Methods to Eliminate Surging Motion in a Conveyor System Considering Industrial Case Studies

Abstract

Conveyor surging, a phenomenon in which the conveyor repeatedly moves and stops, causes inconvenience to workers and reduces the quality of manufacturing. It is difficult to anticipate the surging motion because it occurs owing to the combination of several causes such as inertia, friction, and motor power. This paper reports on a dynamic simulation of a conveyor system to predict and eliminate the surging motion. The dynamic model of a conveyor system is based on a multimass, spring-damper system to reflect the characteristics of the real conveyor system. The surging motion is considered a stick-slip motion, in which the stick-slip is primarily caused by friction. Stribeck friction is applied to model the stick-slip motion. In the model, lubrication, motor capacity, and polygonal effects are included to simulate the actual surging motion precisely. Based on the model, we analyzed three industrial cases involving surging and nonsurging motions. For the surging cases, we investigate the primary causes of the surging motion and suggest a method to achieve the motion without surging. We expect the model to be useful in designing an improved conveyor belt without surging motion.