Design and Manufacturing of an Automatic Spring Feeder, Distinguisher, Separator, and Sorter System

This paper aims to design and construct an automated mechanism to prepare springs for assembly into insulin pens. The springs, which have low stiffness and high flexibility, are stored together in a reservoir before assembly. When the springs collide, their teeth interlock, causing interference during the assembly process. The developed mechanism automatically prepares the springs for assembly, enhancing speed, precision, and eliminating manual labor, thus reducing contamination risk. The system includes four mechanisms, each performing a specific function. The prototype was constructed using plexiglass and a laser cutter. A step feeder mechanism was used for spring feeding, utilizing linear ball bearings, shafts, shaft supports, a DC motor, and a metal arm. To distinguish single springs from double springs, an elliptical slot was employed, allowing single springs to pass through while double springs remained. Air pressure from a pneumatic nozzle transfers the double springs to an air channel. The air channel mechanism consists of a solenoid valve, pneumatic hoses, ۳D-printed nozzles, and a relay. In the air channel, double springs are separated by hitting the channel walls and returned to the step feeder for further feeding. Single springs, which pass through the slot, fall onto a belt-and-pulley system for sequential movement to the next assembly steps. The entire system achieved ۹۰% separation efficiency for the springs, and after functional testing, the mechanisms demonstrated satisfactory performance, making them suitable for use in the automated insulin pen assembly line.

کلیدواژه ها:

automated mechanism ، spring separation ، insulin pen assembly line ، step feeder ، pneumatic system