This is a flexible manufacturing system trainer. The purpose of the system is to sort out the wooden pieces and metal pieces, which are moving on a conveyor belt by a program. In order to facilitate this, the following are built into the system. They are

a) There are two 12 inch conveyor belts. Each belt moves in the opposite direction of the other belt.
b) Two programmable pneumatic pistons with 5 inch travel.
c) Optical source to detect either metal or wooden moving parts on the conveyor belt when the light beam is cut.
d) A metal detector transducer to detect the metal part moving on the conveyor belt.
e) An external compressed air at 5Kg/cm2 is required to activate the pistons.

In order to accomplish this task, the flexible manufacturing system is used. For that we need belt conveyor, which is driven by a motor in which the metal and wooden piece move. In order to sort out the metal piece we need a PROXIMITY transducer & OPTICAL transducer and piston to push the pieces for further rotation. Piston is basically a pneumatic one, for which we need a compressor to actuate the piston, to move the test piece forward for further rotation.

Principle of Operation: -

The test pieces (both metal & wooden) will move through belt conveyor driven by a motor in the system. First the test piece will pass through the OPTICAL transducer basic principle of transducer is whenever light from the source is obstructed by any object it goes to high state. If any test piece obstructs the light path to transducer from the source it gives signal to piston & piston will move the test piece for further rotation

Once moved on to the other belt it will reach the PROXIMITY transducer. Transducer will differentiate the metal piece from the other pieces. Range of detection is about (0 - 5) mm. If it is above the range transducer will not detect metal parts.

NOTE: This can be used with PLC trainer also. This trainer provides very good scope to understand how automation process can be designed.