Automatic Conveyor System

Abstract

In this project we will make a mechanical set up of conveyer which

will do movement according to the object placed on the belt. If
object is detected on the belt, belt will automatic get start. After
dumping of object it will get stop automatically. It is an energy
saving concept for conveyer system.

In this project we will use an IR Sensor to detect object, and once

object detected, relay will get trip to operate and conveyor will
start. After dumping of object conveyor will stop itself.

INTRODUCTION
Project Background
Belt Conveyor Systems, in this thesis referred to as BCS, have been

used worldwide for conveying passengers, general cargo and bulk

cargo for about 250 years (Hetzel and Albright,1941). BCS play an

important role in continuous bulk material transport in the mining

industry, on bulk terminals, in cement plants, power plants,

chemical production, and so on. Compared to other transportation

modes often used for the transportation of bulk solid materials,

such as trains or trucks, BCS are the most encouraged means to

transport large volumes rapidly and efficiently through production

processes in areas where roads and railway infrastructures do not

exist or are under-developed. Over the past decades the

development of BCS design technologies has enabled the

realization of longer, faster and more efficient BCS with higher

capacity and less environmental impact (Lodewijks, 2001). The

application of BCS has become widespread not only for in-plant but

also for overland transportation.

Figure 1.1 Conventional troughed belt conveyor

One typical layout of BCS is the conventional troughed belt

conveyor (Figure 1.1 and Figure 1.2). The length of a belt in such a

system may vary from 10 m to 20,000 m. The velocity can reach up

to 9 m/s and the width can vary from about 0.3 m to 3.2 m. Today’s

the highest capable belt conveyors carry up to 40,000 tons/hour of

lignite at the RWE lignite mines in Germany (Küsel, 2004). A

troughed belt conveyor normally consists of an endless rubber belt

reinforced in the warp or longitudinal direction by a polyester or

nylon fabric or steel cords. The belt is supported along its length by
rotating idler rolls and suspended between pulleys at either end. A

drive pulley is powered to rotate the belt and move the materials

on the belt forward. A tensioning device, also called a take-up,

applies pre-tension on the belt to limit belt sag and to allow drive

power transmission (Figure 1.3). The belt can be stopped by means

of an operational stop utilizing the motors or an emergency stop

utilizing brakes if the BCS has brakes.

Figure 1.2 Cross section of troughed belt conveyor

Figure 1.3 Belt conveyor Assembly

Figure 1.3 shows the principle assembly of the system of a belt

conveyor. The configuration and applied components of the system

can vary based on design requirements. Taking the assembled

elements into account, a belt conveyor can be considered as a

system that consists of a number of components. Such a system is

as reliable as the combined reliability of its components. The

malfunction of one of the components may lead to expensive

downtime if it causes a total shutdown of the system. The

downtime of one of the conveyors in a sequential conveying system

may result in a stop of the production process. Increasing the

reliability of the components of a BCS, and therefore of the BCS

itself, is a direct way to minimize system downtime and to reduce

the cost of downtime for the companies using belt conveyors. Since

a BCS cannot be designed to be 100% reliable and the reliability of

BCS components decreases with aging and when wear occurs,

proper maintenance techniques are required to maintain the

reliability of the various components and the system.

Traditionally, companies using belt conveyors carry out BCS

inspections, which are followed by necessary maintenance

activities such as replacement or reparation of components. This is

done to ensure that the reliability of their system is maintained.

Today, however, satisfactory decisions for operational and

maintenance activities are based on inspection results and can only

properly be made if the personnel carrying out the inspection and

maintenance activities are well-trained and have stayed on the

specific area of BCS for a considerable time. Moreover, today’s BCS

inspection only focuses on the technical condition or the health of

special BCS component(s) such as the drives and transfer stations.

The overall status of BCS can not be assessed if there is no

integrated information derived from the inspection of different BCS

components. Since the 1970’s, condition monitoring has been

employed in BCS operational control to help the inspection

personnel to gather desired information and to understand the

performance of BCS. Condition Monitoring, which is referred to as

CM, is the continuous or periodic measurement and interpretation

of data to indicate the condition of an item to determine the need

for maintenance (Leaney and Sharpe, 1999). CM in the area of BCS

deals with the acquisition of data from human inspectors and

sensors and with taking corrective actions on BCS components that

are to fail. However, CM still relies on considerable human effort

and domain knowledge because CM does not have “the capacity to

profit from experience to go beyond (Zimbardo 1992)” and does

not have “the ability to gain and apply knowledge and skills

(Soanes et al., 2001)”. To overcome operational problems caused

by the lack of knowledge and experience of maintenance

personnel, the industry using belt conveyors requires advanced

intelligent monitoring and operational control systems to

simultaneously monitor as many BCS components as possible in

order to represent the entire BCS technical and operational status.

