Automated Singulation Control System for Conveyor Spacing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The process of singulating items from larger groups in facilities is often labor-intensive and inefficient, requiring effective automation to separate items on conveyor belts while ensuring proper spacing and handling of non-singulated items.
Innovation Solution
An automated system utilizing multiple conveyor belts with sensors and a control system to independently control each belt, ensuring items are properly spaced, with a scan tool for verification and a divert tool for recirculating non-singulated items, allowing for efficient singulation and processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual singulation is used, then labor flexibility is maintained, but productivity is low and labor intensity is high
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses sensors to automatically detect items on the conveyor belt and determines their singulation status without human intervention. The control system autonomously decides whether items are properly singulated and directs them accordingly, making the system self-servicing in the singulation detection process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual visual inspection and manual sorting with an automated optical sensing system. Sensors detect item positions and spacing, and the control system automatically diverts non-singulated items, substituting mechanical human labor with automated sensing and control mechanisms.
2Productivity
If automated singulation is implemented, then productivity increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into distinct functional modules: a conveyor belt for transporting items, sensors for detecting item positions, a control system for processing detection data, and a divert mechanism for separating non-singulated items. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, simplifying the overall system design and maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor belt serves multiple functions: it transports items through the system, positions items for sensor detection, and facilitates the diverting action. The control system both processes sensor data and generates control signals for the divert mechanism, combining multiple functions in unified components to reduce overall system complexity.
3Area of stationary object
If items are closely spaced on conveyor, then space efficiency is improved, but singulation detection becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Sensors act as intermediaries between the closely spaced items and the control system. They detect item positions and spacing even when items are tightly packed, converting physical item arrangements into electrical signals that the control system can process to determine singulation status.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual measurement of item spacing with automated optical or electronic sensors. These sensors can accurately detect item positions and calculate spacing without physical contact, enabling precise detection even when items are closely spaced on the conveyor belt.
4Reliability
If non-singulated items are removed from line, then product quality is improved, but loss of time occurs due to item removal and potential line interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor belt continues moving continuously throughout the process, and the divert mechanism operates in real-time to redirect non-singulated items without stopping the line. This maintains continuous material flow and prevents interruptions, eliminating time loss associated with line stoppages while still ensuring quality by removing defective items.
Solution Approach 2:
The divert mechanism extracts non-singulated items from the main conveyor stream and redirects them to a separate path. This allows defective items to be removed from the production line without affecting the continuous flow of properly singulated items, minimizing time loss while maintaining product quality.
Data Source
AI summary
A control system for an automated singulation system is provided. The control system detects a presence of a first item on a first conveyor and detects a presence of a second item on a second conveyor while the first item is present on the first conveyor. The second conveyor transfers items onto the first conveyor and is at a lower height than the second conveyor. The first conveyor is oriented perpendicularly with respect to the second conveyor. In response to detecting the presence of the second item, a location of the first item along a length of the first conveyor is determined. The first conveyor and the second conveyor are controlled based at least on the location of the first item.