembly etc.

Vibrating screens are used to separate bulk materials in a mixture of different sized particles. For example, sand, gravel, river rock and crushed rock, and other aggregates are often separated by size using vibrating screens.

Vibrating compactors are used for soil compaction especially in foundations for roads, railways, and buildings.

Concrete vibrators consolidate freshly poured concrete so that trapped air and excess water are released and the concrete settles firmly in place in the formwork. Improper consolidation of concrete can cause product defects, compromise the concrete strength, and produce surface blemishes such as bug holes and honeycombing. An internal concrete vibrator is a steel cylinder about the size of the handle of a baseball bat, with a hose or electrical cord attached to one end. The vibrator head is immersed in the wet concrete.

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