ENGINE STORAGE AND TRANSFER SYSTEM

(AUTOMATION DESIGNER - SUZUKI, 2013)

A new assembly line required an engine storage and transfer system to supply engines to the vehicle assembly line.

Client: Suzuki Assembly Plant 3 operators, Gurgaon, India

Team: 1 mechanical designer (design lead), 2 electrical engineers, 4 junior engineers, the installation team

Total project time: 10 months |Design time: 6 months |Installation time: 2 months

User: Assembly Plant 3 operators

User goals: Store and supply 300 engines continuously to the assembly line

My role: Mechanical designer and Installation supervisor

Tools used: Solid edge, Solid works, MSC Nastran

USER STUDY

The Assembly shop receives assembled engines from the engine shop via trucks.

The engines are stored on pallets in the trucks on two levels on powered conveyor belts to move engines inside the truck. The trucks either have a 99 engine storage capacity or 49 engine storage capacity.
The shop receives 3-4 engine deliveries in the day and thus the storage capacity identified is 300 engines.
The assembly line requires engines to be provided in a consecutive steady flow. The engines will be retrieved from the storage via automated chain lifts from the same position and in the same orientation.

DESIGN OBJECTIVE

To satisfy the needs of the assembly shop and match up the supply of engines.

Receive engines on pallets from trucks
Have sufficient storage for received engines
Supply engines to the assembly line in time

DESIGN CONCEPT

A storage and transfer system that can receive engines on pallets from the trucks, hold at least 300 engines at all points of time and supply engines to the line in the exact same spot in the same orientation at a constant rate in a streamlined process.

ENGINE STORAGE AND TRANSFER TO ASSEMBLY LINE

TRUCK DOCKING STATION

MECHANICAL COMPONENTS

Truck lift: The trucks back up to the uploading conveyor and a pneumatic lift is used to lift the back of the truck and perfectly align it with the unloading conveyors.

TRUCK LIFT

Engine transfer lift: The engines on pallets are received at two levels. A powered bed receives the engines and transfers them ahead at a right angle. The engine pallets received on the top level of the conveyor system and brought down by a lift on channels and powered by servo motors,

ENGINE TRANSFER LIFT

Engine pop-up lift: At every transfer bay a pop lift pushes the pallets up and transfers them at a right angle to and out of the storage racks.

ENGINE POP-UP LIFT

Engine retrieval system: The engines on pallets are retrieved from the trucks via a conveyor with rollers actuated by a chain drive and servo motor. The engines are received in the loading dock outside the building and transferred to the storage system in the building.

ENGINE RETRIEVAL SYSTEM

Engine storage: A two storied pallet storage system with 13 rows and 12 bays can store 312 engines at full capacity.

ENGINE STORAGE

Gravity pallet retrieval: Once the engines have been picked up from the pallets, the empty pallets drop to a lower bay and slide down to the other end where they are collected. Gravity helps the light pallets slide on their own inertia without the need for external actuation.

Tanvi Designs