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5.3 Sample application: project design ofa lifting device

A lifting device transfers workpieces from one roller conveyor to another

at a different height. The task is to carry out the project engineering for
the associated electropneumatic control system.

A positional sketch of the lifting device is shown in Fig. 5.2. There are
three pneumatic drives:
„Drive 1A lifts the workpieces.
„Drive 2A pushes the workpieces onto the upper roller conveyor.
„Drive 3A is used as a stopper, for releasing and interrupting the sup-
ply of workpieces.

Fig. 5.2:
Positional sketch of the 2B1
lifting device 2B2
2A

B6
B5

3B1
1B2
3A

1A

1B1

The packages first have to be separated to be fed singly; this is done at

an upstream facility. The optical proximity switch B6 is not taken into
account for the purposes of further project engineering of the lifting de-
vice.

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Cylinder 1A requires a stroke of 500 mm and a force of at least 600 N, Drives for the
cylinder 2A a stroke of 250 mm and a force of at least 400 N. Cylinder lifting device
3A requires a stroke of 20 mm and a force of 40 N. On cylinders 1A and
2A the advance and retract speeds of the piston rods need to be vari-
able. The control system must allow soft braking of drives 1A and 2A.
To prevent the possibility of secondary damage, in the event of an elec-
trical power failure the piston rods of cylinders 1A and 2A are to be
braked immediately and remain at a standstill. The piston rod of the
stopper cylinder 3A is meant to extend in these circumstances.

The movement cycle of the lifting device is described in Table 5.2 (see Movement cycle
positional sketch, Fig. 5.2). It comprises four steps. of the lifting device

Table 5.2:
Movement cycle of the lifting
device

Step Movement Movement Movement End of step, Comments

piston rod piston rod piston rod step enabling
cylinder 1A cylinder 2A cylinder 3A condition

1 None None Retract B5 triggered Open device

(package present)
2 Advance None Advance 1B2 triggered Lift package
3 None Advance None 2B2 triggered Push out package

4 Retract Retract None 1B1, 2B1 triggered Retract drives to initial

position

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Operator control The control system of the lifting device must enable the device to be run
in a continuous cycle (continuous operation). A single cycle operating
mode is also necessary in which the sequence is processed precisely
once.
The operator control equipment for the system must conform to the rele-
vant standards (see Section 7.4). The control panel for the lifting device
is shown in Fig. 5.3.
The following operating functions are specified in more detail in relation
to the lifting device:
„"EMERGENCY STOP": When this is actuated, not only the electrical
power supply, also the pneumatic power supply must be shut down.
„"Reset": This returns the system to the initial position, i.e. the piston
rods of cylinders 1A and 2A retract, the piston rod of cylinder 3A ex-
tends.
„"Continuous cycle OFF": This stops the continuous cycle process. If
there is already a workpiece in the device, it is transferred to the up-
per roller conveyor. The piston rods of cylinders 1A and 2A retract.
The device is subsequently in its initial position.

Fig. 5.3:
Control panel of the control
system for the lifting device

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The lifting device is used in a production shop in which the temperature Ambient conditions
fluctuates between 15 and 35 degrees Centigrade. The pneumatic com-
ponents of the power section and the electrical connections of the valves
are to be dust-tight and splash-proof. The electrical components of the
signal control section are installed in a control cabinet and must conform
to the relevant safety regulations (see Chapter 7).

The following power supply networks are available: Power supply

„Compressed air network (p = 0.6 MPa = 6 bar)
„Electrical network (V = 230 V AC)

The electrical signal control section and the main circuit are to be oper-
ated with 24 V DC. A power supply unit therefore needs to be provided
to supply this voltage.

The signal processing aspect of the lifting device is implemented as a Overall conceptual
relay control system. In view of the small number of drive units, the design of the control
valves are mounted separately. system
As the linear guides of the lifting platform and of the pushing device are
already part of the station, cylinders without integrated guides are used.
Double-acting cylinders are used for drives 1A and 2A. Drive 3A takes
the form of a single-acting stopper cylinder.

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Selection of cylinders The cylinders are chosen on the basis of the requirements in terms of
force and stroke, using catalogues obtained from pneumatics manufac-
turers.
On account of the required drive force, cylinder 1A must have a piston
diameter of at least 40 mm, and cylinder 2A a piston diameter of at least
32 mm.
To ensure soft braking, cylinders with integrated adjustable end position
cushioning are used for drives 1A and 2A. The following cylinders would
be suitable, for example:
„Cylinder 1A: Festo DNGUL-40-500-PPV-A
„Cylinder 2A: Festo DNGUL-32-250-PPV-A
A stopper cylinder is used for drive 3A; it is extended if the compressed
air supply fails. This requirement is met by a Festo STA-32-20-P-A type
cylinder, for example.

