Design and Fabrication of PLC

Based Conveyor System

Ishant Mishra
ishant.2024en1183@kiet.edu

Vishnu Bhagel Abstract— Conveyors play a role, in material handling serving as components in various
vishnu.2024en1179@kiet.edu industries. Belt conveyors chain conveyors and gravity conveyors are some examples. These
conveyor systems not transport objects but also have the ability to stop at predetermined
Swati locations for operations. In this dissertation we focus on designing and manufacturing a table
swati.2024en1146@kiet.edu model of a conveyor that can be programmed to have a number of stations and includes a
relevant control panel. The proposed conveyor is 780mm long and capable of handling objects
Dr. Ruchika Singh with dimensions up to 60 mm. This number of stations may go up to two, three, four, or five
ruchika.singh@kiet.edu units with or without interlocks. To improve input/output operations, we have introduced timers
and counters in the design. The conveyor employs programmable logic controllers. Can be easily
integrated with a palletizer by making minor modifications. The advanced programming features
Department of Electrical &
of PLC including timers, counters and programmable variable inputs greatly reduce the required
Electronics input/output, for operation
Engineering,
Index Terms— Programmable conveyer, Palletizer, Programmable PLC, Material Handling
KIET Group of Institutions,
Delhi-NCR, Ghaziabad, UP,
India

I. INTRODUCTION min method to make inferences and the Center of Gravity

Mechatronics has found a new home in Flexible method for defuzzification. To validate their simulation
Manufacturing Systems (FMS), where it plays a vital role results, experimentation was conducted. Furthermore,
in material handling and robotics. In this dissertation, the Vallance et al (2003) introduced the split-groove kinematic
primary focus is on creating a hands-on demonstration of coupling technique for pallet locating in multi-station
a conveyor system with programmable workstations and assembly systems. Through their research, they found that
the ability to interface with a Palletizer, utilizing split-groove kinematic couplings are more efficient than
advanced see-through technology. The choice of a three-groove couplings, especially when faced with
conveyor system was intentional, as it is a common and geometric constraints. Through these studies, it is
straightforward example that highlights the complex According to Xiaohui Cheng and Jie Wan (2013), implementing
aspects of PLC programming. An additional objective a PLC based conveyor system can significantly increase the
was to design a test bench for undergraduate students that supply speed and energy utilization rate of telescopic belt
would provide them with comprehensive insights into conveyors by up to 150%. The system includes a closed loop
PLC programming. motor control system designed with a frequency converter, which
The decision to choose a PLC as a controller was an regulates the speed of the motor while also controlling the on-off
obvious one, due to various reasons. One of the key power equipment of the conveyor. In another research paper,
factors was its dominant position in the automation Kanmani et al. (2014) highlight the importance of automation
industry, with a market share of over 60%. Naturally, and propose a highly reliable and efficient SCADA and delta
students with experience in PLC programming would series PLC based automation system that operates without any
have a significant advantage in the recruitment process. delay. This system effectively monitors parameters such as belt
Moreover, postgraduate students would have the conveyor tearing, oil level reduction, and conveyor motor
opportunity to further advance and incorporate artificial temperature, ensuring optimal performance.
intelligence in their programming setup. The application II. PROBLEM STATEMENT
also boasts a distinctive feature of being able to interface Our task is to create a demonstration system, for designing and
with a Palletizer - a tool used for organizing objects in a building PLCs. We aim to optimize the input and output of the
precise arrangement during conveyance. This provides a carrier making it as efficient as possible. This involves two
great opportunity for dissertations to showcase the positions, InLoc and OutLoc along, with three associated areas.
integration of independent components for the common The time series required for this system has a length of 1 meter.
goal of efficient material handling. Additionally, the To ensure user operation we will provide a designed control
application offers various significant features that panel with feature buttons that interface with both the palletizer
enhance its usability.. and transportation functionalities. Our main goal is to develop a
In a study by Tsalidis et al. (1998), the phases of belt- conveyor based PLC system that provides control at five stations.
conveyor design were outlined. The authors identified By doing we aim to reduce overall handling time associated with
five crucial steps in the design process: design transporting goods on the carrier.
parameter, design task, design prototype, design state,
and design rule. These key elements play a significant III. LAYOUT OF THE SYSTEM
role in developing a successful product. In another The different components of the conveyor system can be divided
study, Yilrnaz et al (1999) used fuzzy logic to into several categories, including the Pulley Mounting Sub-
synchronize the speed of two conveyor belts by assembly and the Drive and Driven Roller. The end portion of
configuring a PLC unit. The authors utilized the Sum- the assembly is crucial, as it utilizes a flat-shaped pulley to
ensure
Designproper tangency
and Fabrication of in
PLCtheBased
arrangement of the belt drive.
Conveyor System
When designing the belt drive, the diameters of the pulleys
must be carefully calculated and must meet standard values.
The width of the belt directly depends on the width of the
pulley, and in particular on the width of its surface. Based
on their size, the pulleys are mounted on a shaft and
designed to be made of plastic in light duty applications,

