Mark Thompson, director at Oli Vibrators, explains how the company helps manufacturers – whether they’re concrete producers or a biscuit factory.
When it comes to helping manufacturers, every day brings Oli Vibrators a different product and challenge to overcome.
Mark Thompson, the company’s director, said he could be working with a flour mill in the morning, a major metropolitan construction project by lunchtime, and a quarry in the afternoon.
“Vibrators can be used pretty much anywhere where bulk materials are involved in a process,” he told ABHR.
“For example, if you’re producing bread with a range of different ingredients, they could be used to promote flow from bins, silos and hoppers.
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“Or if you’re producing concrete and loading it onto a truck, vibrators can batch out sand, cement and aggregate accurately into the weigh bin.”
With so many different products and industries, Oli Vibrators works closely with its customers to learn as much as they can about their processes. The customer will often provide a checklist of important information, along with some technical drawings to get started.
Oli Vibrators’ team will work with customers to determine the characteristics of the product, such as bulk density, explosive risk, hygiene requirements, whether it is hydroscopic, the vessel it is being stored in, and more.
With that information, the company’s engineers will usually find a solution that will work for the customer within 24 to 48 hours.
“We were working recently with a manufacturer of artificial reefs. They need the cement concrete they’re using to fill in all the aspects of the formwork to ensure the process is efficient and avoids creating rejects,” he said.
“We came up with a solution that helped the concrete flow to where it was needed.”
Another reason customers call Oli Vibrators is to solve problems with dust collectors. Dust could be coming from the hoppers and bins underneath a woodworking manufacturing process, or it could be coal or gypsum dust.
Cleaning is another way manufacturers use vibrators. Oli has previously installed its equipment to clear out residual sulphur to allow other products to be added without the risk of cross contamination. Other vibrators are used to help compact the same sulphur product into bags.
Oli can also work with customers to reduce noise emissions from vibrators if needed.
Thompson said his team has been in the industry for more than 20 years, gathering a broad range of collective experience in the process.
“We also have many engineers that we work with on a daily basis,” he said. “If we need specialist help, we can also reach out to the European-based experts.”
The company is based in Modella Italy, where it engineers and develops its products. Its mission statement, ‘When you need it, where you need it’, has helped form its strategy to keep all 24 of its global trading subsidiaries well-stocked.
In Australia, the business has a service centre in Scoresby, Melbourne, along with a network of support agents across the country.
“Our sales team members in Australia are highly trained, and we even run education programs for our customers,” Thompson said.
“A concrete company asked for this kind of support, so we came in, showed the staff there how to properly mount the vibrators, explained how they should be used and on what applications.”
This education helps users gain a deeper understanding of their manufacturing process and helps them get a longer life out of the vibrators, while protecting their assets.
When used correctly, Thompson said the vibrators are virtually maintenance-free and easily replaced at the end of their life. Once fitted, they go about their business based on the operation and can be programmed to work in conjunction with the process.
“The vibrators are made from high-quality components and undergo a rigorous testing regime before being released onto the market,” Thompson said.
“Each product also comes with a two-year warranty, which includes full replacement or repair.
“The vibrator market is competitive, so we rely on our high-quality products, technical expertise and the ability to provide all the specifications an engineer could possibly want.”
The company is currently targeting the concrete and mining sectors, following several high-profile tunnel project works across Australia.
“We have good partnerships with large mining businesses and original equipment manufacturers,” Thompson said.