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22-05-2018 | Production + Production Technology | News | Article

Conveyor with Silicone Muscles

Author: Nadine Winkelmann

1:30 min reading time

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Researchers have developed an energy-saving conveyor technology that individually adapts to the conveyed goods according to size, weight and desired speed: silicone muscles under the conveyor.

Vibrating or oscillating conveyors are used whenever many small items such as tablets, screws, electrical components or gummy bears have to be transported from point A to point B in a factory. Conventional conveyor lines throw the conveyed goods forwards using an imbalanced rotary motor, or they make use of the bulk goods' inertia by propelling them onward in oscillating movements. Until now, such systems have always vibrated or oscillated at a uniform rate. The new conveyor technology, which was developed by Stefan Seelecke and his research team at the Department of Intelligent Material Systems at Saarland University and at the Center for Mechatronics and Automation Technology, adapts itself as required to the size, weight and particularities of the conveyed goods.

The researchers use silicone muscles for this purpose. "We print an electrically conducting layer onto each side of the silicone film. This allows us to apply an electric voltage to the film. When the silicone polymer is prepared in this way, we refer to it as an ‘electro-active polymer’ or, more specifically, as a 'dielectric elastomer'", explains Professor Stefan Seelecke. When the researchers vary the electrical voltage, electrostatic attraction forces push the film together and cause it to expand upwards. Components comprising three such silicone muscles each are distributed at intervals under the conveyor. "If we apply 1,800 volts, the amplitude of the stroke, and thus the distance the goods are pitched forward, is significantly larger than that achievable with the conveyor systems currently available. The frequency and amplitude ranges we can access are also greater. And these components are lightweight, cheap to produce and only require low levels of power", says doctoral research student Steffen Hau, who helped to develop this conveyor.

The researchers can control the silicone muscles individually, and vary the frequency and oscillations as required: from high-frequency vibration to forceful high-acceleration bumping over a large stroke to adapt the conveyor to the size and weight of the respective bulk goods. The muscles also act as sensors and can recognise the weight of the transported items. This allows the same conveyor to transport different goods in direct succession without requiring intervening modification.

 

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