How to Connect Closed Loop Conveyor System with Existing Production Lines?

Closed Loop Conveyor System is a material handling technology that achieves continuous transmission and precise positioning of workpieces between workstations through automated circulation paths.

Putting a closed loop system into a production line that is already running smoothly sounds quite troublesome, doesn’t it? 

A while ago, I happened to accompany an old friend to see their renovation site. The old line in their factory runs belt conveyors, straight and straight, for more than ten years, but they haven’t had any major problems. Now we need to change for Closed Loop Conveyor System. When the boss made the decision, he was full of pride. On the day of the landing, several experienced workers surrounded the new circular line and remained silent for a long time – either they couldn’t pretend, or they didn’t know how to shake hands with the old guy.

Actually, this matter is not that mysterious with Closed Loop Conveyor System. If you take it apart, there are only three cracks.

The first hurdle is to enable them to ‘speak’. in Closed Loop Conveyor System Line.

Closed Loop Conveyor System mechanical interface is the most basic and prone to accidents. The height you measured, when the equipment entered the door and was placed there, you found that it was half a centimeter off. What is the concept of half a centimeter? A thinner material box can be directly stuck on the seam, facing a dilemma. The most convenient way I have seen is to leave a flexible transition plate at the junction, adjustable in height, and use a screw to support it. Even if the previous equipment sinks a bit, it can be easily retrieved by twisting it twice. Electrical and communication are even more interesting, sometimes the two suppliers do not use the same logic at all. Send a pulse on your side, wait for the voltage level on his side, and talk chicken and duck. My point of view is that don’t force global connectivity, put a “signal relay station” at the interface, and connect several core signals – start, stop, and fault – point-to-point with hard wires, which is more stable than anything else. If you have to blend the two systems together and tinker with them for three months, you will probably have to switch back to manual mode in the end.

The second hurdle is rhythm in Closed Loop Conveyor System Line.

Closed Loop Conveyor System has a temper, it spins its own way, like an endless circular track. But the equipment in the front and back lanes is not like that. They can be fast or slow, and sometimes cause a small emotional disturbance or pause for a few seconds. It’s unrealistic to force them to run on the same drum beat.

A smart approach is to leave a ‘buffer pool’ at the interface. This pool can be a specially drawn section on the closed-loop line, allowing work to temporarily accumulate and wait in line; It can also be a small elevator with a straight track. Hurry up ahead, swallow a little; Slow down ahead, it vomits a bit. Don’t stare at the stopwatch to calculate, you have to look at the average traffic for three to five minutes. This is a bit like the morning rush hour subway, where the platforms are crowded with people, but when the train arrives, it can always transport them away – this is the wisdom of buffering.

The third hurdle may be the most easily overlooked – the height difference.

Closed Loop Conveyor System has a return loop, with two layers above and below, and the inlet and outlet are not on the same plane. If you are stunned, either climb the slope halfway down and slide down, or fall down the slope. Breaking a workpiece costs several thousand yuan.

I have always remembered the technique of an old master. He doesn’t draw or look at data, just crouches there, holding a wooden square in his hand, repeatedly cushioning and trying. The effect he wants is to make the product “float” from one line to another – for a moment, almost suspended, with only a gentle touch. You can tell from the sound that it’s done, just swipe over without any bumps. Later, I talked to a designer about this, and he said it’s actually the parabolic principle. It’s just that Teacher Fu can’t say it, but he feels it in his hand.

Of course, now there are automatic lifting platforms and accompanying fixtures, which are very precise. But the feeling of drifting past, the smoothness that can be adjusted by hand, I always feel that machines can never replace it.

So you have to ask me, how can the Closed Loop Conveyor System be connected to the existing production line? The technical rules and regulations are clearly written in the book. When we really arrive at the scene, we should leave some room for the master to show off. Closed Loop Conveyor System is ultimately raised by people. 

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