With the rapid advancement of society, the competition in the market has intensified significantly, pushing production enterprises to continuously improve their technologies and enhance efficiency. In industries that require material sorting, manual methods were once commonly used, leading to low productivity, high costs, and weak competitiveness. As a result, most companies have gradually transitioned to automated sorting systems. To address these challenges, a low-cost and highly efficient automatic material sorting device was developed using PLC technology, achieving excellent control performance during the sorting process.
The design of the sorting system includes several key stages. First, when the system is turned on, the programmable logic controller (PLC) initiates the conveyor belt operation. A blanking sensor (SN) checks if there is material in the trough. If no material is detected, the conveyor stops automatically and waits for the next cycle. Once material is present, the lower material sensor (SN) sends a signal to the PLC, which then continues the conveyor's operation while activating the pneumatic valve 5 to unload the material. The time interval between each feeding can be adjusted as needed.
The system uses various sensors for detection. The inductive sensor (SA) identifies iron materials and signals the PLC to open pneumatic valve 1. The capacitive sensor (SB) detects aluminum materials and triggers pneumatic valve 2. The color sensor (SC) identifies specific colors and activates pneumatic valve 3. The spare sensor (SD) is used when the system is set to sort materials based on metal/non-metal or color criteria, with the program remembering the state of each sensor to complete the sorting task.
Functionally, the system must be capable of sorting metal and non-metal materials, identifying color blocks, and separating color blocks from both metal and non-metal materials. It also needs to handle cases where both metal and non-metal color blocks are present.
In terms of control requirements, the system must generate pulses via a photoelectric encoder, drive the conveyor belt, move the blanking cylinder when material is present, activate specific cylinders based on sensor inputs, include limit protection for cylinder movement, stop automatically after a delay when no material is detected, and ensure smooth and safe operation throughout the process.
For the control system, a PLC model Olympus CPU224A+221-1BF22 was selected, meeting the system’s requirement of 18 input points and 6 output points. An I/O allocation table was created to define the connections between the sensors, valves, and the PLC.
In summary, using a PLC-based control system enables continuous and large-scale material sorting with a low error rate and reduced labor intensity, significantly improving productivity. The system can be easily integrated with other logistics equipment, supporting efficient material distribution and information flow management. The modular and standardized design allows for flexible layout, easy maintenance, and adaptability to different sorting tasks with minimal modifications. This makes the system a cost-effective and reliable solution for modern industrial applications.
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