Abstract

RASTELLI, Víctor; MONTBRUN, Nila  and  BOSSIO, boris. Dynamic mass damping as vibration attenuation due to food industry machinery. Rev. Fac. Ing. UCV [online]. 2009, vol.24, n.4, pp.6-15. ISSN 0798-4065.

This work shows the solution of a vibration problem generated by sieving machines used in a Venezuelan food manufacturing plant to select grain size. Grain selection is obtained by vibrating grids operating at a precise amplitude and frequency. These parameters (of amplitude and frequency) are set regardless of the natural frequency of the structure that supports the machines. Thus, a problem may arise as the natural frequency of the structure was close to the frequency of the sieving machines. Foundation vibration spectrums were measured, first with the machines turned on, to obtain the operating vibration levels, then with the machines turned off to know the background levels and finally (machines turned off) under impact excitation to obtain the structural frequency. It was verified that the natural frequency of the system and the machinery operative frequency were very similar; this condition led us to diagnose resonance and to explain the high vibration amplitudes in operating conditions. Two options were evaluated as a proper solution to attenuate vibration levels: to make the whole structure stiffer or employ dynamic vibration mass dampers as energy absorbers, taking the latter as the solution of choice. Once designed and built, dynamic vibration mass dampers were installed to the structure and accurately tuned. As expected, measured vibration levels in the foundation were smaller than the original ones. Vibration spectrums of the foundation before and after the inclusion of the dynamic vibration mass dampers to the foundation-machines system revealed their efficiency and low cost

Keywords : Vibration; Vibration mass dampers; Control; Resonance; Spectrum.