HAS created an automated control system for feeding metal sheets into guillotine shears for an automobile plant in Nizhny Novgorod.
Engineers of the youth laboratory "Energy-efficient Mechatronic Systems", created within the framework of the Priority 2030 program, designed a control system and developed a control program for installing automatic feeding of metal sheets. This installation includes a cantilever crane with a vacuum grip, a feeding table with roller shutters and sheet ends. The project was carried out as part of a research project commissioned by TRIZ LLC, which deals with automation tasks in the metalworking industry.
According to Nikita Popov, head of the laboratory, Associate Professor of the Department of Electric Drive and Automation of Industrial Installations, Candidate of Technical Sciences, the launch of the installation at the Nizhny Novgorod Automobile Plant was preceded by such stages as control system design, equipment selection, development of a control program and a simulation model.
"Even at the stage of installation and assembly of equipment by the customer, laboratory engineers debugged control algorithms on the developed simulation model, which significantly reduced the delivery time of the finished project," Nikita Popov noted.
According to the engineer, previously, the supply of metal sheets weighing up to 500 kg was carried out manually, which entailed low labor productivity, the risk of injury during work and required additional human resources. After the launch of the automated control system for feeding sheets to guillotine scissors, labor productivity has significantly increased and the number of defects has decreased. Thanks to the developed system, a single operator can handle the movement and feeding of metal sheets. The system, unlike the classical metal feeding systems used for these tasks, performs work not only manually, but also automatically.
This is not the first experience of cooperation between the youth laboratory and industry. Earlier, engineers at NSTU-NETI, commissioned by TSTC Aerosoyuz LLC, improved the control system for the hydrostatic transmission of the Chinese XC32330 self-propelled sprayer. According to Nikita Popov, such work allows students to learn how to solve service production tasks and gain experience in solving complex engineering issues.