Thread Content
A step-type workpiece conveyor is a material handling machine that can transport workpieces intermittently while maintaining equal spacing between them; such conveyors are widely used in industrial automated production lines. Both domestically and internationally, few people currently use virtual prototype technology to study the characteristics of step-type workpiece conveyors. Conventional methods involve large amounts of computational work and make it difficult to accurately analyze how the speed and acceleration of the conveyor frame change over time. However, by using ADAMS software to model and simulate the conveying mechanism of step-type workpiece conveyors, it is possible to obtain accurate curves showing how the speed and acceleration of the conveyor frame change as the crank angle varies. This paper employs modern mechanical design methods to simplify the research process, resulting in findings that are closer to reality and thus represent an innovative approach. At the starting point of the working stroke, the acceleration of the conveyor frame is high, and the inertial forces generated when the pushing claw comes into contact with the workpiece are significant; this can lead to severe impacts on the workpiece, causing damage to its surface, which not only hinders production but also affects the performance and service life of the entire mechanical system. To address this issue, without altering the original motion scheme of the transmission system, the original crank-rocker-rod-slider mechanism has been replaced with another design. By using a swinging guide rod-guide rod slider mechanism and replacing the linear guide groove in the swinging guide rod with an arc-shaped guide groove, it is possible to achieve short-term pauses at the starting and ending points of the working stroke and the return stroke of the conveyor frame, thereby reducing the impact force exerted by the pushing claws on the workpiece. The mechanical system of a stepping-type workpiece conveyor consists of a transmission system, as well as a workpiece unloading mechanism and a conveying mechanism. The preliminary design for the conveying mechanism of this material conveyor adopts a crank-rocker-rod-slider mechanism to achieve reciprocating linear motion of the conveying frame. The ADAMS software was used to create a virtual prototype model of the conveying mechanism; through kinematic simulation analysis, the velocity and acceleration response curves of the conveying frame were obtained, thereby determining whether the motion scheme was reasonable and allowing for the rapid identification of any issues, so that the scheme could be optimized. An improved version of the conveying mechanism was proposed, utilizing a swinging guide rod with arc-shaped guides together with a rod-slider mechanism. With this design, the conveying frame of the material conveyor carries out reciprocating linear motion with pauses, meeting the operational requirements of the conveyor. During the development of stepping-type workpiece conveyors, using virtual prototypes instead of physical ones enables the early detection of problems in the model, allowing for timely corrections. This not only shortens the development cycle but also significantly improves design efficiency, while also providing a basis for the manufacture of physical prototypes