Customized cross-belt sorting line can be designed from the following key steps:

First, clear demand

1. Characteristics of sorted items

-Size range: Understand the maximum and minimum sizes of items to be sorted. For example, common e-commerce packages may range in size from small items of 10cm×10cm×5cm to large packages of 100cm×80cm×60cm.

-Weight range: determine the weight range of articles, ranging from a few grams of light and small articles to dozens of kilograms of heavier articles. For example, general e-commerce goods may be between 0.1kg and 20kg.

-Shape characteristics: including regular shapes such as cuboids, cubes, cylinders, etc., and irregular shapes, which will affect the grasping and conveying methods of sorting lines.

2. Sorting efficiency requirements

-throughput per hour: according to the business scale and future development expectation, determine the number of items that need to be processed per hour in the sorting line. For example, a small e-commerce sorting center may need to reach 5,000 pieces per hour, while a large logistics hub may need to process more than 50,000 pieces per hour.

-Requirements for sorting accuracy: Generally, the sorting accuracy should be above 99.5% to reduce the subsequent cost increase caused by wrong sorting.

3. Site conditions

-Available space size: measure the length, width and height of the site to ensure that the sorting line can be reasonably arranged in the existing space, for example, in a warehouse of 50m×30m×8m.

-Ground bearing capacity: know the weight that the ground can bear, so as to determine whether the total weight of sorting equipment and goods is within the allowable range. The ground bearing capacity of general industrial workshops ranges from 2,000 kg/m to 5,000 kg/m..

-Connection with other equipment: consider the connection mode and position relationship with upstream and downstream equipment such as conveyors and balers to ensure the smooth operation of the whole logistics system.

Second, the planning layout

1. Overall layout design

-Determine the direction of sorting line: according to the site shape and logistics process, choose linear, circular or U-shaped layout. For example, in a rectangular field, using linear layout can make full use of space and improve sorting efficiency.

-Divide functional areas: including loading area, sorting area, goods collection area, etc. The loading area should be close to the entrance to facilitate the receiving and loading of goods; Sorting area is the core area, and the number and layout of sorting equipment should be reasonably configured according to the requirements of sorting efficiency; The cargo collection area is provided with multiple cargo collection ports according to different sorting destinations, which is convenient for classified collection of goods.

2. Equipment selection and configuration

-Selection of cross-belt sorter

-Selection of belt speed: According to the sorting efficiency and the weight of articles, select the appropriate belt speed. Generally speaking, small items can be sorted at a higher belt speed, such as 2m/s to 3m/s, while large items need to be properly reduced to ensure stable sorting, which may be between 1m/s and 2m/s..

-Number of sorting cells: Determine the number of cells according to the number of sorting destinations. For example, a logistics sorting center serving multiple cities may need dozens or even hundreds of sorting cells. -Drive mode: electric drum drive and belt drive are common, and electric drum drive is suitable for high-speed and heavy-load sorting scenes, with the characteristics of strong power and high reliability; Belt drive is relatively low cost and suitable for small and medium-sized sorting operations.

-Selection of supporting equipment

-Loading equipment: such as conveyors, hoists, etc., used to transport goods to the sorting line quickly and smoothly. The bandwidth and speed of the conveyor should be selected according to the cargo flow and size. Generally, the bandwidth is between 30cm and 100cm, and the speed is between 0.5m/s and 2m/s..

-Goods collection equipment: including containers, shelves, etc., used to collect sorted goods. The size and capacity of the container should be reasonably configured according to the volume and quantity of sorted goods, and the height and number of shelves should consider the space of the site and the storage requirements of goods.

-Control system: advanced automatic control system is selected to realize comprehensive monitoring and management of the sorting line. The control system should have the functions of real-time monitoring equipment operation status, fault alarm, data analysis and so on, so as to improve the stability and reliability of the sorting line.

Third, the detailed design

1. Mechanical structure design

-Structural design of cross-belt sorter

-fuselage frame: welded with high-strength steel to ensure stable structure. The design of the framework should take into account the operation stability, bearing capacity and easy installation and maintenance of the equipment. For example, the column spacing and beam span of the frame should be reasonably designed according to the size and bearing requirements of the sorter. Generally, the column spacing is between 2m and 4m, and the beam span is between 3m and 8m.

