Shuttle Table Positioning via Servo-Controlled Actuators
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shuttle table lifting devices require tedious mechanical adjustments for precise positioning, are prone to wear and leaks due to actuator collisions, and lack efficient control mechanisms for rapid and precise horizontal movement.
Innovation Solution
A device with a control unit implementing master-slave servo-control to manage the movement of support columns, eliminating the need for mechanical stops and ensuring precise, rapid positioning of shuttle tables by defining displacement instructions for actuators, which can be electric motors, to maintain horizontal planes and facilitate fast, precise movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If mechanical stops are used to define high and low positions, then positioning precision is achieved, but wear and leaks occur due to repeated collisions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical stop system with a sensor-based detection system. Optical sensors or proximity sensors detect the position of the support columns, eliminating the need for physical mechanical stops. This substitution removes the collision between components while maintaining precise positioning through electronic feedback control.
2Measurement precision
If mechanical adjustments are performed during commissioning, then precise horizontal planes are achieved, but the process is tedious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-alignment through sensor feedback. During commissioning, sensors automatically detect the positions of support columns and the control unit calculates required adjustments. The system then automatically adjusts the support columns to achieve precise horizontal planes without requiring manual mechanical adjustments, significantly reducing commissioning time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback control system where sensors continuously monitor the positions of support columns and shuttle tables. The control unit receives this feedback information and automatically makes real-time adjustments to maintain precise horizontal planes, eliminating the need for tedious manual adjustments during commissioning.
3Productivity
If actuators are controlled to move shuttle tables rapidly, then processing rate compatibility is achieved, but positioning precision may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The control system continuously monitors actuator positions and shuttle table locations during movement. Even during rapid motion, the feedback control operates continuously to maintain positioning precision, allowing the system to achieve both high processing rates and accurate positioning without compromising either parameter.
Data Source
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AI summary
The device comprises at least three support columns (26A, 26C), each carrying a stop that can be moved by a respective actuator (AA, AC). The stops carry a frame that supports two shuttle tables (22A, 22B) positioned one above the other. The device includes a control unit (ECU) configured to control the actuators (AA, AC) to move the stops between at least one upper position and one lower position, in which either of the shuttle tables is placed at a predetermined processing level (14). The control unit (ECU) is capable of establishing a movement command and controlling each actuator according to that command.