Intelligence here can be defined as the ability to integrate and

interpret the information gathered through sensors in BCS and

further to make maintenance and operational decisions based on

the overall status of BCS.

Belt Conveyors are used in self-unloading bulk freighters and in live

bottom trucks. Conveyor technology is also used in
conveyor transport such as moving sidewalks or, escalators as well
as on many manufacturing assembly lines. Stores often have
conveyor belts at the check-out counter to move shopping items.
Ski areas also use conveyor belts to transport skiers up the hill. A
wide variety of related conveying machines are available, different
as regards principle of operation, means and direction of
conveyance, including vibrating screw conveyors, pneumatic
conveyors, the moving floor system, which uses reciprocating slats
to move cargo, and roller conveyor system, which uses a series
of powered rollers to convey boxes or pallets. Conveyors are used
as components in automated distribution and warehousing. In
combination with computer controlled pallet handling equipment
this allows for more efficient retail, wholesale, and manufacturing
distribution. It is considered a labor saving system that allows large
volumes to move rapidly through a process, allowing companies to
ship or receive higher volumes with smaller storage space and with
less labor expense. Rubber Conveyor Belts are commonly used to
convey items with irregular bottom surfaces, small items that
would fall in between rollers (e.g. a sushi conveyor bar), or bags
of product that would sag between rollers. Belt conveyors are
generally fairly similar inconstruction consisting of a metal frame
with rollers at either end of a flat metal bed.The rollers allow
weight to be conveyed as they reduce the amount of friction
generated from the heavier loading on the belting. Belt conveyors
can now be manufactured with curved sections which use tapered
rollers and curved belting toconvey products around a corner.
These conveyor systemsare commonly used in postal sorting offices
and airport baggage handling systems. Belt conveyors are the most
commonly used powered conveyors because they are the most
versatile and the least expensive. Product is conveyed directly on
the belt so both regular and irregular shaped objects, large
or small, light and heavy, can
bet r a n s p o r t e d s u c c e s s f u l l y . T h e s e c o n v e y o r s s h o u l d u
s e o n l y t h e h i g h e s t q u a l i t y premium belting products,
which reduces belt stretch and results in less maintenance for
tension adjustments. Belt conveyors can be used to transport
product in a straight line or through changes in elevation or
direction. In certain applications they can also be used for static
accumulation or cartons.2

This whole system is operated by motion sensor, motor and

circuit design in
our project we use motion sensor to sense the material at which p
osition and it gives the signal towards
the controller .The EMBEDDED SYSTEM of our project depends on
the number of input output module and analog signal .We select
embedded system in our project, because Programmable Logic
Controller, popularly known as embedded system
is a tool. It is theimagination that limits it's scope.Currently it is
abundantly used in process control and machine control.
Withi n c r e a s e d a p p l i c a t i o n s p r i c e s s h a l l c o m e d o
w n a n d t h a t w i l l f u r t h e r b o o s t i t ' s application.EMBE
DDED SYSTEM basically a low current device so usually
electronic faculty peoplecan handle it or design the
EMBEDDED SYSTEM, but coming to application, i.e. sales
and
marketing,m o s t l y i t i s u s e s i n h i g h e l e c t r i c n e t w o r
k s y s t e m , s o a e l e c t r i c a l k n o w l e d g e i s essential.T h e
EMBEDDED SYSTEM
is user friendly digitally, operating electronic device
t h a t u s e s programmable memory for internal storage of instructi
on that implement specificfunction, such as logic sequence,
timing, counting to control machine and process.The
EMBEDDED SYSTEM signal can be use for start and stop
motor .Therefore we use here dcmotor that operated at
12(v)/24(v) DC supply .The voltage depend upon speed
require for the process .This conventional method of conveyor
control is further mobilized by use of dimmers. They
were better option in the case of on off control they
can beoperated in full load condition also. But the main
problem with them is stoppage of conveyors . the pneumatic
stoppers were used which did not stop the belts completely but
use to stop materials on it. This leads to wear and tear of
the belts as well
as the product also the rejection ratio is increased.Computerized co
nveyor belt system isused. In this the control of these belts is
achieved by the use of the pc interface and embedded
system based. These lead to better option of conveyor control in to
day’s industrialenvironment. It is very difficult for those to
maintain them at constant or throughvariable
speeds .Recently single shop conveyor belt systems are modified to
becomemultiple type i.e instead of single conveyor multiple
conveyors are used in
series, parallel and speed is controlled using remote monitoring. Al
so the recent trend is3

