Minnich Manufacturing’s M-Box vibration-control solution is a controlled speed, high-cycle power converter that allows vibrator operators to control the speed (vibration frequency) of two vibrators. The M-Box, says Minnich, minimizes the time and cost associated with patching structural-concrete surface blemishes caused by excessive vibrator speeds. With pumped-concrete mixes, bleed water can be an issue; the faster the vibrator speed, the more water separation occurs, and water collects on the form faces. Chipping/patching labor and patch material can be expensive, says Minnich.

The M-Box, which allows selecting speeds of 6,000, 8,000, or 10,800 vpm, converts the 230-V, single-phase outlet of a 3,500-watt generator to 230-V, three-phase output, allowing the selection of a uniform, compatible, constant speed as concrete loads vary.