Object selection prototype for manufacturing industries

Thread Starter

Ishan Jain

Joined Nov 12, 2016
100
Hello folks! For my college project I am making a prototype in which I will demonstrate object selection or rejection with the help of Ultrasonic sensor as I am using a conveyor belt so I want to count the objects entering the belt and at the same time leaving the belt, so for that which sensor I should use? A Photo-resistor or an Infrared sensor. Wooden boxes will be used as objects and the selection/rejection criteria will be the size of the object.
 
Last edited:

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,845
You haven't given sufficient information for anyone to help you.

What type of objects are you counting? Are they allowed to be touching or overlapping? What is the selection/rejection criteria?
 

Thread Starter

Ishan Jain

Joined Nov 12, 2016
100
You haven't given sufficient information for anyone to help you.

What type of objects are you counting? Are they allowed to be touching or overlapping? What is the selection/rejection criteria?
Apologies for not giving the sufficient information. As I am making a prototype I will be using wooden blocks and the selection/rejection criteria will be the size of the object and I want to count those boxes considering them as objects or any kind of goods.
Thanks for the prompt reply :)
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,845
I am making a prototype I will be using wooden blocks and the selection/rejection criteria will be the size of the object and I want to count those boxes considering them as objects or any kind of goods.
Can the objects be touching or overlapping? How many dimensions do you need to measure? What is the shape of the objects?
 

Thread Starter

Ishan Jain

Joined Nov 12, 2016
100
Can the objects be touching or overlapping? How many dimensions do you need to measure? What is the shape of the objects?
What do you mean by touching or overlapping, shape of the object is rectangular and I want to measure the height of the object only but can I also measure the width too as I am using arduino and HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor module .
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,845
What do you mean by touching or overlapping,
Touching means one object touching another. Overlapping means one object overlapping another.
shape of the object is rectangular and I want to measure the height of the object only but can I also measure the width too as I am using arduino and HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor module .
What is the magnitude of dimensions you want to measure? How fast will the objects be moving.

I don't think ultrasonic will work because the closest part of the object will dominate measurement. If the objects can be upright (so you can measure height), you can't measure width or length. If an object is on it's side, measurement will be confused.

Don't see how infrared can work.
 

Thread Starter

Ishan Jain

Joined Nov 12, 2016
100
I am planning to move the conveyor with a 30 rpm motor and If I want to measure both height and width then what is needed?
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,845
I am planning to move the conveyor with a 30 rpm motor
This is meaningless without knowing how the motor is driving the conveyor and the gearing used. A more meaningful measure is how many inches/feet per minute the belt passes a given point.
and If I want to measure both height and width then what is needed?
How can I answer that if you don't tell me whether the objects can touch or overlap and the magnitude of the dimensions you intend to measure???
 

Thread Starter

Ishan Jain

Joined Nov 12, 2016
100
The objects are not touching each other and as I said I want to select or reject the objects according to their height. I have attached an image showing what I want to do exactly.
 

Attachments

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,845
I have attached an image showing what I want to do exactly.
I'd say it's far from an exhaustive description.

This shows the objects placed with uniform spacing. Can the object height be any value or is a binary decision being made? Can objects be at different spacing? Can they be at any angle?
 

Thread Starter

Ishan Jain

Joined Nov 12, 2016
100
Sorry if I am not able to convey what I actually want is that when objects are moving on the conveyor and the distance between the sensor and the standard object is 30 cm so if a object with lesser size or bigger size will come in the range of the sensor it will detect that the object is faulty as the distance between the sensor and the object will be either grater than 30 or less than 30 cm and objects can be at different spacing.
 

BR-549

Joined Sep 22, 2013
4,928
There are several different ways to do this. But first you need to describe the whole process in time and dimension detail.

The objects need to be in an ordered spaced sequence on the belt. Can you put the objects on the belt with a reference or alignment?

The dimensions can be determined with interrupted light beams or light curtains. And constant speed belt.

If it gets too complicated..........you might consider another property......such as mass......or momentum.
 

Thread Starter

Ishan Jain

Joined Nov 12, 2016
100
There are several different ways to do this. But first you need to describe the whole process in time and dimension detail.

The objects need to be in an ordered spaced sequence on the belt. Can you put the objects on the belt with a reference or alignment?

The dimensions can be determined with interrupted light beams or light curtains. And constant speed belt.

If it gets too complicated..........you might consider another property......such as mass......or momentum.
I hope my project is clear to you. Will 30 rpm 12V DC motor serve my purpose of moving the conveyor belt? How long should be the conveyor belt? Also when the ultrasonic sensor detects a faulty object, I want to displace it from the conveyor belt but the conveyor belt should not stop so what mechanism I should deploy so that the faulty object is displaced from the moving conveyor belt.
 

BR-549

Joined Sep 22, 2013
4,928
I usually stay off the homework forum, I wouldn't want to contaminate a young mind. And we are not suppose to give answers here.

A vertical string of lights on one side of belt and a vertical string of sensors on the other side of the belt will give you the height. The duration of the interruption will give you the width.

If you require the depth.......another string of lights.

If the objects on the belt are of the same material.........you can use weight of the object to sort.

If the objects are the same material.......you can horizontally accelerate the objects with a constant force, and the momentum and gravity will sort them.
 

BR-549

Joined Sep 22, 2013
4,928
Wow......as for the conveyor belt....I would not suggest building one. Buy one or have a mechanic build you one.

If you are starting from scratch....you're gonna need lots of help.

As for the function of the separation or sort.........there are many, many mechanical options.

Are there any factories you may visit.......to see how these things are done?
 

djsfantasi

Joined Apr 11, 2010
9,156
Wow! A lot of requirements. Do we get the grade if we answer them all. Perhaps you should tell us the professors name, so we can contact him.

As to your original question, the quoted sensor can detect the height of the objects. You need to code the acquisition of the distance to the sensor.

Then, show us how you would do this and what you would do next in the Arduino.
 

Thread Starter

Ishan Jain

Joined Nov 12, 2016
100
I usually stay off the homework forum, I wouldn't want to contaminate a young mind. And we are not suppose to give answers here.

A vertical string of lights on one side of belt and a vertical string of sensors on the other side of the belt will give you the height. The duration of the interruption will give you the width.

If you require the depth.......another string of lights.

If the objects on the belt are of the same material.........you can use weight of the object to sort.



If the objects are the same material.......you can horizontally accelerate the objects with a constant force, and the momentum and gravity will sort them.


How can I sort them on the basis of weight ? Using a pressure based sensor or force based sensor on the conveyor belt? Also I think it will be easier to use ultrasonic sensor module instead of strings of light and sensor as it would complicate the arrangement as well as programming algorithm
 
Last edited:

Thread Starter

Ishan Jain

Joined Nov 12, 2016
100
Wow......as for the conveyor belt....I would not suggest building one. Buy one or have a mechanic build you one.

If you are starting from scratch....you're gonna need lots of help.

As for the function of the separation or sort.........there are many, many mechanical options.

Are there any factories you may visit.......to see how these things are done?
Absolutely I would not make it, but Is 30 rpm motor sufficient? Also how can I remove the faulty object from the conveyor as it will be in continuous motion. I have not visited specific factories but have seen many videos on youtube.
 
Top