emerging towards controlling the speed of these conveyors

by the use of computer technology. Conveyors are used in a
broad range of industries and applications tom o v e
packaged goods, assemblies, process byproducts, or
any material from
o n e place to another. A process designer will typically look for opp
ortunities to use theforce of gravity to accomplish product
movement. Electric motors are commonly usedwhen gravity cannot
be employed or when the speed of a gravitational fall needs to
becontrolled.Airports, mines, cement plants, distribution facilities,
assembly, and food processing plants all utilize conveyors.
Conveyors are typically constant torque loads, meaningthe
required torque to drive a conveyor is independent of speed. A
fixed amount of torque is also required to overcome the frictional,
or machine drag, portion of the totalload. Conveyors can have
nominal amounts of friction and machine inertia for whichto
 compensate. Material flowing over the belt may be weighed in
transit using a belt weigher .

Components USED

IR SENSORS

DEFINITION

IR stands for “Infra Red”. Infrared detectors/sensors are transducers

of radiant energy.IR Sensor is a sensor that sends and detects IR
Radiation/Signals. Infrared radiation is the portion of electromagnetic
spectrum having wavelengths longer than visible light wavelengths, but
smaller than microwaves, i.e., the region roughly from 0.75µm to 1000
µm is the infrared region. Infrared waves are invisible to human eyes. The
wavelength region of 0.75µm to 3 µm is called near infrared, the region
from 3 µm to 6 µm is called mid infrared and the region higher than 6 µm
is called far infrared. (The demarcations are not rigid; regions are defined
differently by many).

 “Visible”: 0.3 – 1.0 μm;

 Near-IR: 1.0 – 5.2 μm;
 Mid-IR : 8 – 25 μm;
 Far-IR: 25 – 1000 μm; airborne, space

TYPES OF IR SENSORS:

1. Active IR Sensors:
Active IR Sensors are the type of IR Sensors that employs an IR source
& IR detectors (emitter & receiver). They operate by transmitting energy
from either a light emitting diode (LED) or a laser diode. A phototransistor
is used as an active IR detector. In these types of IR sensors, the LED or
laser diode illuminates the target, and the reflected energy is focused
onto a detector. Photoelectric cells, Photodiode or phototransistors are
generally used as detectors. The measured data is then processed using
various signal-processing algorithms to extract the desired information.
Active IR detectors provide count, presence, speed, and occupancy
data in both night and day operation.
2. Passive IR Sensors:
These are basically IR detectors; they don’t use any IR source. These
form the major class of IR sensors/detectors.
A passive infrared system detects energy emitted by objects in the
field of view and may use signal-processing algorithms to extract the
desired information. It does not emit any energy of its own for the
purposes of detection. Passive infrared systems can detect presence,
occupancy, and count.

Type of IR Sensor required in the project

Active IR Sensors- Reflectance Sensors
This type of sensors house both an IR source and an IR detector in a
single housing in such a way that light from emitter LED bounces off an
external object and is reflected into a detector. Amount of light reflected
into the detector depends upon the reflectivity of the surface.

This principle is used in intrusion detection, object detection

(measure the presence of an object in the sensor’s FOV), barcode
decoding, and surface feature detection (detecting features painted,
taped, or otherwise marked onto the floor), wall tracking (detecting
distance from the wall), etc.
It can also be used to scan a defined area; the transmitter emits a
beam of light into the scan zone, the reflected light is used to detect a
change in the reflected light thereby scanning the desired zone.
It consist of a pair of IR sensors –
-Transmitter
- Receiver
The transmitter transmits the IR signals & the receiver receives the ir
signal.
 IR TRANSMITTER

IR RECEIVER
Transmitter:
 Transmitter = LED (Light Emitting Diode)

 It is similar to normal LEDs but emit infra-red light its glow can be seen
with a digital camera or mobile phone camera.
Receiver:
 Receiver = Photodiode/IR Transistor.

 A photodiode is a diode that conducts only when light falls on it

WORKING PRINCIPLE
CONNECTIONS
APPLICATIONS:

 Robotics – Line follower, Obstacle detector, Edge detector

 Vehicle crash detection
 Speed measurement of motors
 Space expeditions applications
 Military Applications
 General uses as in Shop Door sensor, Anti-theft alarm, Appliance
control system

RELAY

A relay is an electrically operated switch. Current flowing through the coil of

the relay creates a magnetic field which attracts a lever and changes the switch
contacts. The coil current can be on or off so relays have two switch positions
and they are double throw (changeover) switches.

Relays allow one circuit to switch a second circuit which can be completely
separate from the first. For example a low voltage battery circuit can use a relay
to switch a 230V AC mains circuit. There is no electrical connection inside the
relay between the two circuits; the link is magnetic and mechanical.

