Conveyor Synchronization Unit for Skid-Free Product Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyor systems often result in relative movement between conveyor belts and products, leading to defects such as skidding and ink bleeding during printing, due to differences in velocity and orientation, which are not addressed effectively by existing technologies.
Innovation Solution
A conveyor system with a synchronization unit comprising a first and second conveyor belt, a joint shuttle, and servomotors that adjust velocities and lengths to maintain a fixed distance between inlet and outlet ends, ensuring no relative movement between belts and objects, allowing for consistent velocity and orientation patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a second simple conveyor is used to combine pulsed discharges by slowing down to allow pulses to catch up, then the gaps between pulses are eliminated and continuous stream is formed, but relative movement or skidding occurs between the product and conveyor belt which mars the sheets and causes ink bleeding
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor system employs dynamic velocity adjustment where the second conveyor belt accelerates to match the discharge conveyor belt velocity during product transfer, then decelerates to allow pulse catching up. This dynamic speed variation eliminates skidding during transfer while enabling continuous stream formation, resolving the contradiction between productivity improvement and product quality maintenance
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the velocity parameter of the second conveyor belt dynamically - matching the discharge conveyor belt velocity during transfer operations to prevent skidding, then reducing velocity to enable pulse consolidation. This parameter adjustment allows the system to achieve continuous stream formation without causing harmful skidding effects on the sheets
2Manufacturing precision
If the velocity of the second conveyor is reduced to allow pulse n+1 to catch up to pulse n, then gaps between pulses are reduced, but relative movement between conveyor and product occurs causing defects
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor system dynamically adjusts velocity in two distinct phases: first matching the discharge conveyor velocity to ensure skid-free transfer, then reducing velocity to achieve desired pulse spacing. This dynamic control enables precise gap consistency while maintaining product quality by preventing skidding during the transfer phase
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic velocity adjustment cycles - accelerating to match discharge conveyor speed for transfer, then decelerating for pulse consolidation. This periodic action pattern allows the system to repeatedly achieve consistent pulse spacing without compromising product integrity through skidding
Data Source
AI summary
A conveyor system comprising a synchronization unit having a first conveyor belt, a second conveyor belt disposed adjacent to the first conveyor belt, an inlet end and an outlet end. The system further comprises a joint shuttle disposed between the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt, each of the first and second conveyor belts having a variable length while the distance between the inlet end and the outlet end is fixed. A discharge conveyor belt is disposed upstream the inlet end and is operating at a first velocity (VD). At a time T1, the velocity of the first conveyor belt (V1T1) is equal to the velocity of the discharge conveyor belt (VD) and, at a time T2, the velocity of the first conveyor belt (V1T2) is equal to the velocity of the second conveyor belt (Vm), without relative movement between the conveyor belts and objects conveyed thereon.