Surprising Uses of Flow Aid Technology
True to our slogan, “Opening New Possibilities Through Vibration Technology,” EXEN products are at work in a remarkable variety of places and industries. This time, we would like to share some unique application stories from around Japan.
From Yamanashi: Air Removal in the Plating Process
One of the most unusual application requests we have received came from Y Electric Co., Ltd. in Yamanashi Prefecture.
The challenge involved a plating process for computer circuit boards. If air remained trapped in the sub-millimeter holes used to mount electronic components, it could lead to serious product failure.
Since manual agitation was not producing satisfactory results, the customer asked whether an air vibrator could be used to improve air removal.
As shown in the illustration, to evaluate the concept, we built a test tank and installed a CH19 Air Vibrator. Although testing is still ongoing, the results so far have demonstrated successful air removal.
From Iwate: Improving Rice Flour Packaging Efficiency
Exen received an inquiry from Matsukan Shoten, a rice retailer located in Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture.
The customer was seeking a more efficient method for filling bags with rice flour. At the time, the process was performed entirely by hand, making it both labor-intensive and time-consuming.
After evaluating the site conditions, we found that only a 100 V power supply was available. We therefore recommended the KM10S, which proved to be well suited to the application.
The installation delivered excellent results, significantly improving the bagging process, and the customer has been very pleased with the outcome.
From Fukuoka: Polishing Slot Machine Coins
June is typically a quiet season for our sales team in Kyushu, so we were surprised to receive an unexpectedly large inquiry for 30,000 units of the KM2.8-2P.
The news created quite a buzz around the office. People half-jokingly said that if we secured the order, it would be worthy of Exen's Presidential Award.
The prospect of an order of that size sparked all kinds of dreams. A sale of 30,000 units would dramatically rewrite our sales records and undoubtedly boost my personal performance rating, as well.
With those thoughts in mind, I immediately headed over to the customer's office, even though all of our previous communication was over the phone.
The company president was not from the construction equipment industry but rather an automobile dealership owner. However, he was well known locally as an inventor with extensive mechanical knowledge and a track record of developing a wide variety of products.
On this occasion, the president had been commissioned by a contact in the pachinko industry to develop a coin-polishing machine for slot machines. We were honored that an Exen vibration motor was selected as one of the components of the equipment.
The existing polishing system used a hot-water cleaning process, but the customer was not satisfied with its processing capacity, cleaning quality or operating costs. The device shown in the figure successfully addressed these challenges.
In the system, coins fall from a belt conveyor into a box-shaped chamber where an EXEN vibration motor mounted at the bottom gradually moves the coins down an inclined surface. Artificial turf is installed on the slope, allowing dirt and grime to be removed from the coin surfaces without causing damage.
In addition, the coins naturally flip over as they travel from one section of the slope to another, ensuring that both sides are polished evenly.
The figure of 30,000 units mentioned earlier represents the potential number of machines that could be deployed if this system were adopted by pachinko parlors throughout Japan.
At present, approximately 70 units have been ordered. However, we continue to dream that one day 30,000 of these machines will be operating across the country.