Industry 4.0 is gradually penetrating into different industries that are starting to apply this concept intensively. This brings a wide range of options that need to be exploited effectively. The ...list of areas in which Industry 4.0 can find its use is expanding. At present, it can be said that there is practically no area in which this concept could not be applied. For its successful implementation, it is therefore necessary to look for application options and to analyze and explore individual areas. Belt conveyor transport is one of the domains that need to get ready for the implementation of the Industry 4. The implementation of the concept in this industry applies predominantly on the deployment of CPS' Internet of things and Internet of service in the operation of the belt conveyor and, consequently, the entire transport system. This paper presents the issue with a focus on the field of belt conveyor transport.
A prerequisite for continuous transport systems’ operation is their digital transformation, which interprets operating conditions based on the availability of a wide range of data and information in ...the form of measured quantities that can be obtained, for example, by experimental measurement. To implement digital transformation in continuous transport systems, it is necessary to examine and analyze the informative value of individual measured quantities in detail. Research in this area must focus on identifying addressable quantities with a clear, informative value. Such an approach enables the monitoring of continuous transport systems operation and performance of operational diagnostics, the objective of which should be identifying undesirable operating conditions. Within this paper, research will be presented aiming to verify the hypothesis that, based on a measurement of selected parameters, it is possible to identify belt mistracking in a continuous transport system. Belt mistracking is an undesirable condition that can cause a conveyor belt to converge and thus seriously turn off an entire transport system. The research results confirmed the established hypothesis. Based on this, an evaluation algorithm was created for on-time evaluation. The proposed algorithm is also suitable for the needs of a digital twin of a continuous transport system.
Gyroid structures are among the most widely used three-dimensional elements produced by various additive manufacturing technologies. This paper focuses on a metrological analysis of Flexfill 92A ...material specimens with a relative density (25 to 85%) using industrial computer tomography. The results show that for a given structure, the best method is to use surface determination with the closure of internal defects in the material. The analysis implies that the smallest deviations of the specimens' external dimensions were achieved with respect to the CAD model at the highest relative densities. The wall thickness shows the smallest percentage change of 0.5685 at 45% relative density and the largest at 25% and 85% relative density. The nominal-actual comparison of manufactured specimens to the CAD model shows the smallest cumulative deviation of 0.209 mm at 90% and 25% relative density, while it slightly increases with increasing relative density. All produced specimens have a smaller material volume than their theoretical volume value, while the percentage change in volume is up to 8.6%. The surface of specimens is larger compared with the theoretical values and the percentage change reaches up to 25.3%. The percentage of pores in the specimens increases with increasing relative density and reaches 6%. The acquired knowledge will be applied in the framework of research focused on the possibilities of using additive manufacturing to produce a skeleton of rubber-textile conveyor belts. This paper presents initial research on the possibility of replacing the carcass of rubber-textile belts with an additive technology use.
Intra-plant transport systems within their operation directly impact on the performance of production systems. For their effective operation, it is, therefore, necessary to realize evaluation of ...operational performance and effectivity. For the realization of this type of evaluation, in addition to a wide range of sensors that can be difficult for installation and operation, we can also use indirect methods that are equally able to provide reliable operational characteristics. Indirect analytical methods are presented above all by the approach which is based on the use of simulation methods. The method of computer simulation provides a wide range of options for the evaluation of efficiency and performance. The paper describes the use of a simulation model created in the program Tecnomatix Plant Simulation for analyzing the supply of production workplaces within the MilkRun system.
Digital transformation is nowadays one of key areas of industrial practice, which needs to be addressed in connection with further development of Industry 4.0. Its implementation creates ...prerequisites for increasing efficiency of process operations at various corporate levels, including logistics. Business logistics processes represent an important element in the value chain of final products manufacturing and services provision. One of main tasks they ensure is transport and handling processes implementation, which can currently be ensured through many technologies, among which continuous transport systems have a significant place. In the paper, a process of digital transformation focused on conveyor transport will be presented in more detail, while individual parameters and key indicators will be specified. Experimental measurement method is considered as a starting point for digital transformation implementation.
