ASEE 2014 Zone I Conference, April 3-5, 2014, University of Bridgeport, Bridgpeort, CT, USA.

Automated Mechanical System Design to Insert the Copper Wire into the Plastic Block

Yuanxiong Luo Department of Mechanical Engineering

E-mail:yluo@my.bridgeport.edu

Jeremy (Zheng) Li University of Bridgeport, CT, USA

E-mail:Zhengli@bridgeport.edu

Abstract: The paper mainly depicts a newly development system of inserting copper wire into the plastic block while in high-speed moving. There are five mechanisms of the system: untwisting part; straighten part; rapid air feeder; block vibratory feeder; inserting and identifying part. Computer aided engineering design is being used and help engineers quickly build up three-dimensions model. Besides, Computer aided analysis and simulation have been set up to analyze wire strength and feed loading.

Keywords—Insert wire; plastic blocks; automated; system design

I. INTRODUCTION Automation process has been giving people lots of benefits. Companies upload automatic lines to control cost and increase producing efficiency. Now more companies are looking for more cost-effective way to enlarge business. That brings high-speed automation into industry[2][3]. This paper develop a newly method for a company to insert copper wire into plastic block. Rapidly inserting the copper wire into the block hole(diameter: 0.5mm) requires accurate pitching system. Materials are given. The copper wire, at first, twists around the wire cylinder. Plastic blocks are disorder. We, however, have to face several problems. 1) How to untwist and straighten the copper wire. 2) How to order plastic blocks. 3) How to insert the wire. 4) How to pass the inserted block to the next step. In the coming part, the whole blueprint will be shown first, and then follow the problems sequence, solution details are going to be uncovered.

II. WHOLE SYSTEM DESIGN Wire goes from untwisting part to the straighten part, pushed by the rapid air feeder. At the same time, block vibratory

feeder matches the corrected order and direction for plastic blocks. When both the wire and the plastic block are prepared, the inserting and identifying mechanism will work them out together. After this, robot hand sends the inserted block to the conveying belt and pass through next step--bending wire.

Fig. 1: Whole System Overview

III. UNTWISTING WIRE MECHANISM Below there are six red wheels which are fixed to the end

of orange bars. Each of the bar is made by the kind of flexible or elastic material, which helps to absorb the strength tension of the wire.

Fig. 2: Untwisting wheel and frame

copper wire(Φ0.5mm)

plastic block

Fig. 3: Small wheel and bar

IV. STRAIGHTEN PART AND RAPID AIR FEEDER Straighten mechanism The rapid air feeder pull the wire, it goes through these small wheels. The gap between two wheels is 0.5mm, which is the same as the wire's diameter and which will not damage the cross shape of the wire. Each contiguous group of wheels is vertical with others. As needed, more straighten parts(green color parts) can be assembled. However, the more parts we have, the easier of wire will damage[4].

Fig. 4: Straighten parts

Rapid air feeder Rapid air feeder uses compressed air as its force and the springs help feeder goes back its default place[4].

Fig. 5: Rapid air feeder

V. BLOCK VIBRATORY FEEDER The block vibratory feeder, its cylinder vibrates at a extremely high frequency, which orders plastic block[4].

Fig. 06: Block vibratory feeder

VI. INSERTING AND IDENTIFYING MECHANISM The key point of inserting the wire into the hole is accurately identifying the directions of the block. That is to say, match the wire tip and the hole as precise as possible. Use needle's pinpoint identifies the block is much easier than match them directly because the diameter of pinpoint is smaller than the hole's. Besides, needle is not difficulty to be made.

Fig. 7: Identifying block

Fig. 8: Inserting wire

Below the robot hand grabs the inserted block to the conveying belt and it will be sent to the next step--bending station.

Fig. 9: Send for bending

VII. MATHEMATIC ANALYSIS AND FEA SIMULATION The prosperities of Copper wire [1][6]

Density ρ 8.93Mg/m3,

Young's Modulus

E 112-148 GPa

Yield Strength

σ y 30-500Mpa

Diameter d 0.5mm

We know a beam of uniform section, loaded in simple tension by a force, F, carries a stress

σ = F/A

=> 𝐹 = 𝜎𝐴 = 𝜎 ∙ 𝜋(d2)!

In order to keep copper wire in a elastic state while being pulled, the pulled force

F!"## ≤ σ! ∙ π(d2)!

Suppose σ! = 200Mpa, then

F!"## ≤ 200×10! ∙ π(0.5×10!!

2)! = 39.27N

That is to say, rapid air feeder pulls the copper, the resistance force of all untwisted mechanism should be small than 39.27N. The prosperities of low alloy steel [1][3][5]

Density ρ 7.8 Mg/m3,

Young's Modulus

E 201-217 GPa

Yield Strength

σ y 400-1100Mpa

The requirement for thin stick design is to absorb the strength tension from the wire. Here we pick up low alloy steel as thin stick material.

The mathematic model is being setup as elastic bending of beam.

Fig. 10: Elastic bending beam The displacement of the beam

δ =FL!

C!EI

I =πr!

4

Here, C! = 3.Combine two equations above:

δ!"#$%& =40×0.18!

3×210×10!×(!×!.!!"!

!)= 5.82mm

Setting up Force loading in Pro/Mechanical. Here, F=40N, suppose all the force comes from F=Fpull

Fig. 11: Force loading

Fig. 12:Stress simulation

Fig. 13:Deflection simulation

The three figures above show that the maximum stress

σ!"# = 3.08×10!Pa < σ! the thin stick will not plastic bending, which is safe. Moreover, the FEA analysis shows that the maximum displacement of thin stick is

F

L

δ!"# = 5.27mm ≈ δ!"#$%& = 5.82mm

Err =δ!"#$%& − δ!"#

δ!"#$%&= 9.45%

The FEA analysis shows that the component is safe and well-working.

VIII. CONCLUSION The extensive application and development of high-speed producing technologies reduce cost for companies. The study of the paper, describing five-mechanisms(untwisting, straighten, rapid air feeder, block vibratory feeder, inserting and identifying mechanism) system to solve the problem of untwisting, block ordering, wire inserting and conveying. All models are drawn in computer aided designed software Pro/Engineering. Computer aided analysis(FEA) simulations has been set up in Pro/Mechanical and the results match academic calculation.  

REFERENCES

[1] Michael,F., Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2011, pp31-45, pp506-530.

[2] Jeremy (Zheng) Li, 2012, “A New Automated and High Speed Gas Charging System”, Research Bulletin of the Australian Institute of High Energetic Materials, Vol.2, pp.159-163, published in September, 2012.

[3] Jeremy (Zheng) Li, 2011, “Design and Development of a New Automated and High Speed Gas Filling Systems”, Journal of Mechanical Engineering (International Scholarly Research Network), Vol. 1, pp. 1-4, published in October, 2011.

[4] Roger, T., Pro|Engineer Wildfire 5.0 Mechanical Tutorial(Structure/Thermal), SDC Publications, 2009, Chapter 2 & Chapter 4.

[5] Jeremy (Zheng) Li, 2011, “A New Automated and High Speed Machinery System for High Viscous Liquids”, Journal of Applied Mechanics and Materials, Vol. 66-68, pp. 140-145, published in September, 2011.

[6] Jeremy (Zheng) Li, 2013, "Numerical simulation and prototype testing of gas turbine with hot spinning process", Scientific Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences, Vol. 2, No. 4, pp. 204-211, published in September, 2013.