How to model an operator manually pushing boxes onto a conveyor?

[omar_aguilera_rico1]

[ FlexSim 18.0.3 ]

Assume I have three conveyor section in line: a straight section, a curved section and another straight section. I would like to model an operator loading the first conveyor with different sized boxes, and another operator unloading the boxes from the last conveyor in the line. The three conveyors are not powered, but free spinning rollers, so the boxes are conveyed down the conveyor section simply by the first operator pushing more boxes onto the conveyor.

[cliff_king · Accepted solution]

Omar,

Based on your ideas, here is an example model that I believe does what you are asking for.

I first connected up a conveyor Motor to all three conveyor sections and then placed a Decision Point just a fraction of a meter downstream from the front edge of the first straight conveyor. I then specified in the Decision Point Properties that it should be triggered by the "Trailing Edge" of the Items traveling down the conveyor.

My ProcessFlow is simple. It begins with an Event-Triggered Source that listens for when an Item enters Conveyor1, then I have a Custom Code activity that executes ResumeObject on the Motor. Then I have a Wait For Event activity that waits for the OnArrival of the Decision Point (indicating that the box's trailing edge has gotten onto the conveyor). I then have another Custom Code activity that executes a StopObject on the Motor. That's it!

Here's what it looks like:

pushboxontoconveyor.fsm

[jeff_nordgren]

@Omar Aguilera Rico,

Attached is @Cliff King's model that I have modified. I ran into a problem where after time 830 (or so) the center conveyor section (Cliff's solution) stops pushing the boxes along the conveyor. This seems to happen when a long flowitem exits the conveyors leaving a large space at the end of the last conveyor. The new item coming onto the first conveyor makes it onto the conveyor (stopping the conveyor) but it doesn't travel far enough to trigger the DP code. So it is left hanging off the first conveyor (never tripping the DP code) while there is space at the end of the last conveyor.

I added two more conveyor sections (top and bottom). If you want/like to use Process Flow, the top conveyors have a very minor fix to the PF (bottom one) so that the conveyors continue to function as they should.

The bottom section of conveyors show how you can do it, not using PF. So, the two added conveyor sections (top and bottom) are essentially the same. The top one uses the minor fix in PF and the bottom one does not use PF at all.

Take a look at the model and see of one of those solutions would work for you.

Thanks.

pushboxontoconveyor-jn1.fsm

[emily_hardySTLSK]

@Omar Aguilera Rico, did either of the solutions help you answer your question?