Selection of directional In order to obtain the required behavior for drives 1A and 2A in the event
control valves of a power failure, the valves used are spring-centered 5/3-way valves
for the control chain with a closed mid-position. As the movements of the piston rods are
relatively slow, valves of a comparatively small nominal size are ade-
quate. Valves with 1/8-inch ports are used to match the smaller of the
two cylinders. Directional control valves of the Festo MEH-5/3G-1/8 type
would be suitable, for example.
A spring-return 3/2-way valve of the Festo MEH-3/2-1/8 type is used for
actuation of stopper cylinder 3A.

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The supply of compressed air for all three control chains must be shut Pressure
off as soon as the electrical power supply fails or an EMERGENCY sequence valve
STOP is triggered. An additional, electrically actuated, spring-return 3/2-
way valve is therefore necessary which enables the supply of com-
pressed air only when the electrical power supply is functioning properly
and no EMERGENCY STOP device has been actuated. In order to en-
sure that there is adequate flow, a Festo CPE14-M1H-3GL-1/8 type
valve is used.

The advanceand retract speeds of drives 1A and 2A are regulated by Speed regulation
means of exhaust air flow control. Function connectors reduce tubing
work, because they are screwed directly into the cylinder bore. The type
of connectors required are those with a one-way flow control function, for
example Festo GRLA-1/4 (cylinder 1A) or GFLA-1/8 (cylinder 2A).

The proximity switches are selected to match the cylinders. It makes Selection of
sense to use positive-switching sensors. For example, inductive sensors proximity switches
of type SMTO-1-PS-K-LED-24 are suitable for cylinders 1A and 2A, and
type SMT-8-PS-KL-LED-24 for cylinder 3A.
For controlling the device (see movement sequence) two proximity
switches are needed for each of cylinders 1A and 2A in order to detect
the forward and retracted end positions. In the case of cylinder 3A it is
sufficient to have one sensor to detect the forward end position.
Positive-switching optical sensors, for example Festo type SOEG-RT-
M18-PS-K, are used to detect whether there is a workpiece ahead of the
stopper cylinder or on the lifting platform.

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Allocation table The subsequent steps of the project design process are made easier by
for the lifting device listing the cylinders, solenoids, sensors, control elements and indicators
(Table 5.3). Components belonging to an individual control chain are
shown on the same line of the table.

Table 5.3:
Allocation table
for the lifting device

Drive / Actuated solenoid Proximity switch Control Comments

function element

Advance Retract Other Advanced Retracted Other

Cyl. 1A 1Y1 1Y2 – 1B2 1B1 Control chain 1
Cyl. 2A 2Y1 2Y2 – 2B2 2B1 Control chain 2
Cyl. 3A – 3B1 Control chain 3
Comp. air 0Y1 Pressure sequence valve
B5 Package on lifting platform
S1 Main switch
EMERGENCY STOP
S2 (normally closed contact)
S3 Manual (MAN)
S4 Automatic (AUT)
S5 RESET
S6 Continuous cycle ON
S7 Single cycle START
S8 Continuous cycle OFF

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The displacement-step diagram for the lifting device is shown in Fig. 5.4. Displacement-step
It illustrates the steps in which the piston rods of the three cylinders diagram for the
advance and retract, and when the proximity switches respond. lifting device

Fig. 5.4:
Displacement-step diagram
for the lifting device

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Circuit diagrams for The electrical and pneumatic circuit diagrams for the lifting device are
the lifting device shown in Figs. 5.5 and 5.6. Each drive is actuated by a directional con-
trol valve. The additional directional control valve, actuated by coil 0Y1,
switches on the compressed air.

Fig. 5.5:
Pneumatic circuit diagram
of the lifting device

The procedure for drawing up the electrical circuit diagram for the con-
trol system of the lifting device is explained in Section 8.8. The electrical
circuit diagram is shown in Figs. 8.22, 8.25 to 8.27, 8.29 and 8.30.

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Fig. 5.6a:
Electrical circuit diagram
of the lifting device -
control elements

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Fig. 5.6b:
Electrical circuit diagram
of the lifting device -
sensor evaluation

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Fig. 5.6c:
Electrical circuit diagram
of the lifting device -
switching of sequence steps

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Fig. 5.6d:
Electrical circuit diagram
of the lifting device -
circuitry of solenoid coils

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