Pneumatic vibrator and impactor supplier Vipro is providing complete new packages for pneumatic products, which can be installed with existing infrastructure.

“These new packages can be installed independently of existing infrastructure in plants and assembly lines. This is done to ensure proper functioning and reduce supply-related problems,” says Vipro international sales and marketing manager Pieter Uys.

The packages would be built into an already existing air line, which carries air to pneumatic vibrators. More structures would be built to support a new air line.

Vipro can supply new compressors from which the air line can operate. The vibrator then, now supplied with the necessary air it needs, performs as it should.

“It’s an area where we can establish a new market. We can help plants set up infrastructure just for these vibrators to function. There’s an opportunity for us to design and install a whole new air line for the vibrators,” he says.

Vipro provides work for applications on existing and new plants on an ad hoc basis.

Providing work on existing plants does, however, come with challenges, such as the difficulty of getting clean, lubricated air at the correct pressure and volume, says Uys.

This is particularly the case with systems that have been neglected, as some plants were designed many years ago and have not been correctly maintained, he claims.

To mitigate this challenge, Vipro would supply water traps, air lubricators and regulators and, in certain cases, compressors, to improve the quality of air supplied to the pneumatic vibrating unit. This is particularly useful in older factories and mine processing plants, where maintenance might have been neglected, resulting in poor-quality air being carried to the pneumatic unit.

“We can supply water traps to take out most of the unnecessary water in the air being supplied to the unit, as well as air lubricants and regulators, to ensure that the correct amount of air is generated to the vibrating motor. We can even supply compressors to suit the unit, so you can build your own new air line that specifically feeds your pneumatic vibrators,” Uys explains.

He states that this type of technology for pneumatics is crucial for Vipro’s supplying to the aggregates, light and mining industries, which require flow aids.

Owing to complications in production flows at mining operations, flow aids are becoming increasingly more important for the industry, which, despite a flat market, has enabled the company to become more active in the coal and diamond sectors.

He attributes the increasing importance to the unique properties of materials processed at mining operations, which tend to cause blockages in the production flow, as well as overextending a plant’s load and capacity to process more materials.

Increased demand for pneumatics products has also prompted the company to engage more in research and development related to increase the applications for and capabilities of their pneumatics products.

“We are looking to expand our pneumatics products range, particularly because of their compact sizes and performance levels,” he concludes.