A Study on the Motion of Micro-Parts on a Saw-Tooth Surface by the PTV Method

Abstract

This study investigates the motion of micro-parts of different sizes on a symmetrically vibratory feeder system that consists of a saw-tooth surface made of carbide, brass, and zirconia. The velocity and position of micro-parts are time-dependently measured by the particle tracking velocimetry method. We investigate the micro-parts motion for a range of frequencies applied to the surface. The obtained results show that unidirectional motion can be attained by the present feeder system regardless of the surface material and the micro-part size. The motion behavior of micro-parts varies for different experiments and surfaces in spite of the same driving voltage and frequency. This implies that the motion of micro-parts is affected by uncertainties in the system. The micro-part motion consists of numerous frequencies, and the first frequency coincided with the exciting frequency. The results also show that the carbide saw-tooth surface produces the largest micro-part velocity among the three surface materials. Comparing relationship between feeding velocity and velocity spectrum clarifies that the micro-part moves faster when spectrum was clear. The experiments on the carbide surface indicate that the micro-part moves smoothly and a large velocity is observed within 50-70 Hz of driven frequency.