The Reliable Design and Implementation of an Automatic Glass Furnace Feeding Robot for the SME Glass Industry

Jianjun Yuan; Weijun Zhang; Qiang Li

doi:10.20965/ijat.2012.p0053

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IJAT Vol.6 No.1 pp. 53-59

doi: 10.20965/ijat.2012.p0053

(2012)

Paper:

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The Reliable Design and Implementation of an Automatic Glass Furnace Feeding Robot for the SME Glass Industry

Jianjun Yuan, Weijun Zhang, and Qiang Li

Robotics Institute, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No.800, Dong Chuan Road, Min Hang District, Shanghai 200240, China

Received:

September 5, 2011

Accepted:

November 26, 2011

Published:

January 5, 2012

Keywords:

reliability design, redundant control system, motion control, glass furnace feeding

Abstract

This paper is a technical report which discusses a selfdeveloped automatic robot (machine) for glass furnace feeding. It was designed for use in a small-scale glass industry, in which most factories are still feeding small, old fashioned furnaces manually. The huge robot discussed in this paper is intended to substitute for exhausted workers. It was designed with four degrees of freedom and a planar manipulator structure, including X-axis and Y-axis translations, Z-axis rotation, and a belt scrolling motion for feeding the granular glass material into the furnace. The development and implementation of the mechanical and control systems are analyzed, including design considerations, motion using the teaching playback method, and feeding path planning. To ensure system safety and reliability, the necessity and the design of a redundant control systemare presented. Finally, the feeding quantity and quality control are discussed. Unlike other feeding machines, the robot fully utilizes robotic control components and technologies, which is considered another approach to real robotics application.

Cite this article as:

J. Yuan, W. Zhang, and Q. Li, “The Reliable Design and Implementation of an Automatic Glass Furnace Feeding Robot for the SME Glass Industry,” Int. J. Automation Technol., Vol.6 No.1, pp. 53-59, 2012.

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References

[1] S. Hakes, “Recent Developments in All Electric Melting and Electric Boosting in Glass Furnaces,” Glass & Enamel (Monograph), No.Z1, pp. 75-80, 2007.
[2] N. Zhang and Y. Lu, “The Feeding of Glass Furnace and the Design of Novel Feeding machine,” Glass & Enamel, Vol.17, No.2, pp. 44-48, 1989.
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_PC
[4] Y. Yongan, “Study on computer control system of glass furnace,” Proc. of the second symposium of the technology improvement in glass industry, pp. 121-135, 2001.

This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationa License.

[1] [1] S. Hakes, “Recent Developments in All Electric Melting and Electric Boosting in Glass Furnaces,” Glass & Enamel (Monograph), No.Z1, pp. 75-80, 2007.

[2] [2] N. Zhang and Y. Lu, “The Feeding of Glass Furnace and the Design of Novel Feeding machine,” Glass & Enamel, Vol.17, No.2, pp. 44-48, 1989.

[3] [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_PC

[4] [4] Y. Yongan, “Study on computer control system of glass furnace,” Proc. of the second symposium of the technology improvement in glass industry, pp. 121-135, 2001.