The continuous process industry is an important area of the economy. In addition to its undeniable societal benefits, its operation is associated with several factors that are often perceived ...negatively and have an adverse impact on the environment, noise emissions being one of them. Accordingly, noise emissions have been the subject of numerous studies and always have to be approached in the context of a specific industrial area. In this paper, a case study is presented to illustrate the results of research aimed at reducing noise emissions in the sandy gravel production process. The research identified causes and effects of noise emissions arising from the gravel treatment process. Based on these, practical solutions were subsequently investigated and proposed, and their implementation brought noise emissions below 50 dB. The results obtained during the research can be generalized for further study of the issue and can be used to make general valid recommendations applicable in the continuous process industry.
•Failure analysis of conveyor belt using virtual reality (VR).•Verification of VR application in failure analysis.•Proposal of procedure for data import from scanned damage in VR surroundings.
...Failure analysis of conveyor belts is realised using a wide range of the scientific methods. Visualisation of damage plays a very important role in performing of the given failure analysis. Development of the exponential technologies offer a possibility to apply the damage visualisation for analysis of failures in the area of rubber-textile conveyor belts. Virtual reality enables to create an immersive display, what can be very beneficial in the process of failure analysis. The basic idea of this article is to verify whether application of the virtual reality is suitable for purposes of the failure analysis concerning the rubber-textile conveyor belts. Application possibility of the virtual reality will be investigated and presented on example of the failure analysis for a test specimen selected from the damaged conveyor belt. The main task of this analysis is to discover a damage in the conveyor belt specimen, to evaluate this damage and to analyse the damage status of the individual layers creating internal structure of the conveyor belt. At the same time, there is presented in this article a methodology how to realise the failure analysis using a support of the virtual reality. Till now, there is not known any scientific-research work focused on the failure analysis of the conveyor belts, which would be based on the virtual reality. This article emphasizes application possibilities of the virtual reality within the given research area.
Nowadays, virtual reality enters engineering work. It is widely used in various sectors. It brings new possibilities that result is increasing of productivity and reliability of production, quality ...of products and processes. One of the areas where virtual reality has been used more and more is logistics. Virtual reality and especially augmented reality offer above all in the area of logistics a perspective related with increasing of effectiveness of processes.Wide possibilities for virtual reality use in logistics can be found in the automotive industry. The paper describes an application of the method of video-mapping in storage logistics. The paper also describes its practical use as a tool for increasing the efficiency of logistics processes, which was presented by a reduction of the processing time of the shipment picking by 10%. The paper also points out the possibilities for applying this method in other industrial areas, it is possible to use the experience gained in automotive and described in this paper.
The efficiency and effectiveness of the production system are influenced by the logistical arrangement of material flows. The smooth production, especially for assembly lines in the required quantity ...and at the required time (JIT or JIS systems), is currently ensured by automatically controlled towing sets (logistics trains), which consist of a tractor and several trucks. Another factor that affects the smooth production of assembly lines is the system of controlling the circulation of transport units. The number of transport units used in combination with the transport system significantly affects the efficiency of assembly workplaces. This article presents an analysis of the supply of assembly workplaces using a system of two shuttle boxes. The aim of this article is to investigate the influence of transport speed and capacity on the smoothness of the assembly process. Within the described analysis, the transport of 50,000 components is analyzed using a simulation model, while the length of the transport route is 32 km and 65 transport units per shift are used.
Lattice and gyroid structures are often subjected to additive technologies to produce various types of products, and the current market has a number of 3D printers that can be used for their ...production. The quality of the products produced in this way can be assessed on the basis of technical parameters and the filament used. Such an approach, however, is insufficient. In terms of quality, other product parameters need to be assessed, such as the surface texture and the internal structure’s porosity. For such an assessment, we can use the industrial tomography method and the method of roughness measurement via an optical microscope. The paper presents research on the assessment of the surface texture and porosity in lattice and gyroid structures. For the research, two types of test specimens—a specimen with a lattice structure and a specimen with a gyroid structure—were prepared. The obtained results proved that the 3D printing technology directly impacted the surface texture and porosity. For experimental specimens produced by SLS technology, we found that it was very important to carefully remove the excess powder, as unremoved powder can significantly affect the porosity results. For specimens produced by FDM technology, the research confirmed that some “gaps” between the layers were not pores but defects created during specimen production. When analyzing the surface using the Alicon Infinite G5 optical microscope, we found that the measured roughness results were directly impacted by the specimen’s surface color, the structure’s geometry, and the ambient light, which was confirmed by a red lattice experimental specimen, the surface of which could not be scanned. Based on the above, it can be stated that the selection of 3D technology for additive production needs must be given adequate attention regarding the quality of the created structures and textures.
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