Article Processing System Synchronized Shutdown via Brakes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional article processing systems fail to synchronize units effectively when an abnormality occurs in a motor or sensor, leading to damage and complex recovery processes due to unsynchronized rotation and potential article entrapment.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a brake system in each unit controlled by a servomotor, where the control means stores stopping times to simultaneously stop all units, including those without abnormalities, at the stopping time of the unit with the abnormality, using pre-defined relations between processing speed and stopping time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the system controls motors of each unit to synchronize revolving bodies, then the system avoids complicated driving mechanisms, but the system cannot handle abnormalities in motors or sensors effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The control means stores stopping times for each unit in advance, based on pre-measured relationships between operating speeds and stopping times. When an abnormality occurs, the system immediately applies brakes to all units simultaneously using these pre-stored values, eliminating the need for complex real-time calculations and ensuring rapid synchronized shutdown
Solution Approach 2:
The brake system acts as an intermediary mechanism that provides direct mechanical stopping capability independent of the motor control system. When sensors or motors fail, the brake can forcibly stop the revolving body without relying on the faulty motor or sensor, ensuring safe shutdown even when the primary control system is compromised
2Manufacturing precision
If the system detects operating speed and phase to control motor synchronization, then the units are synchronized during normal operation, but the system fails to stop units simultaneously when abnormalities occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-measures and stores the relationship between operating speeds and stopping times for each unit before normal operation begins. During an abnormality, the control means retrieves these pre-stored values and applies brakes to all units simultaneously, ensuring synchronized shutdown without relying on real-time sensor feedback that may be faulty
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces reliance on motor control and sensor feedback for shutdown with a direct mechanical brake system. Instead of commanding motors to stop through electrical control (which may fail), the system directly engages mechanical brakes on all units simultaneously, ensuring reliable and synchronized stopping independent of motor or sensor status
3Productivity
If the system continues operation in units without abnormalities, then productivity is maintained, but articles may be caught and damage may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system takes preliminary protective action by storing stopping times and preparing brake activation for all units. When an abnormality is detected in any unit, the control means immediately activates brakes on all units simultaneously, preventing article entrapment and damage before they can occur, while minimizing production loss through rapid shutdown
Data Source
AI summary
A filling system with a supply conveyor, an infeed screw, a supply star wheel for a rinser, a rinser, a discharge star wheel for a rinser, an intermediate star wheel, a supply star wheel for a filler, a filler, a delivery star wheel for a filler/capper, a capper, a discharge star wheel for a capper, and a discharge conveyor is provided. Each component has a revolving body such as a star wheel. In case an abnormality occurs in any component, a control unit activates a brake for that component, which stops the star wheel of the component forcibly, while controlling servomotors for all of the other components, thereby stopping the star wheel of all of the other components where the abnormality does not occur. Even in the event of the abnormality in any component, each component is stopped nearly simultaneously, so that the filling system can prevent damage to all of the components.