4 Laser-sintered: the flexible polyamide bellows structure … … with the integrated electronics and valve technology in the substructure Uniformly controlled: targeted conveying across the entire layout of the individual modules Intelligent networking of the bellows electronics Each module has an electronic board with an integrated microcontroller. By connecting the boards, the spring contacts on all four sides establish an electrical connection between the boards that distributes both the bus system (CAN bus) and the voltage across the entire system. Integrated control of the individual modules Mounted above the handling system is a camera system that senses the objects on the conveyor. The camera transmits the images to a computer that processes them and actuates the conveyor via software developed specifically for this purpose. In the bellows modules, the microcontroller receives the commands via the CAN bus and forwards them to the valve. The respective bellows structure expands when the valve is switched, which causes the surface to arch at this point. The end result is a control circuit that moves objects on the surface in a targeted manner, enabling it to take over the sorting action in the process. Self-configuration thanks to an enumeration process The project team developed a converter module to enable the entire system to be computer controlled. It is connected to the computer via USB and provides access to the CAN bus for the WaveHandling system. The converter is also the central starting point of the 2D daisy chaining enumeration process. This process enables the layout of the individual bellows modules to be automatically configured and the modules to be assigned unique addresses for identification. Immediately operational in any layout The system detects itself how the individual bellows modules are connected. The computer creates a virtual map of the layout. Once the individual modules have been detected, the conveyor is ready for operation. The time and effort needed for installing the conveyor is reduced since neither an additional handling unit nor a deflector, pusher or air blast device is required for the sorting process.
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