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Industrial vibrators

Ten families of vibrators — sized to the wall, placed where they work.

3 min readUpdated Aug 2026

What’s on the shelf

Ten families of vibrators from Cougar, Italvibras, Oli and more: screen vibrators, truck vibrators, electric, hydraulic, piston, roller, turbine, ball, portable pneumatic and railcar vibrators. When your material needs to flow — and keep flowing — the right vibrator in the right place does quiet, reliable work for years.

Choosing without guesswork

  • Match the tool to the vessel: turbine and ball units for bins and chutes, piston units for heavy walls and sticky material, electric for screens and feeders, railcar vibrators for unloading.
  • Size to the wall, not the wish: an undersized unit shakes without moving material; an oversized one fatigues the vessel wall it bolts to.
  • Placement decides results: low on the cone where material converges — not the middle of a flat wall.
  • Know when it’s a cannon job: cohesive buildup high on a vessel, or bridges a vibrator can’t break, want a directed blast instead. We’ll tell you which.

Mounting is half the install

Channel-and-stiffener mounting spreads the force and saves the vessel wall. If a vibrator cracked your hopper once, the mount — not the vibrator — was usually the culprit.

Picking a vibrator type

TypeCharacterBest for
Rotary electricContinuous, tunable force, quiet-ishScreens, feeders, dense long-duty flow help on bins
Pneumatic ball / rollerSimple, cheap, runs anywhere with airHoppers and chutes needing regular shaking
Pneumatic pistonDirectional thump, single or repeatedKnocking wall cling loose; railcar and hopper duty
TurbineHigh frequency, lower noiseNoise-sensitive plants, finer materials

Troubleshooting quick reference

SymptomLikely causeFix
Vibrator runs, material sitsFine cohesive powder compacting — the classic trapStop vibrating; this is cannon territory (see the comparison)
Cracked welds at the mountMount plate too light, or channel missingReinforced mount to manufacturer spec — not just a thicker weld
Pneumatic unit slowing downWet or dirty air supplyFilter-lubricator upstream; drain the drops
Electric unit trippingForce setting too high for the structure, or bearing end-of-lifeCheck eccentric settings and current draw
Noise complaintsBall type on thin steel = bellTurbine or piston swap; isolate the mount

Ordering checklist

  • The vessel — wall thickness and material (steel/concrete)
  • The material inside — coarse and free-flowing (vibrator country) or fine and cohesive (probably not)
  • Power on site — compressed air spec or voltage/phase
  • Duty — occasional assist vs. continuous — picks type and bearing life
  • Replacements: nameplate photo of the old unit ends the guesswork

Frequently asked questions

Pneumatic or electric?

Pneumatic units are simple, robust and safe for wet or dusty spots with plant air handy; electric units shine on screens, feeders and continuous duty. Application picks the family — send us the vessel and material.

Will a vibrator damage my bin?

Correctly sized and mounted, no. Damage comes from oversizing and bad mounts. Sizing help is free — use it.

Vibrator or air cannon?

Vibrators keep free-flowing material moving; cannons break cohesive buildup and bridges, especially high on the vessel or in hot service. Many plants run both.

The ACT Group

Applied Conveyor Technology — bulk material handling experts. Dust control, conveyor services, silo cleaning, parts, and engineering.

© 2026 The ACT Group (Applied Conveyor Technology). All rights reserved.