Author Topic: Walking Beam Transfer - Sherline Challenge  (Read 6492 times)

Offline Weston Bye

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Walking Beam Transfer - Sherline Challenge
« on: May 17, 2009, 07:58:34 PM »
Sherline posted the results of the 2009 competition.

http://www.sherline.com/names09.htm

Sad to say, they are discontinuing the contest. Seem that there were too few entires.  The 19 entrants was misleading as they canvassed the exhibitors at the NAMES Expo for previously built projects that would fit the criteria.  Very few were built specifically for the contest, as my second place entry was.  In truth, my entry that placed ninth was not specifically built for the competition.

I'm not posting so much to blow my own horn (well, maybe a little) but also to show the other entries in the contest.

My other entries can be found in the 2007 and 2003 Results links lower down in the Sherline website.

I've been busy cranking on a future article, so haven't been able to participate here much, but will eventually bring some more.
« Last Edit: May 17, 2009, 08:03:07 PM by Weston Bye »
Weston Bye
Practitioner of the Electromechanical Arts.
author of The Mechatronist column
Digital Machinist magazine

Offline Darren

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Re: Walking Beam Transfer - Sherline Challenge
« Reply #1 on: May 17, 2009, 08:05:33 PM »
I'm still trying to work out what a walking beam is/does  :scratch:

Well done  :clap: :clap: :clap:

Got a vid of it working?
You will find it a distinct help… if you know and look as if you know what you are doing. (IRS training manual)

Offline Weston Bye

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Re: Walking Beam Transfer - Sherline Challenge
« Reply #2 on: May 17, 2009, 08:24:33 PM »
The WB Transfer is used mostly in automation to move parts from one place or machine operation to another.  Over the years I have been involved in various walking beams, this one bering the smallest, the largest being nearly a hundred feet long, used to move auto body panels from one stamping press to another.  Most used hydraulics or pneumatics to power the lift and transfer motions.  This one used a single cam.

Moving ball bearings is a little bit of overkill as they are usually just rolled from one place to another, but they worked out well for demonstration purposes.

I built a larger version using dual cam followers and the single cam to move individual solenoid coils, carefully oriented, through a video inspection station then on to a chute.  The parts were placed by an operator at the beginning of the transfer, and about half way down, the vision system evaluated 2 solder joints on the coil.  I added a complication in the form of a third cam follower and linkage and solenoid operated release latch that was would tip a defective coil off the walking beam if the vision system detected a defective solder joint.

I have sent videos that will eventually show up on the Digital Machinist website, and the project will be the subject of a future upcoming article.
Weston Bye
Practitioner of the Electromechanical Arts.
author of The Mechatronist column
Digital Machinist magazine