Engineering, Energy, Transport AIC

Ivan DEMKIV – Postgraduate Student of the department of Machine Design and Automotive Engineering, Lviv Polytechnic National University (12 Stepan Bandera Str., Lviv, Ukraine, 79013, e-mail: ivan.b.demkiv@lpnu.ua, https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6704-9574).

The development of any manufacturing industry is not possible without the rational use of resources, so it is difficult to imagine modern production in which dosing is not used. The accuracy and productivity of dosing equipment is the basis of all known technological processes, since the quality of the final product depends on it. Belt feeders are small-sized and highly productive equipment, which is a vital necessity of continuous technological processes.
The main requirement for a belt feeder is the maximum possible accuracy at an already set speed of movement of the load (line productivity). However, one should not forget about the peculiarities of the behavior of different types of products that can be weighed.
The weighing accuracy of a belt feeder also depends on its design features, namely on the accuracy of the drive, tension or support rollers, the quality of the belt, and the design of the strain gauge assembly.
Experiments on calibration in statics and the behavior of the feeder in dynamics will allow us to evaluate possible behavior options during operation in real conditions.
The purpose of the experiments is the initial setup of the experimental setup for further research into the relationship of belt speed / product type / dosing accuracy.
The article describes the structure of the experimental setup, the composition of the measuring part of the laboratory setup, as well as the methodology for collecting and processing experimental data.
The main attention of the experimental part is paid to the dynamic mode of operation and its impact on the strain gauge assembly. The main issues that arise in the dynamic mode are outlined, namely
Special attention is paid to the dynamic feed mode, in which the loads on the measuring element – the strain gauge sensor – change. The key problems that arise in this mode are indicated: fluctuations in the output signal (change in mass values), the influence of the product movement speed, the physical and mechanical characteristics of the product. The results of the experiments are the voltage/mass curves in the static mode and voltage/mass/speed in the dynamic mode, a comparative analysis of the measurement results.
According to the research results, an adaptive control system for a belt feeder will be developed, which can be implemented in all industries where belt feeders are used. 

1.    Živanić, D., Ilanković, N., Zuber, N., Đokić, R., Zdravković, N., & Zelić, A. (2021). The analysis of influential parameters on calibration and feeding accuracy of belt feeders. Eksploatacja i Niezawodnosc – Maintenance and Reliability, 23(3), 413–421. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17531/ein.2021.3.2. [in English].
2.    Zeng, F., Yan, C., Wu, Q., & Wang, T. (2020). Dynamic behaviour of a conveyor belt considering non-uniform bulk material distribution for speed control. Applied Sciences, 10(13), 4436. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/app10134436. [in English].
3.    Peleg, M. (2005). Flowability of food powders and methods for its evaluation — A review. Journal of Food Process Engineering, 1(1), 7–20. [in English].
4.    Mukalu, S. M., Zhang, L., & Xia, X. (2017). A comparative study on the cost-effective belt conveyors for bulk material handling. Energy Procedia, 134, 2754–2760. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2017.12.221. [in English].
5.    He, D., Pang, Y., Lodewijks, G., & Liu, X. (2018). Healthy speed control of belt conveyors on conveying bulk materials. Powder Technology, 329, 408–419. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2018.01.002. [in English].
6.    Wang, Y., Jia, F., Zhang, J., Han, Y., Chen, P., Li, A., Fei, J., Feng, W., Hao, X., & Shen, S. (2022). Model construction method of discharge rate of eccentric silo. Powder Technology, 410, 117555. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2022.117555. [in English].
7.    Zhang, H., et al. (2023). DEM calibration procedures for cohesive particles. Powder Technology. [in English].
8.    Berkenbusch, M., & Brendel, L. (2019). Hybrid CFD–DEM modelling. Granular Matter, 21(1), 12. [in English].
9.    PTB. (n.d.). Dynamic weighing recommendations. Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt. URL: https://www.ptb.de/. [in English].
10.    Fimbinger, E. (2021). A methodology for dynamic belt simulation [Master’s thesis, Montanuniversität Leoben]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.34901/mul.pub.2021.3. [in English].
11.    Ilic, D. (n.d.). Bulk solid interactions in belt conveying systems [Doctoral dissertation, University of Newcastle]. URL: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1036832. [in English].
12.    Sharifi, M., Behzadipour, S., Salarieh, H., & Tavakoli, M. (2017). Cooperative modalities in robotic tele-rehabilitation using nonlinear bilateral impedance control. Control Engineering Practice, 67, 52–63. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conengprac.2017.07.002. [in English].