Piston Vibrators

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Railcar Piston Vibrator
Piston vibrator aiding in the unloading of a railcar.

Air powered Piston Vibrators are one of the earliest styles of vibrators created for industrial applications and are still the best solution for many flow problems today.  They are versatile and well suited for many types of materials and applications.  Bins and hopper containing damp materials, large aggregates, dry powdery materials, sand and grains all respond well to the localized, linear action of a piston vibrator.  You will also find the piston vibrators on mobile applications such as: dump trucks and spreaders, railcar unloading, match plate and shakeout molds.  Pistons units typically have the lowest air consumption any pneumatic vibrator.  Their efficiency makes them the preferred air vibrator on applications where supply is limited.  With a durable ductile iron housing and only one moving part, they are very low maintenance.  When properly installed, they will provide many years of trouble free service.

Available in impacting or air cushioned styles.   With an impacting model, the piston actually makes contact with the base of the vibrator housing.  The impacting style provides the maximum amount of force.  An air cushioned (or silent) style of vibrator uses a cushion of air to prevent the piston making contact with the housing.  Air cushioned vibrators are quieter than the impacting style but they also produce less force and have a lower frequency.

Optional Features

Timed-impacting units available.  While the standard impacting unit will have thousands of vibrations per minute (vpm); a timed-impacting model can be set up to  produce from 1 to 120 vpm.  The timed-impacting models are better suited for applications where high frequency vibrators may cause the material to compact or where only intermittent vibration is needed.

Denver’s piston vibrators are also available with an optional threaded exhaust port.  Threaded exhaust ports allow to use of mufflers or allows for piping to removing the exhaust from protected areas.  Also, the vibrator can be used underwater by installing exhaust hoses from the vibrator to a location above surface.

All railcar units come with a universal wedge mount bracket designed to fit the dovetail brackets common on hopper cars.

Optional Teflon coated is available for highly abrasive or corrosive applications.

Need help selecting the right vibrator?  Please contact us by phone at 800.392.6703 or by email and let us help you choose the correct vibrator for your application.

Piston Vibrator Sizing Chart

ModelHopper
Capacity
Bin Wall
Thickness
DBH-10 -3 cubic feet1/16" to 1/8"
DBH-1.253 - 7 cubic feet1/16" to 1/8"
DBH-1.57 - 20 cubic feet3/16" to 1/4"
DBH-220 - 50 cubic feet3/16" to 1/4"
DBH-35 - 20 tons1/4" to 3/8"

Piston Vibrator Performance Data - Impacting Models

ModelPiston
Diameter
Vibrations per Minute
(at 50 psi)
Weight
Sound
(dbA)
Air Use at
50 PSI
DBH-1 I1.0"72503 lbs873.3 cfm
DBH-1.25 I1.25"52508 lbs914.2 cfm
DBH-1.5 I1.5"510018 lbs1027.5 cfm
DBH-2 I2.0"475020 lbs1068.3 cfm
DBH-3 I3.0"340050 lbs9611.6 cfm

Piston Vibrator Performance Data - Air Cushioned Models

ModelPiston
Diameter
Vibrations per Minute
(at 50 psi)
Weight
Sound
(dbA)
Air Use at
50 PSI
DBH-1 S1.0"36003 lbs753.3 cfm
DBH-1.25 S1.25"31508 lbs714.2 cfm
DBH-1.5 S1.625"220018 lbs677.5 cfm
DBH-2 S2.0"210020 lbs738.3 cfm
DBH-3 S3.0"180050 lbs7611.6 cfm
DRR-3 S
(Railcar Unit)
3.0"180076 lbsN/A11.6 cfm

 

See also Ball Vibrator and DOT Turbine Vibrator.