Figure 2: Drive roller

A belt wraps around one pulley tied onto the shaft and the
axis of another pulley attaches to a geared motor’s shaft. The
last pulley can turn freely in the direction of the belt, thereby
supporting the system and is called a driver.
Figure 1: Drive roller

To provide solid foundations for mounting brackets

that will enable securing the system’s motor drive safely Figure 3: Motor bracket
as well as the driven rollers and bearings. The system’s
various parts should remain in their respective positions Driven roller clamp: Material: mild steel
under the force of operations. Therefore, these Dimension: 795×75×3mm
components ought to be strong enough and resilient. The
following are the specific designs and specifications of
the mounting brackets used in our conveyors.:
Motor bracket: Material: cast iron
Dimension: 40×118.25×3mm

Figure 4: Motor bracket

A. DC Motor: The conveyor has following specifications:
Total Length : 780 mm
Although this operates like a bidirectional DC
Total Width : 150 mm
motor, it actually only performs in a single direction
Total Height : 200 mm
of operation. A plate with a threaded hole, or more
Driving Motor : SM1 Gearbox D.C. Motor
precisely a grub screw, secures the motor plate into
Proximity Sensor : M18 × 35mm, 5mm sensing distance
its own shaft at the flat surface which fits under the
pulley shaft. The motor only turns it, and its rotation Power Supply : 24 Volt
depends upon the direction of the motor. It is also Maximum Speed : 10 rpm
important to know that while its speed is high, one Weight of conveyor System : 15kg
will need to reduce its RPM in order to increase the
machine’s torque capacity. This is made possible
using an inbuilt gearing system integrated with the
DC motor assembly. Each step of this geared box
has a reduction ratio of 5. In this system, the motor
operates within a voltage range of 12 V to 30 V but
can rotate only in one direction and at a supply
voltage of 24 V. It reacts in accordance with a
signal sent by the control device. Dimensions:
1050x120mm.
B. Sensor Mounting Sub-assembly
The efficient and versatile Inloc and Outloc systems come
equipped with not one, but three inductive proximity
sensors, strategically placed to accurately detect the
presence of objects. With an impressive range of up to
5mm, these sensors use their inductive capabilities to
sense any metallic components that come into their path.
As soon as an object is detected, the sensors quickly
communicate with the controller, triggering it to take Figure 6: Conveyor final assembly
necessary actions. The sensor mounting plates play a
crucial role in maintaining a consistent distance from the
object throughout the conveyor's path. These plates are C. Wiring and Control Panel:
securely fixed onto the Inloc and Outloc systems, as well A control panel is essential for the efficient management and
as three workstations. The PNP NO proximity sensors monitoring of a particular process. It streamlines the process by
used in this system have a remarkable sensing range of up centralizing all the controls in one location and ensuring that they
to 5mm and a length of 35mm. The overall dimensions of are easily accessible. This control panel comprises several
the sensor mounting assembly are 1050mm x 80mm. The components, each with its unique purpose and function. Firstly,
detailed drawings included showcase the manufactured there is a plastic board that serves as the base for the control
parts of the conveyor system, providing a comprehensive panel. It is designed to accommodate all the necessary switches
view of the assembly in its entirety and lamps, and its dimensions are 200×150×50mm. The board
needs to be cut according to specific requirements to ensure
proper mounting of the switches and lamps. Speaking of
switches, there are four types included in the control panel. These
are: 1. The start button - a 1× push to ON (normally open) switch
with a diameter of 18mm. 2. The stop button - a 1× push to OFF
(normally closed) switch with a diameter of 18mm. 3. The
selector switch - a 1× 1Pole switch

