A Miniature Mobile Parts Feeder: Operating Principles and Simulation Results

In this work, a miniature mobile vibratory parts feeder is proposed. This feeder, exploiting the unique capabilities of a recently developed closed-loop planar linear motor, is designed to reorient, singulate, and position parts using only horizontal vibrations. The actuators used for generating the feed vibrations are also capable of large planar motions, allowing the feeder to serve multiple overhead robots. This feeder is designed with a minimum of critical physical dimensions, allowing di erent parts to be fed with only software changes. The basic feed principle is presented, followed by experimental veri cation. Although a prototype has not yet been fabricated, a model for the motion of parts on the complete feeder is derived and simulation results are presented.