Are you considering an electromagnetic sieve shaker but aren’t sure what the benefits are?
Do you currently use just test sieves or a mechanical shaker and are looking to improve your process?
If either of those scenarios sounds like yours, then you are in the right place.
At W.S. Tyler, one of our most popular products is our RO-TAP® Sieve Shaker. It is something that we are proud to be known for all over the world.
Sieve shakers have been around for a long time and one of our favorite parts about ours is that is still very similar to the original one we created over 100 years ago. We haven’t changed it much - simply because it works.
While we love that our company is built on tradition, we also know that change is an important part of any business, especially when technology is involved.
This is why the electromagnetic RO-TAP® units were created. You can think of them as the refreshed version of the mechanical sieve shakers we offer.
We are going to talk about the features, models, benefits, and cost of an electromagnetic sieve shaker in this article.
What is an Electromagnetic Sieve Shaker?
Now, we have two different styles of RO-TAPs, Mechanical and electromagnetic. The RO-TAP E is W.S. Tyler’s electromagnetic sieve shaker.
Electromagnetic Sieve Shaker Mechanical Sieve Shaker
Now, mechanical sieve shakers are more widely used; however, it should be noted that they provide insight into the functions of electromagnetic sieve shakers. This is why it's important that you have a solid understanding of mechanical units first. We wrote an entire article about our mechanical RO-TAPs: Everything You Need To Know About the RO-TAP, which should give you all the info you need.
A sieve shaker is a machine that uses a stack of test sieves to separate particles. The machine shakes or vibrates the stack to distribute the particles on each sieve. Sieve shakers are used in labs and companies all over the globe for quality control.
The RO-TAP E is an updated or upgraded version of the original mechanical RO-TAP.
The RO-TAP E employs a spring mechanism that is pulled and released by an electronically charged magnet to promote particle movement. The timing of pull and release cycle creates the unique 3D elliptical movement of the sieve stack on the support plate.
The RO-TAP E still uses the same exact test sieves that a mechanical unit does to physically separate the particles. The differences are in the machines themselves and some of the settings and features each model offers. Both types of shakers, mechanical and electromagnetic, will yield consistent repeatable results.
Choosing which one is right for you is going to be based on your preferences and needs in terms of space, noise, custom settings, and price range.
Types/Models
There are three different electromagnetic sieve shakers that we sell. In this section, we are going to give you the specs of each model and a short description of each model type.
RO-TAP® E Pure
This model is designed for simple and quick use. It has two set amplitudes for either coarse or fine material. Typically, you would choose the coarse mode if your smallest sieve opening is a #18 (1mm) or larger. For sieves with openings smaller than 1mm, use the fine setting.
This model is used for dry sieving only and is recommended for standard sieve analysis testing using 8 and 12-inch
test sieves.
RO-TAP® Premium
This model has all the features the Pure offers plus a control panel which allows for the user to set their own amplitude and interval of sieving motion. This model is also for dry sieving. This unit uses 8 and12-inch test sieves. You can store up to 99 custom settings on this unit.
RO-TAP® Premium Remote
This model was designed specifically for wet test sieving. It includes two hoses, one for the waterline and the other for draining. The control panel has been separated from the model to protect from water damage. You can store up to 99 custom settings on this unit.
Features and Capabilities
Custom Settings
One of the benefits that the electromagnetic units have over the mechanical units is that there are custom settings that you can set for your analysis. With a mechanical shaker, you just press start and it does the movement the same each time.
The custom settings are available at different levels as well, depending on which model of the RO-TAP E you purchase.
Here is a breakdown of each model and the settings available:
RO-TAP Electromagnetic E Pure: Offers two settings for sieving- coarse and fine
RO-TAP Electromagnetic E Premium: Offers the customer the ability to adjust the amplitude and intervals on the sieving actions. These settings will change the intensity of shaking and how often the machine pauses. You can create saved presets including run times for your different particle analysis samples.
RO-TAP Electromagnetic E Premium Remote: Includes all of the features of the E Premium and includes the option for wet sieving.
Noise Level
The electromagnetic units operate at a noise level that is less than 70 dbs. This is one of the benefits to using an electromagnetic sieve shaker because it is not as loud as a mechanical unit. We do not supply a sound enclosure cabinet for this machine because it does not require one like the mechanical unit can.
For more info on that subject you can check out our article: 5 Reasons Your Sieve Shaker is Noisy
Footprint
The electromagnetic sieve shaker takes up a little less space than typical mechanical units do. An electromagnetic sieve shaker measures 404 X 440 X 1000 mm and it weighs approx. 53 kg.
Maintenance
When it comes to maintenance on a RO-TAP E, there really isn’t any. That isn’t to say that your machine will never break, but if it does it will typically require that it be sent into our lab to be worked on. The mechanical units which are a little more known, have lots of small parts that suffer wear and tear and need to be replaced. This wont be the case with an electromagnetic unit.
How Much Does an Electromagnetic Sieve Shaker Cost?
RO-TAP® E Pure RO-TAP® Premium RO-TAP® Premium Remote
8 inch unit: $5,774.41 8 Inch Unit: $6,806.34 8 inch unit: $7,624.07
12 inch unit: $6,574.60
To Sum It All Up
We hope this article gave you a better understanding of what an electromagnetic sieve shaker is. If you are looking to learn more about exactly how the mechanical units compare to the electromagnetic units you may want to check out our article: Mechanical VS Electronic Sieve Shakers.
The important thing to remember is that both the mechanical units and electromagnetic units will yield the same results. The differences are in the machines and what best suits your lab, needs, and process.
If you have any other questions about sieve shakers or test sieves, feel free to reach out to us.