This section provides an overview for air knockers as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 9 air knocker manufacturers and their company rankings.
Table of Contents
An air knocker is a device used to prevent clogging or excess accumulation by applying vibration to the target material. They are used where powdery products are produced.
They are attached to hoppers, tanks, or other equipment that temporarily or continuously stores powdered products, and are vibrated for an arbitrary time and at an arbitrary interval.
It is also called an air knocker because air is fed into the machine in order to vibrate it. In addition to an air knocker, there are other devices called vibrators, which, like the air knocker, are vibrated by injecting air to prevent powder blockage.
Uses of air knockers are, as mentioned above, to prevent powder bridging by attaching them to hoppers and tanks. They are widely used in factories that produce powdered products. Examples include food factories and chemical plants. Powder has an angle of repose, and the larger this angle, the more likely it is to bridge. The more obtuse the angle of repose of the conical part of the hopper, the more likely it is that powder bridging will occur.
Some powders are completely dry, while others are not completely dry or slightly moistened after additives have been fed into the hopper. Powders in the latter state are more prone to bridging than those in the former state and therefore require more air knockers or vibrators to be installed.
The operating principle of a relay knocker is explained below. Air is fed into the valve, which pushes the internal valve plug, and compressed air is stored in a place called the pressure storage chamber. When the three-way valve is switched, the air is exhausted and the compressed air in the storage chamber pushes the valve plug back. In doing so, the compressed air pushes the piston, causing it to collide with the base surface and generate vibration. The vibration generates eliminates bridges in the hopper. The valve plug used here is called an umbrella valve.
Vibrators, which are used for the same purpose, have a different operating principle than air knockers. There are various types of vibrators based on their principle of operation. There are ball vibrators, which vibrate by rotating a ball inside, and piston vibrators, which vibrate by reciprocating a piston with air injected into it.
The difference is that air knockers have a larger blow and a relatively wide impact interval. Vibrators, on the other hand, vibrate at a smaller magnitude, but have narrower impact intervals and are able to deliver impacts continuously. Both can be driven solely by air.
*Including some distributors, etc.
Sort by Features
Sort by Area
AIRMATIC was founded in Philadelphia in 1944. AIRMATIC serves a many industries including cement and concrete, oil, gas, energy, biomass, chemical products, feed & grain, food manufacturing, glass & ceramics, and clay. For these industries, AIRMATIC provides installation, maintenance, fabrication, silo cleaning, inspection, and repair, as well as repair and rebuilding of power tools. AIRMATIC also has an extensive lineup of products for sale including air cannons, automatic lubrication systems, belt conveyor components, flow detectors, finishing equipment, safety equipment, industrial vibrators, railcar openers and unloading equipment, rebar tools, valves and actuators, and mechanical force exciters.
Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. If you are a resident of another country, please select the appropriate version of Metoree for your country in the drop-down menu.