How I Designed This Custom Step-Feeder System for a High Speed Stamping Press

Horizon Die Company used FactoryFix.com to find a local company to design and build a custom step-feeder system. This article was written in the first person by Cindy Oh, the mechanical engineer that designed this system.

Solution:

This project was found through FactoryFix, an internet based company that helps factories and plants find companies to do custom projects. Any time a company has a machine that needs service or maintenance (ie, PLC code isn’t working correctly, or some mechanical design work needs to be done to aid an existing machine) FactoryFix matches the company up with local companies that are capable of doing the job. Essentially it’s UBER for automation!

The task was to design a step feeder that fed tubes of various parts onto a conveyor. I’m used to outsourcing these machines because we don’t tend to build our own feeders at my company, so it was very interesting to design one myself. The bulk of the design came from a machine builder who then showed me his prototype and some drafts he made and passed the project to me.

I took those drafts, his basic concepts, and his rough dimensions and threw them into Solidworks. I was responsible completing the design, and then detailing (making prints) so that everything was manufactured to the correct tolerances. It was a pretty short project since this is fairly simple compared to the work I did at my last company, but it was fun and I learned about a product that I usually buy without thinking twice about.

There are plates that oscillate up and down force tubes to climb up a step and stay. It’s tilted 10 degree back so that the tubes can progress upwards without falling into the hopper. The hopper is located in the bottom most step and can be filled with more than 4 hours worth of parts.

Above a curved, spring loaded shield, prevents parts from climbing the steps vertically (not likely but possible). The shield is spring loaded so that the user won’t get there hand stuck in the feeder at the exact wrong moment and injure his/ her fingers.

Lastly, a motor in the back of the feeder, mates with the plates via a cam roller in a follower slot. This is a very simple way to turn rotary motion into linear motion. You can see the motor in the picture above.

At the beginning of the article is a video of the step feeder in motion. I’m told it was quite successful and that the customer was happy with the results!