Toothed-Belt Conveyor Transfer Using Virtual Tooth Gap Synchronization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing production systems require sensors and data lines to synchronize toothed belts during workpiece carrier transfer, leading to susceptibility to errors and mechanical damage due to faulty data lines or sensor failures.
Innovation Solution
The method calculates a virtual toothed belt position using internal timers of controllers, allowing synchronization without a sensor or data line, ensuring the workpiece carrier is inserted smoothly into the transfer area by controlling the toothed belts based on the virtual position, which reduces the risk of mechanical damage and maintains synchronicity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sensors and data lines are used to synchronize toothed belts during workpiece carrier transfer, then the position of toothed belts can be monitored, but the system becomes susceptible to errors and mechanical damage due to faulty data lines or sensor failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the sensor and data line components from the synchronization system. Instead of using external sensors to monitor toothed belt positions, the system uses internal timers within the control units to calculate virtual toothed belt positions, thereby removing the vulnerable hardware components while maintaining position monitoring capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the toothed belt system through calculated virtual positions. The control units compute where the toothed belts should be based on timer data and motion parameters, creating a virtual model that replaces the need for physical sensors to detect actual positions
2Reliability
If internal timers are used to calculate virtual toothed belt position for synchronization, then sensors and data lines are eliminated, but timer synchronization accuracy over long periods becomes critical
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the calculated virtual toothed belt position is continuously compared with the actual transfer requirements. The control units use this feedback to adjust their timer-based calculations, ensuring that even if timer drift occurs, the synchronization remains accurate for the duration of the transfer operation
3Device complexity
If virtual toothed belt calculation is performed by both control units, then synchronization is achieved without additional hardware, but data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the calculation workload between the two control units. Each control unit independently calculates the virtual toothed belt position for its respective side, using only the motion parameters and timer data locally available to it, thereby distributing the data processing load rather than requiring one unit to handle all calculations
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for transferring a workpiece carrier (5) in a manufacturing facility (1) from a first conveying portion (2), which is controlled by a first controller (26), to a second conveying portion (3), which is controlled by a second controller (27), wherein the conveying portions (2, 3) each comprise a toothed belt (9, 10). On the basis of an internal timer (28, 29) of the two controllers (26, 27), a desired position of a virtual tooth space in the transfer region (16) of the conveying portions (2, 3) is calculated, taking the predefined movement speed of the workpiece carrier (5) into consideration and taking the tooth pitch (15) of the toothed belts (9, 10) into consideration, wherein the toothed belts (9, 10) are controlled and synchronized by the respective controller (26, 27) via the drive units (11, 12) such that both a first tooth space (17) of the first toothed belt (9) and a second tooth space (18) of the second toothed belt (10) are synchronized with the desired position of the virtual tooth space.