| CPC B65G 43/10 (2013.01) [B22D 11/126 (2013.01); B22D 11/163 (2013.01); B65G 2203/0208 (2013.01); B65G 2203/044 (2013.01)] | 15 Claims |
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1. A metal casting system comprising:
a master conveyor comprising a first conveying device and a first motor configured to drive the first conveying device;
a slave conveyor comprising a second conveying device and a second motor configured to drive the second conveying device;
a cutting device between the master conveyor and the slave conveyor, wherein the cutting device is configured to selectively cut a metal product that is conveyed by the master conveyor and the slave conveyor; and
a control system comprising:
a sensor downstream from the cutting device and configured to detect ends of sections of the metal product in a direction of travel as the sections of the metal product move in a downstream direction; and
a controller communicatively coupled with the sensor, wherein the controller is configured to control at least one of the first motor or the second motor based on detected ends in the direction of travel from the sensor, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a downstream end and an upstream end of a cut section of the metal product that is discontinuous with an uncut section of the metal product immediately upstream from the cut section, and wherein the controller is configured to:
synchronize the slave conveyor with the master conveyor;
receive the upstream end and the downstream end from the sensor;
determine an actual product length of the cut section of the metal product based on the detected upstream end and the detected downstream end;
compare the actual product length to a predetermined product length of the cut section of the metal product;
determine a speed of the first motor such that the actual product length is within a predetermined tolerance of the predetermined product length; and
control the first motor to operate at the determined speed such that the actual product length is within a predetermined tolerance of the predetermined product length.
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8. A metal casting system comprising:
a master conveyor comprising a first conveying device and a first motor configured to drive the first conveying device;
a slave conveyor comprising a second conveying device and a second motor configured to drive the second conveying device;
a cutting device between the master conveyor and the slave conveyor, wherein the cutting device is configured to selectively cut a metal product that is conveyed by the master conveyor and the slave conveyor; and
a control system comprising:
a sensor downstream from the cutting device and configured to detect ends of sections of the metal product in a direction of travel as the sections of the metal product move in a downstream direction; and
a controller communicatively coupled with the sensor, wherein the controller is configured to control at least one of the first motor or the second motor based on detected ends in the direction of travel from the sensor, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a gap by detecting an upstream end of a cut section of the metal product and a downstream end of an uncut section of the metal product immediately upstream from the cut section and discontinuous with the cut section, wherein the cut section is spaced apart from the uncut section by the gap, and wherein the controller is configured to:
receive the upstream end of the cut section and the downstream end of the uncut section from the sensor;
determine an actual gap length of the gap based on the detected upstream end of the cut section and the detected downstream end of the uncut section;
compare the actual gap length to a predetermined gap length;
determine a speed of the second motor such that the actual gap length is within a predetermined tolerance of the predetermined gap length; and
control the second motor to operate at the determined speed such that the actual gap length is within a predetermined tolerance of the predetermined gap length.
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