Wiring Layout:
Efficient and seamless communication between sensors and
actuators is crucial during the installation of a conveyor.
Proper wiring is a critical aspect of this process, as it ensures
the smooth operation of the system while also optimizing time
and cost. For a better understanding, refer to the simplified
wiring layout depicted in the following figure.

Figure 5: Sensor
monitoring
 Design and Fabrication of PLC Based Conveyor System

A. Selector Switch at Station 2 (Work Station 1)

Once the selector switch is switched to station 2, which
corresponds to workstation 1, the InLoc station will detect the
object and initiate a 5-second timer for the demonstrative loading
process. Once completed, the object will be moved to
workstation 1. If the detection is successful at workstation 1, the
object will bypass stations 3 and 4 and head directly to the
OutLoc station.

Figure 9: Selector switch at station 2 position

Figure 7: conveyor wiring layout

V. PROGRAMMING

Figure 10: Logic Ladder for Work Station 1

B. Selector Switch at Station 3 (Work Station 2)

The object detection at the InLoc station will be turned on when
the selector switch is adjusted to station 3 of workstation 2. It will
then start a 5 seconds count down timmer of the demonstrate
loading process before going through to station 3 disregarding
workshop 1. When the object finds its way to the workstation 2,
it bypasses station 4 and automatically heads to the OutLoc
station.

This dissertation aims to effectively regulate motor

movement at five different stations, encompassing three
intermediary work stations and two essential stations. In this Figure 11: Selector switch at station 3 position
section, the PLC Environment is briefly introduced and its
relevance to the dissertation work is explained. The system
requirements and functionality are also specified. A general
overview of the system's operation and its physical
components are provided. The system's logic is programmed
through ladder diagrams, all of which were created using
Picosoft software. The following figures depict the
algorithm and flow chart that have been implemented in the
system. Figure 12: Logic Ladder for Work Station 2
Figure 8: System flow chart

The following illustrative diagrams provide a comprehensive

explanation of how the system operates when different position
selections are made on the selector switch.
 11 Reserved for Palletizer I:0.0/11
12 Reserved for Palletizer I:0.0/12
C. Selector Switch at Station 4 (Work Station 3) 13 Reserved for Palletizer I:0.0/13
When the selector switch is in station 4 position, also known as 14 Reserved for Palletizer I:0.0/14
the selectionfor workstation 3, the object detection will activate 15 Reserved for Palletizer I:0.0/15
at the InLocstation. 16 Reserved for Palletizer I:0.0/16
This will set a 5-second timer for the demonstrative loading 17 Reserved for Palletizer I:0.0/17
process before moving on to workstation 3. This means that 18 Reserved for Palletizer I:0.0/18
workstations 1 and 2 will be skipped.
Once successful detection is confirmed at workstation 3, the object will be
automatically transported to the OutLoc station without any
delays.
"As soon as we have obtained the physical address, we
can begin our programming process, taking into account any
incorrect addressing. To facilitate the linking of subsystems
such as the conveyor, selected physical blank addresses have
been deliberately reserved, as illustrated in the table below.
Figure 13: Selector switch at station 4 position
For our programming needs, we employ the powerful RS
Logix 500 software, which has the ability to detect logic
failures even while disconnected from the system.".
TABLE II
OUTPUT DEFINITIONS OF SYSTEM
Sr.
Output Description Address
No.
1 Reserved for Palletizer O:0.0/1
2 Reserved for Palletizer O:0.0/2
Figure 14: Logic Ladder for Work Station 3 3 Reserved for Palletizer O:0.0/3
4 Reserved for Palletizer O:0.0/4
5 Reserved for Palletizer O:0.0/5
6 Reserved for Palletizer O:0.0/6
7 Reserved for Palletizer O:0.0/7
8 Motor DC Motor O:0.0/8

