by Conveyor Belt System with Automatic Tray Loading
Jump to:Video || System Specifications || Quote Request Form
This Custom Conveyor System was designed for a manufacturer who needed to load empty trays with parts for an automatic assembly operation. Empty trays were loaded onto a powered Auto-Kinetics heavy-duty belt conveyor.
This short video demonstrates the smooth operation of the pneumatic slides pushing the trays into the loading position. After a short time delay, the tray is then pushed onto the gravity roller conveyor. In production conditions, the tray would not be unclamped and pushed off the transfer table until it was loaded with parts.
Upon reaching the end of the belt conveyor, a pneumatic slide pushed a single tray sideways onto a robotic loading station. Once in position, a second pneumatic slide clamped the tray in place for loading.
Once loaded with parts, a third pneumatic slide pushed the tray onto a gravity roller conveyor, where it accumulated for manual unloading. Proximity sensors were provided to detect a tray at the entrance of the infeed conveyor, tray in position at the end of the infeed conveyor, tray in position in the loading station, full offload conveyor, and all pneumatic slides in the extended and retracted positions. A drip pan system with a single drain point was incorporated under the entire system to catch oil spilled during the operation.
Custom Conveyor System specifications
- Cycle time: Approximately 20 seconds
- Infeed conveyor:
- Auto-Kinetics Model 55 Heavy-Duty belt conveyor, 480mm wide x 1829mm long
- Standard center drive module, 1/6 HP motor, 110V AC
- Standard 4-way adjustable side rails
- Standard floor stands
- Custom-tooled transfer table:
- Entry slide: Linear slide powered by pneumatic rodless cylinder
- Tray clamp: Pneumatic linear slide
- Eject slide: Pneumatic linear slide
- Stand assembly: Custom-fabricated with t-slotted aluminum extrusion
- Eject conveyor:
- Standard gravity roller conveyor, 457mm wide x 1524mm long
- Roller diameter: 35mm
- Stop plate at end of conveyor holds ejected trays for manual offload
- Standard incline/adjustable floor stands
- Drip pan system: 16 ga. stainless steel, custom-fabricated with single drain tube
- Proximity sensors provided:
- Empty tray in position at entrance of infeed conveyor (ready to be moved into transfer position)
- Empty tray in position at exit of infeed conveyor (ready to be moved onto transfer table)
- Empty tray in position on transfer table (ready to be clamped for loading)
- Loaded tray in position on roller conveyor (transfer table is empty and ready for next empty tray)
- Transfer table entry slide retracted (ready to accept empty tray for transfer)
- Transfer table entry slide extended (empty tray moved into position for clamping)
- Transfer table clamp slide retracted (tray not clamped in loading position, ready to accept empty tray or eject loaded tray)
- Transfer table clamp slide extended (tray clamped in loading position)
- Transfer table eject slide retracted (ready to accept empty tray in loading position)
- Transfer table eject slide extended (loaded tray ejected from loading position)
