Bulk Feeder Cavity Reset Using Vibration and Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
In bulk feeders with cavity groups, foreign matter tends to remain, and components can become stacked, reducing the number of functional cavities and impacting production efficiency, necessitating periodic maintenance and identification of removal targets.
Innovation Solution
A maintenance device with an initialization section and vibration force control section to return components to a receiving region, setting cavities to an initialization state, and an imaging section with a determination section to image and process data to identify foreign matter and stacked components within the cavity group.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If components are continuously supplied to the cavity group, then productivity is improved, but foreign matter remains and components stack in cavities, worsening reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic maintenance cycles where the vibration device operates at increased vibration force to return stacked components to the receiving region. This periodic action alternates between normal supply operation and maintenance operation, ensuring cavities are cleared of foreign matter and stacked components while maintaining continuous productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The vibration device applies mechanical vibration to the track member to convey components and, when operating at increased vibration force, to return stacked components to the receiving region. This mechanical vibration mechanism enables both normal component supply and maintenance operations without requiring additional devices.
2Reliability
If vibration force is increased to clear cavities, then reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vibration device operates at increased vibration force only during periodic maintenance cycles, not during continuous component supply. This periodic operation ensures cavities are cleared when needed while minimizing overall energy consumption by maintaining normal operation for the majority of the time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the vibration force parameter from normal level to increased level during maintenance operations. This parameter change enables effective clearing of stacked components while limiting high energy consumption to only when necessary for maintenance, rather than continuous operation.
3Reliability
If imaging is performed frequently to detect foreign matter, then reliability is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging device performs imaging operations periodically during maintenance cycles rather than continuously during component supply. This periodic imaging detects foreign matter and stacked components at key moments when the cavity state is being verified, ensuring reliability while minimizing time loss by avoiding unnecessary imaging during normal operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Periodic maintenance of cavity groups and determination of removal targets enable efficient operation by ensuring cavities are clear and functional, thereby maintaining production efficiency and identifying objects for removal.
Implementation Method 1
The vibration device is provided in the feeder main body section and vibrates the track member to convey the supply component on the conveyance path between the receiving region and the supply region
Data Source
AI summary
A maintenance device is applied to a bulk feeder including a feeder main body section, a track member, a vibration device, and a cavity group, and includes an initialization section and a vibration force control section. When the use time of the bulk feeder elapses a predetermined time, the initialization section returns a supply component existing in the cavity group toward a receiving region, and sets the cavity group to an initialization state in which the supply component does not exist in the cavity group. The vibration force control section increases the vibration force to be applied by the vibration device to the track member in the initialization section as compared with a case where the supply component is returned from the supply region toward the receiving region in order to adjust the number of the supply components conveyed to the cavity group when a board product is produced.