This ITT-Tech student conveyor project moves products from three locations and sorts and delivers those products to three separate locations based on color codes.

To move the items, we use a main conveyor with two infeed and two outfeed conveyors attached to it. The two infeed conveyors transfer cargo to the main conveyor as long as cargo in not coming along on the main. If an item is sensed within 100ms of the infeed point then the infeed conveyors are delayed for 200ms or until the photo switch clears.

The two outfeed conveyors remain off until activated by a color sensing photo eye that is programmed to detect 3 colors. When the appropriate color is detected the corresponding conveyor is turned on, and a pneumatic cylinder pushes the item from the main conveyor onto the desired outfeed conveyor. The outfeed conveyor runs until it is deactivated by a discharge photo eye. The discharge photo eye’s purpose is to determine if an item was successfully discharged and  starts a time-out and shutdown sequence. If, during this shutdown period,  another item needs to be transferred to that conveyor, the shutdown sequence is reset.

Graphical Representation of Conveyor on C-more HMI

This system is controlled by a CLICK PLC and C-MORE HMI touch panel from Automation Direct, and PUSH BUTTONS. The photo-eyes are used to give the locations of the items are from Banner and the three color photo sensor is from IDEC. All photo eyes used in this project are PNP. The outputs on the PLC are relay type.

Here is a short video of the infeed section in action.

Filed under: Projects