Smart Rail Guide

Sammanfattning

Smart rail guide is a collaboration between two students in the Development Engineering program and the company Flexlink. Flexlink is a company stationed in Gothenburg that manufactures flexible, modular conveyor belts and industrial automation equipment. Efficiency is important for today's industries, which means that space is optimized, e.g. by using the same conveyor belt for several different products with different sizes and transporting products high up in the ceiling. To ensure that the products are secured and don’t risk falling off the conveyor belts, which is a safety risk both for the staff but also for the products themselves, railings are used. In the productions where you use the same conveyor belt for several products, you need to have railings that are adjustable. Flexlink currently manufactures a rail guide that is used to adjust the railings on the side of the conveyor belts. The project's goal is to create a new rail guide system that is easy to use, economically beneficial and more sustainable for the environment. A number of different analyzes were made to create a product that achieves these goals. A brainstorming was carried out and the proposals that were developed are ranked with the goals in focus. To make the product easier to use and economically favorable, it was decided to reduce the number of components. After all the analyzes and rankings of the concepts that were developed, a solution was chosen that the group further developed. This solution was developed from a sketch to a CAD model and then to a physical prototype. The solution consists of a limited number of components and with materials that are reusable and good for the environment. For the solution to be implementable, some further development is required, but it is well on its way.