Diseño e implementación de un sistema automatizado de colocación de tapas y sellos de seguridad plástico para frascos de vidrio multipropósito en un sistema de envasado.

Abstract

The present research was carried out to provide a module for capping and sealing semiautomated to a packaging system installed in the Laboratory of Automation, of the Faculty of Information Technology and Electronics, at The Escuela Superior Politécnica of Chimborazo. A bibliographic review about the most outstanding aspects of the automated systems and based on a dimensioning system; items were selected, necessary devices, and accessories. Then, computer-aided design (CAD) was performed of the structural form of the capping and sealing modules. Part of the modules is built with 3D printed polylactic acid cast filament, soft iron for the structure of the sealing module, in addition to profiled aluminum used as a support. The system is commanded by the Modicon TM221CE24T programmable logic controller (PLC)(hardware), which uses a control algorithm developed using the Grafcet tool programmed using Ladder language and implemented in EcoStruxure Machine software Expert-Basic. For the system monitoring, an application with a human-machine interface (HMI) was designed using the Software Lookout V 6.7.1 to communicate with the PLC and the process by the Modbus communication protocol. Once the system was programmed and configured, the respective tests were carried out to verify its proper functioning. Through the experimental validation, the appropriate configuration was determined to cover and seal the bottles; as a result, the system is capable of processing three bottles in one minute. It is concluded that the implemented system executes the process very well and complies with the characteristics desired functional. In future research, it is recommended to optimize the control algorithm to increase the number of bottles processed.