Introduction to Industrial Automation

Figure 10.18  Chamber furnace for heat treatment.

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  Introduction to Industrial Automation

10.20   Feeding an Assembly Machine with Components in Bulk

Figure 10.20 shows an arrangement for supplying an assembly machine with metallic components 

of 

Π

 schema that exist in bulk in a bucket. The rotating disk D has four curved blades, and each 

one can accept a single component which, due to blade rotation, is thrown on the pickup rail and 

simultaneously detected by the proximity switch PS. The component collection by any of the 

blades is a completely random event that may or may not happen one or more times. The assembly 

machine might need 4, 8, or 12 parts depending on the assembled device, which is selected by the 

operator by pressing the corresponding push-buttons b

1

, b

2

, and b

3

.

The specifications of operation are the following:

  1. The system is set ready for operation with the switch RS

0-1

, otherwise nothing can work.

  2. Subsequently, the operator must choose the desired number of parts, which is marked on the 

control panel.

  3. With the condition that the number of parts has been selected, and by pressing momentary 

the START button, the disk rotation begins and continues to feed the selected number of 

components, and then stops.

Control panel

1

Control panel

2

Control panel

3

Switch with key

Start-stop

buttons

Hour meter

0

1

0

1

0

1