Index and Tilt

[parisp3]

Hi, am working on a sample holder concept that will rotationally index until one rotation is complete (perhaps using a stepper motor). Once this is achieved the fixture will need to return to home position which tilts the indexing head to allow sample extraction (see image). Any ideas on how this could be achieved?

[JAlberts]

There are a number of ways this could be achieved; but, there are some basic application issues that must be addressed.
For example:
1. Is this assembly associated with a manual or mechanical operation, ie what is happening between the indexing steps, what should trigger the indexing; and, is the loading to be performed by a machine or human?
2. How precise does the indexing positioning need to be for proper operation?
3. What happens after the holder rotates for unloading and is this performed by a machine or human?
4. After unloading does the holder need to automatically return to the loading position or can this be dom\ne manually?
5. What speed of operation is required?

[parisp3]

Happy to provide more details in response to the above poster:

1. The idea is to get the indexing action going by an electro-mechanical signal once all the positions are loaded (manually). The table indexes, dwells ~ 2 seconds and indexes again until one rotation is complete. At each dwell event, there is a burst of air (cleaning) directed at the sample.
2. Precision of 50-100 degree-seconds should work well.
3.The unloading is performed manually too and new samples are loaded.
4. We would like the return to normal action of the index table to automated as well.
5. Speed is not a major concern, between 1-10 rpm will work just fine.

[JAlberts]

Thanks for the reply. If you will forgive me, I have a general question/comment related to your overall goal with this mechanism. It appears to me that you have a time of operation mismatch between your loading and unloading operations.

For example, assuming you have 20 receiving sockets in the wheel and have 2 sec per index then the item loader is going to fill the receiver in 40 secs and then it will flip over for unloading; and, for this example, assume this can be achieved by the unloader in 2 seconds per piece as well. So my question is: What is the loader doing for the 40 seconds while he is waiting for the unloader to complete his 40 second unloading process before the holder flips back for the next loading cycle?

[parisp3]

What is the loader doing for the 40 seconds while he is waiting for the unloader...

This contraption will be sitting in a lab and is not an assembly operation per se. 40 'wasted' seconds is not an issue....