Vibratory orienting and separation of small polygonal parts

Abstract

A program developed for mechanical systems with changing topologies was experimentally validated and was used as an analysis and design tool for motion behaviours of the vibratory parts-orienting system in the dynamic environment. A flat level vibrating bar is proposed as a means of orienting parts. This paper presents the way in such to plan vibratory manipulation strategies that can orient a small rigid polygonal part using the interaction between the part and the vibrating bar without requiring sensing. The planned motion strategies have been experimentally validated to show how the dynamic simulation can be used to find favourable vibration parameters for a given part without knowledge of its initial orientation. The vibratory motion applied to the inclined plane is able to cause mixed parts to be separated more effectively according to the shape or the roughness. This research showed how to plan separation methods based on the analysis results and their effectiveness through simulation tests. © IMechE 2007.