The coil of a relay passes a relatively large current, typically 30mA for a 12V
relay, but it can be as much as 100mA for relays designed to operate from lower
voltages. Most ICs (chips) cannot provide this current and a transistor is usually
used to amplify the small IC current to the larger value required for the relay
coil. The maximum output current for the popular 555 timer IC is 200mA so
these devices can supply relay coils directly without amplification.

Relays are usually SPDT or DPDT but they can have many more sets of switch
contacts, for example relays with 4 sets of changeover contacts are readily
available. For further information about switch contacts and the terms used to
describe them please see the page on switches.

Most relays are designed for PCB mounting but you can solder wires directly to
the pins providing you take care to avoid melting the plastic case of the relay.

The supplier's catalogue should show you the relay's connections. The coil will
be obvious and it may be connected either way round. Relay coils produce brief
high voltage 'spikes' when they are switched off and this can destroy transistors
and ICs in the circuit. To prevent damage you must connect a protection diode
across the relay coil.

The animated picture shows a working relay with its coil and switch contacts.
You can see a lever on the left being attracted by magnetism when the coil is
switched on. This lever moves the switch contacts. There is one set of contacts
(SPDT) in the foreground and another behind them, making the relay DPDT.

The relay's switch connections are usually labeled COM, NC and NO:

COM = Common, always connect to this, it is the moving part of the

switch.
  NC = Normally Closed, COM is connected to this when the relay coil is
off.
 NO = Normally Open, COM is connected to this when the relay coil is
on.
 Connect to COM and NO if you want the switched circuit to be on when the
relay coil is on.
 Connect to COM and NC if you want the switched circuit to be on when the
relay coil is off.

Protection diodes for relays

Transistors and ICs must be protected from the brief high voltage produced
when a relay coil is switched off. The diagram shows how a signal diode (e.g.
1N4148) is connected 'backwards' across the relay coil to provide this
protection.
Current flowing through a relay coil creates a magnetic field which collapses
suddenly when the current is switched off. The sudden collapse of the magnetic
field induces a brief high voltage across the relay coil which is very likely to
damage transistors and ICs. The protection diode allows the induced voltage to
drive a brief current through the coil (and diode) so the magnetic field dies away

quickly rather than instantly. This prevents the induced voltage becoming high
enough to cause damage to transistors and ICs.
Relays and transistors compared

Like relays, transistors can be used as an electrically operated switch. For

switching small DC currents (< 1A) at low voltage they are usually a better
choice than a relay. However transistors cannot switch AC or high voltages
(such as mains electricity) and they are not usually a good choice for switching
large currents (> 5A). In these cases a relay will be needed, but note that a low
power transistor may still be needed to switch the current for the relay's coil!
The main advantages and disadvantages of relays are listed below:

Advantages of relays:

 Relays can switch AC and DC, transistors can only switch DC.
 Relays can switch high voltages, transistors cannot.
 Relays are a better choice for switching large currents (> 5A).
 Relays can switch many contacts at once.

Disadvantages of relays:

 Relays are bulkier than transistors for switching small currents.

 Relays cannot switch rapidly (except reed relays), transistors can switch
many times per second.
 Relays use more power due to the current flowing through their coil.
 Relays require more current than many ICs can provide, so a low power
transistor may be needed to switch the current for the relay's coil.

Advantage:

 Energy Saving Concept

 Solar Energy Compatible
  Hybrid System for both solar and grid

Limitation: Grid Dependency

Diagram:

Conclusion & Future Scope:

It can be developed as automated. Whenever an object will be placed on its

belt, it will start moving. It can be done by using sensor and controller.
Refrences: .Automatic control system of UTS at the rushing plant.
http://www.omron.com.ua/iIntroduction/sistemaavtomaticheskogo-
upravleniya-cptr-drobilnojj-fabriki

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automation in ore mines and quarries, Izvestiyavuzov. Journal of Mining
Science, №12,pp.117-128.

3. Kolesnik V.V., Korobtsov A.A., 1993. Continuous flow process technology,

as automatic control object,Automatic adaptive control systems, №1, pp.
70-77.

4. Golubenko A., Marchenko D., 2008.: Features of diagrams of phases and

anomaly of structures of dynamic systems during degradation of their
properties.TEKA Commission of motorization and PowerIndustry in
Agriculture, №8, V.III, pp. 77-81.

5. RapoportE.Ya., 2003.: Structural Modeling of Distributed-Parameter

Objects and Control Systems,VysshayaShkola, Moscow, 299p.

6. Volotkovsky V.S., 1976.: Application and wearing of conveyor belt on

long-haul installations, Treatise of Institute of Mining Engineering: Ministry
of Iron and Steel Industry SSSR, Publ. 50, Sverlovsk, pp.70-76.