ABSTRACT
Classifying objects is an essential operation used in various areas of everyday life for the sake of convenience. Until a few years ago, classification was mainly performed manually and based on human judgments. The classification system is a more practical and economical automation method. The main purpose of the grading system is to save labor and improve product quality and efficiency. In the current scenario, most classification systems employ criteria such as color, dimensions, type of material, etc.
environmental sensitivity, high cost and complexity, respectively. The classification system proposed in this article uses weight as the classification criterion. The manufactured machine aims to utilize mechanical and electronic components for their mutual coordination. The load cell arrangement has a prominent position in the system. This classification system presents an accurate, reliable, consistent and quantitative classification based on the weight of objects.
INTRODUCTION
Sorting is a process of organizing items systematically. This process must be carried out in various fields of daily life. Nowadays there is a demand from consumers for product quality. In the food industry producing French fries, new batches are screened to ensure the quality of the raw material used in the subsequent process. Sorting parameters can be size, color, weight, etc. Among them, weight is something we cannot predict or calculate by visual inspection alone, unlike other parameters. The proposed system can be effective in
situations where object weight is the design metric to classify. In courier companies, fees are charged depending on the weight of the package, there is a need to classify packages based on weight. The proposed model suggests advances in existing methods to increase efficiency and reduce classification time. The model can reduce the monotonous work required to classify agricultural products in markets with additional advantages such as greater accuracy and elimination of human errors.
Construction
The proposed model mainly consists of mechanical components such as a conveyor belt, DC motors, rollers coupled with electronic components such as load cell, microcontroller, circuit board and display. Of the two DC motors, one is used to rotate the input roller and the other drives the collection bucket. As shown in the figure, the belt is mounted on the rollers and the load cell is fitted under the top layer of the belt with the help of metal strips. The electronic circuit board works together with the load cell unit and is mounted on the base to guide both motors to
rotation. At the end of the conveyor there is a cylindrical bucket with three compartments, each representing a certain weight range. The Bucket is a rotating component driven by a DC motor whose rotation is controlled by the microcontroller
Design and manufacture of automatic weight sorting machineMETHODOLOGY
When an object is placed on the conveyor belt, it is detected by the load cell which then generates an analog output. The output voltage of the load cell, which is analog, is proportional to the weight of the object. The analog output is converted into a digital signal by an AD converter, before being sent to the Arduino microcontroller. The Arduino then drives the input DC motor (motor 1) which drives the roller and finally the conveyor belt. The measured weight is displayed on an LCD provided on the base. Based on the weight of the object, the Arduino
provides a signal to the stepper motor (motor 2) that results in rotation through the desired number of steps. This causes the object to be collected in the appropriate section of the collection bucket.
Model parts
Machine bed: It is made of mild steel with dimensions 760x400mm. Supports for load cell, conveyor belt and roller are welded to the bed. Furthermore, all electronic components are supported on the bed. The MS support strips are 250 mm high. The length of the conveyor belt is 128 cm
Conveyor Belt: Conveyor belt is mounted on the rollers. The conveyor belt system transports the objects to the collection bucket and the object falls into the appropriate section.
Load cell: The load cell is a mechatronic component that generates an analog output proportional to weight. The load cell used in this machine has a maximum capacity of 6 kg. The load cell is mounted just below the conveyor belt with the help of metal strips.
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