-Conveyor belt design: Wear-resistant and non-slip conveyor belt materials, such as PVC and PU, are selected. The width of the conveyor belt should be selected according to the size and quantity of the sorted items, generally between 30cm and 120cm. At the same time, the driving mode and tensioning device of the conveyor belt should be designed reasonably to ensure the smooth operation of the conveyor belt.

-Design of sorting trolley: The sorting trolley is the key component of the cross-belt sorting machine, and its design should consider the bearing capacity, running speed and accuracy. The car body should be made of lightweight materials, such as aluminum alloy, to reduce energy consumption. The high-performance and high-precision servo motor should be selected as the driving motor of the trolley to ensure that the trolley can reach the designated sorting grid quickly and accurately.

-Structural design of supporting equipment

-Structural design of loading equipment: according to the shape and weight of goods, design a suitable loading mechanism. For example, for small items, the design of belt conveyor and slope section can be adopted to facilitate the rapid loading of goods; For large items, roller conveyor or chain conveyor can be used and equipped with corresponding lifting mechanism to lift the goods to the height of sorting line.

-Structural design of cargo collection equipment: The container should be designed to facilitate the loading, unloading and handling of goods, and generally adopt a foldable or detachable structure. Shelf design should take into account the storage density and access convenience of goods, and can adopt multi-layer shelves or fluent shelves.

2. Design of control system

-Hardware configuration: High-performance PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) is selected as the control core, equipped with corresponding sensors, frequency converters, motor drivers and other equipment. Sensors should include position sensors, weight sensors, photoelectric sensors, etc., which are used to monitor the running status of equipment and cargo information in real time. Frequency converter is used to adjust the speed of motor and realize the accurate control of sorting linear speed. The motor driver is responsible for driving the motor operation of the sorting trolley and other equipment.

-Software programming: develop special control software to realize automatic control of sorting line. The software shall have the following functions:

-Sorting task management: Set corresponding sorting tasks and rules according to different sorting requirements. For example, goods can be sorted according to destination, weight, size and other conditions.

-Equipment operation monitoring: display the running status of the equipment in real time, including the position, speed and fault information of the sorting trolley. When the equipment fails, it can send an alarm signal in time and prompt the location and cause of the failure.

-Data statistics and analysis: record the operation data of sorting line, such as sorting quantity, accuracy, equipment failure times, etc., and analyze the data to provide a basis for optimizing sorting process and equipment maintenance.

Fourth, testing and optimization

1. Single machine debugging

-Commissioning the cross-belt sorter, loading equipment and cargo collection equipment separately, and checking whether the mechanical structure, electrical system and control system of the equipment are operating normally. For example, test the running speed, positioning accuracy and grasping ability of the sorting car; Check the conveying speed, stability and deviation of the conveyor.

-Debug the control system independently to ensure that all sensors and actuators can work normally and the control signal transmission is accurate. For example, test the detection accuracy and response time of photoelectric sensors; Check the speed regulation performance and stability of the frequency converter.

2. Online debugging

-Debug each equipment online according to the design scheme, simulate the actual sorting process, and check whether the connection between the equipment is smooth and whether the control system can realize the coordinated control of the whole sorting line. For example, test whether the loading equipment accurately transports the goods to the sorting line, whether the sorting trolley can sort the goods to the correct grid according to the preset rules, and whether the goods collection equipment can collect and sort the sorted goods in time.

-Test the overall performance of the sorting line, including sorting efficiency, accuracy and stability. Through the actual operation of a certain number of goods, the performance indexes of the sorting line are counted and compared with the design requirements to find out the existing problems and shortcomings.

3. Optimization and improvement

-Optimize and improve the sorting line according to the test results. In view of the problems found, take corresponding measures to adjust and improve. For example, if the sorting efficiency can't meet the requirements, it can be improved by optimizing the sorting algorithm and increasing the running speed of the equipment. If the sorting accuracy is low, the position and parameters of the sensor can be adjusted to strengthen the identification and positioning accuracy of the goods.

-Further optimize the mechanical structure and control system of the equipment to improve the reliability and stability of the equipment. For example, reinforce easily worn parts or replace wear-resistant materials; The software of the control system is upgraded and optimized to improve its response speed and control accuracy.

-Test and optimize for many times until the performance of the sorting line meets the design requirements and practical application requirements. In the process of optimization, the compatibility, expansibility and maintainability of the equipment should be fully considered, so that it can be upgraded and transformed according to the needs of business development in the future.