Effect of orientations of an irregular part in vibratory part feeders

Abstract

Most of the mass production industries use automated system for manufacturing and assembling the parts. The problem arises in the implementation of automated system for handling small irregular shaped parts due to its irrespective nature of orientation. To overcome this problem, industries have used manual orientation method, industrial robots, and vision system, but these methods increase the investment cost and production cost. Linear vibratory feeders are used to handle the irregular shaped parts and the set up in which the feeders use gates (or) obstacles and convert them from any orientation into preferred orientation of the part is known as trap. The preferred orientation of the part is found by using drop test and theoretical method. Trap is designed in such a way that preferred orientation should be the outcome from the feeder. Critical orientations of the part are experimented and analyzed using stability method, centroid solid angle method, and the gate for the trap is designed by the Markov chain analysis. Part motion time plays a major role in automated systems, and hence, it is optimized by experimental investigation and dynamic simulation. This research provides a better understanding of the orientation analysis of rocker arm, which is used for actuating inlet and outlet valves of engine.