Image analysis system controls de-palletizing of ingots

摘要

The temperature in an aluminium melting furnace that is decisive for the quality of the melt requires the continuous feeding of the furnace with ingots, 24 hours, seven days a week. To guarantee a constant filling height, one ingot must be fed every four minutes on average in the light-metal foundry taken as an example here. The standard ingots used that are generally delivered on pallets weight about 25 kg each, with 43 ingots making a total pallet weight of approx. 1t. These quantities and weights alone as well as the feeding rate of some 4 min show that partly automated feeding would be unacceptable. Therefore, a three-axle handling system was installed that trans- ports the ingots to the crucible with a vacuum gripper. The commands that control the X, Y and Z position of the suction gripper and its rotary movement are based on the results of an image analysis system from VisionTools Bildanalyse Systeme GmbH, Waghausel.