Intelligent Material Handling
NG Casting Sorting Conveyor
A 2D-code reader and sorting shuttle send good castings downstream and NG castings to recycle, hands-free.
CLIENT
INDUSTRY
SOLUTION
DURATION
The Challenge
Castings coming off the gate cut process included NG parts that had to be pulled out before the next operation. Sorting was done by people: a team member had to identify each NG casting and physically move it aside, a heavy, repetitive job that depended on attention and left room for an NG part to slip downstream. The plant needed every casting identified and sorted automatically, with only good parts continuing on and NG castings collected for recycle.
Key Requirements
- Receive castings from the gate cut process
- Read each casting’s 2D matrix code
- Sort NG castings out for recycle automatically
- Send only good castings downstream
- Remove the need for manual sorting
- Guard all moving parts
The ICR Solution
ICR designed and built a custom casting sorting conveyor that receives castings from the gate cut process. A Cognex DataMan 2D code reader reads every casting, and the PLC decides good or NG. The sorting mechanism is a pneumatic shuttle: an SMC cylinder drives a slide conveyor on precision linear shafts and bearings, lining up with one of two exit conveyors. One conveyor carries good castings on to the next process; the other carries NG castings out for recycle. Both lanes run on motor-driven rollers (MDR) with Keyence laser sensors tracking each part, and ICR-fabricated mesh and plate guards enclose the shuttle, chain and cylinder.
Equipment & Technology
- Cognex DataMan 282 2D code reader
- Pneumatic sorting shuttle (SMC 40 mm cylinder, linear shafts and bearings)
- Good and NG exit conveyors on motor-driven rollers (28 drive motors)
- Keyence LR-Z laser sensors
- PLC remote I/O and control panel
- ICR-fabricated mesh guards, chain and cylinder guards, chutes
Scope of Work
- Up-Front Engineering
- Mechanical Design
- Fabrication
- Controls Design
- Panel Build
- Vision Integration
- PLC Programming
- Installation
- Commissioning
Results
Every casting is now identified by its 2D code and sorted automatically. Only good parts continue to the next process, NG castings go straight to recycle, and no team member has to pick through parts or lift heavy castings to sort them. The line runs 24/7 without a sorting station, and NG parts can no longer slip downstream by mistake.