TEAM 9: ARTEX KNITTINGUD Senior Design 2005

Post Production

Hand Alignment

Knitting Machine Turning Machine Sewing Machine

Turning Machine:

Concept Validation:

Project Transition:

Concepts:

Validation Experiments

• Validated Teflon Seal with Anemometer Testing

• Tested All Variables on Long Machine

• Tested with PLC Code and Teflon Seal on Short Machine

Testing Results

Knit Hat Making Process:Current Process: ~90% hats misaligned Requires six hat alignersImplemented Process: ~20% hats misaligned Requires two hat aligners

Teflon Seal

Teeth

Program Logic Controller

Proven to eliminate vacuum leak.

With Seal

C 9.0 1.8E 9.4 1.3

Machine Input Air Flow (m/s)

Output Air Flow (m/s)

A 9.1 0D 13.1 0.2

MachineInput

Air Flow (m/s)Output

Air Flow (m/s)

Without Seal

Purpose:

• Prevent material from slipping

• Reduce crumpled interior layer

•Reprogrammed Grips

Holds fabric longer to prevent slipping

• Reprogrammed Encoder

Changed zero point to prevent skipping due to the machine’s vibrations

• Deliver drawing package to Artex Knitting

• Deliver un-crumpling concepts to Artex Knitting for further development

• Implementation of designs by Artex Knitting

• Relocation of workers from hat aligning to other tasks

Benefits:

Sponsor:

Louis Gerbarg

Advisor:

Nate Cloud

Team Members:

Jose Caba, Andrew Forester,

Courtney Herbein, and Aaron Wolff

Project Goal:Improve the productivity of the knit hat making process by relocating workers from hand aligning and de-crumpling hats to other jobs on the assembly floor.

Subsystems:• Encoder: Skips and miscounts length of material

• Grips and Tube Exterior: Contributes to material slipping

• Tube Interior: Contributes to crumpled hat interior

• Vacuum Chamber: Vacuum leaks to removal side

Concept Validation: Long Machine

31.25

12.50

23.33

41.94 41.38 41.67

51.72

78.13

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

No Modifications Teeth PLC Code Teflon Seal PLC Code andTeeth

Teflon Seal andPLC Code

Teflon Seal andTeeth

Everything

% W

ith

in T

ole

ran

ce

Long Machine: 78% within Tolerance

02

3

4 5

6 7

81

0 Feeding Rollers/Encoder (Not Shown)

1 PLC Code

2 Knife

3 Application Grips

4 Tube with Applied Vacuum

5 Vacuum

6 Teflon Seal

7 Tube without Applied Vacuum

8 Teeth

9 Removal Grips (Not Shown)

• Increase efficiency

• Reduce number of workers needed to align hats from 6 to 2

• Savings up to $30,000 per relocated worker

9