VI. CONCLUSION
The dissertation work has yielded crucial findings, including:
Development of a 1 m span conveyor system using
Figure 15: Logic Ladder Common Timer for workstations programmed locations in our laboratory and (a). Now, even
undergraduate as well as postgraduate students can utilize this
D. I/O Definition and Programming system. (b) An essentials-equipped control panel is fitted
The I/O definitions act as a crucial link between the including start-stop selector, reset switch, indicator lamp, and
PLC and the physical setup of the system, facilitating
communication between the system program and the a stop button. Three processing stations, including the InLoc,
inputs, such as switches and sensors, and outputs, OutLoc, and Conveyor are installed. (d) The timer for each
such as actuators. The initial step in this process is intermediate location is programmed to carry out respective
identifying the total number of inputs and outputs work within five seconds. (v) The speed of a conveyor had
required for the system. been tuned in relation to one of a palletizer. By carrying out
TABLE I
Sr No Input INPUT DEFINITIONS OF SYSTEM
Description Address tasks which include systems setup, wiring connections and
programming we have been able to complete our aims. The
1 Start
entire RS Logix 500 logic ladder and sensor inputs have been
Btn Start switch I:0.0/1
well checked for error resolution; thus ensuring system
2 Stop stability. Thereby, the system becomes
Btn Emergency Stop I:0.0/2 VII. FUTURE SCOPE
3 SS 2 Selector S/W Station 2 I:0.0/3
4 SS 3 Selector S/W Station 3 I:0.0/4 The conveyor system is carefully managed by a PLC control
5 SS 4 Selector S/W Station 4 I:0.0/5 system, allowing for efficient loading and unloading at
6 InLoc InLoc Proximity Sensor I:0.0/6 designated stations. This not only provides valuable practical
7 Station 2 Proximity experience with programming and PLC systems, but also
ST-2 Sensor I:0.0/7 introduces the concept of RFID technology. Each conveyor
8 Station 3 Proximity object will be marked with an RFID identifier, allowing the
ST-3 Sensor I:0.0/8 PLC to efficiently store and track each object's location on the
9 Station 4 Proximity
ST-4 Sensor I:0.0/9
10 OutLoc OurLoc Proximity Sensor I:0.0/10
 pallet
Design racks. The objects
and Fabrication of PLCwill beConveyor
Based organized into specific
System
[3] R. Ryan Vallance, Chris Morgan, Alexander H. Slocum,
groups to ensure they are stored in close proximity to their “Precisely positioning pallets in multi-station assembly
counterparts. systems”, Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.0141-6359, 2003.
[4] Xiaohui Cheng and Jie Wan, “Retractable Conveyor Control
VIII. REFERENCES System Design Based on PLC”, published by Advanced
Materials Research Vols 655-657 pp 1332-1336, 2013.
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Design Parameters Space Search for Belt Conveyor Monitoring and Fault Detecting Using PLC and
Design”, Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. Vol. 10, No. SCADA”, Published by IJAREEIE, Vol. 3, Special Issue 4,
6, pp. 617—629, 1998. May 2014.
[2] Serhat Yilrnaz, Bekir Cakir, Adem Gedik and Hasan
Dinqer,”Speed Control of a Conveyor System by Means 6f
Fuzzy Control Aided PLC”, Published by IEEE, 0-7803-
5662-4/99, 1999.