mark.duyvesteyn
Member
At my company we have a large automated packing system > putting product in bags > coding > robot stacking on pallets > pallets automatically stretch wrapped > pallet labeled with a barcode, automatic forklifts takes the pallets to the daystore. Its quite impressive to watch. The whole operation should involve no human intervention apart from replacing consumables, which is usually does. One issue we have some times is the Labeler. It applies the labels to the stretch wrap just prior to being wrapped around the pallet. There is no feed back to say if the label has been successfully applied. This can cause problems as sometimes 30 pallets can slip through with out labels. Ive been getting a little bored at work so have been trying to think of a way of sensing if there is a label on the stretch wrap.
Ultra sound.. would the sensor distinguish between a thin film of stretch wrap and a thickish paper/plastic label?
Light.. I was thinking about using the label as a mirror (its very white), shining bright LED's and looking for the reflection using a LDR or a phototransitor.
Barcode scanner.. Have a barcode reader set up that all ways looks for a barcode. The picaxe could be hardwired to listen to the "beep" The barcode move quite fast so might be hard to read it.
Its not possible to set up a light source on the other side of the stretch wrap and look for an interrupt caused by the label coming past.
Any ideas any one? from experience what method do you think would be best to pursue?
Cheers
Ultra sound.. would the sensor distinguish between a thin film of stretch wrap and a thickish paper/plastic label?
Light.. I was thinking about using the label as a mirror (its very white), shining bright LED's and looking for the reflection using a LDR or a phototransitor.
Barcode scanner.. Have a barcode reader set up that all ways looks for a barcode. The picaxe could be hardwired to listen to the "beep" The barcode move quite fast so might be hard to read it.
Its not possible to set up a light source on the other side of the stretch wrap and look for an interrupt caused by the label coming past.
Any ideas any one? from experience what method do you think would be best to pursue?
Cheers