3D printed vibratory conveyor mats are coming soon thanks to OPT Industries Inc., who are a spin-off company from MIT.
They have a new product called “Polybrush”, developed with their partners at The Industrial Brush Company, Inc., and it is the answer to the gap left by the discontinuation of an older product.
Polybrush is printed on a rapid SLA printer capable of printing objects of infinite length.
But what is a conveyor mat, and why 3D print them? And what of this printer?
Read on to find the answers.
Vibratory Motion
In automation, there are many ways of moving resources and components from one part of the production line to another, but they are not all equal.
While conveyor belts are fine for certain things, they are expensive, require maintenance, and due to the use of lubricants close to the traveling surface, are often unsuitable for food products, or anything else needing a high degree of cleanliness.
Vibratory feeders and conveyors are one such solution, as all of the mechanisms providing force to the system are away from the moving surface.
The main mechanism is basically a huge trough, and the trough is excited by motors and cams and other vibration-inducing gear which are located under the trough. That is, far away from the trough surface itself, where the goods will be transported. Often, brush mats are added to the surface to assist with optimizing the travel of the parts, and to also reduce potential damage to the part from the vibrations.
This mat is what MIT-spinoff company OPT Industries has manufactured with 3D printing, and it will be a direct replacement for anyone using an older product (namely the Brushlon series) which has been discontinued.
You can see the printed mat below.
The vibration system imparts little impulses at a certain frequency and amplitude, and the parts in the trough get a little kick, and are propelled forward a small way by the impulse (nominally in the millimeter range). The beauty of these systems is that they can be tuned for speed and force to move even the most fragile items (such as potato chips) along, undamaged.
Occasionally, parts can bounce back down the track, and the 3D printed mat has angled fibers that reduce the occurrence of parts reversing direction.
RAMP
The company specializes in printed textile-like products with incredibly small fibers (micron scale). This is achieved by their patented RAMP system, which is a continuous SLA system capable of printing a roll of material.It is, according to the company, the world’s first roll to roll 3D printing platform.
You can see that in the GIF below.
The RAMP printer is capable of 24/7 operation and can print the material to any length, free from the constraints of build area.
“OPT Industries was founded on the idea that with the right design and manufacturing technology, we can make nearly any texture,” said Jifei Ou, CEO and Founder of OPT Industries.
“When The Industrial Brush Company, Inc. approached us about creating a brush mat, it was a clear win for both companies. By 3D printing this material in the U.S., we’re able to offer a stable supply chain with much less external risk to the companies that rely on this product for their facilities to function.
The Industrial Brush Co has been an excellent partner to us during design and lent their considerable industry expertise to ensure that this product meets the requirements of end users.”
Pre-orders for the PolyBrush alternative to the discontinued Brushlon 331B and 321B mats are now open and the product is on track to begin shipping to customers in Q4 of 2022.
