Design of an AS/RS machine for storage and extraction of items in a warehouse using Finite Element Analysis (FEA)

The globalization of markets and high competitiveness impose new challenges every day on companies that develop their activities in the field of logistics, e-commerce, service, and product distribution. The implementation of automated systems becomes relevant when the objective is to increase productivity, efficiency and reduce costs associated with handling, picking and overhead. The AS / RS systems (i.e., Automated Storage and Retrieval System) are automated machines able to move in the 3 coordinate axes (x, y, z), which are responsible for arranging the items in large warehouses generating a decrease in time delivery and storage. The aim of the article is to show the design of a prototype of an AS / RS (CAD) machine based on Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to verify the behavior before static loads according to Von Misses criteria and to guarantee the appropriate administration, storage, and extraction of each item in the warehouse, respectively. Also, it shows the use of the selection matrix that facilitates the interaction with the articles and execute the primary functions according to customer requirements. The result of this research shows the advantages and disadvantages of the implementation of these systems for companies that manage high volumes of storage, limited physical space and that require an appropriate management of the elements through the help of an easy-to-implement human-machine interface (HMI) that has control over open loop

Identification of energetically critical processes for cocoa production in Santander, Colombia

The intensification of industrial activities in post-harvest cocoa processes has generated a disproportionate increase in energy consumption. The objective of this work is to describe those energetically critical ones that are used in the cocoa production line in Santander so that further research can evaluate the implementation of alternative or renewable energy systems. Through the collection of information and data management, it is seeking to promote the efficient use of energy based on the NTC ISO 500001. For this end, a description of the processes involved in the production of cocoa was made considering the technical data. Then, the energy consumed by the equipment used in the different processes was determined for 30 days, operating 24 hours a day, assuming power factors of 0.75 and 0.9. Finally, through analysis, calculations, and the application of the Pareto methodology, it was possible to identify that the process with the highest energy consumption is the cocoa refining step, since the equipment used in this process consumes more than 30% of energy from the total energy used for cocoa production

Analysis of a piezoelectric energy harvester system from footsteps of passersby

Piezoelectric materials can be used in applications designed to handle a wide range of input frequencies and forces to enable energy harvesting. Although several studies have been carried out on piezoelectric energy harvesting systems, this application is still under development. The purpose of this work is to analyze the behavior and the ability to generate electrical energy through the elements in piezoelectric tiles or platforms, specifically, piezoelectric disc elements with a diameter of 27 mm. To do this, a platform of about 130 x 75 cm was designed to capture the footsteps of people and transmit the impact force to sensors to determine the power generation capacity of the piezoelectric elements. Tests were carried out with people weighing between 75 kg and 85 kg and the measurements obtained made possible to identify the behavior of the system and to develop a mathematical model to estimate the energy generated through the platform. The piezoelectric elements used here proved to be fragile despite the different types of shock absorbers used to avoid their rupture. Therefore, it is recommended to delve into the design of protection mechanisms to extend the life of piezoelectric elements in energy collection systems

Design and set up of a pulverized panela machine

The panela is a food well known in the world for its benefits to humans since provides energy necessary and essential nutrients for the development of the body's metabolic processes. This is obtained from sugar cane, and a substance-free ingredient that can affect health. While, in culinary and gastronomic arts sector is used as a sweetener. The process of obtaining the panela is developed by successive and prolonged boiling, which causes moisture loss and then concentrates and forms a tiny mass that when cooled solidifies into blocks. The research work carried out focuses on the static and dynamic analysis of the designed parts that allow various processes (whipped, sifted, and dried) for large-scale panela production, analyzes the behavior under different loads (mechanical stress, displacement, and thermal study) based on Finite Element Analysis (FEA) using SolidWorks and Comsol Multiphysics software. Clearly, is important to mention that an appropriate size for the mesh was considered along with Von Mises criteria to be compared with the elastic limit of the selected material for the definition of the final prototype which was designed following the Pahl and Beitz design methodology respectively. A modal analysis of the panela pulverized machine was performed to verify natural process frequencies and vibration modes. Also, a friendly HMI interface for the user was implemented considering the characterization of the users (workers, farmers) and the nature of the process (artisanal).The start-up of the panela pulverizing machine showed a dependence on the consistency and origin of the molasses, depending on this the capacity and size of the pulverized panela

Artificial extension for a canine with partial forelimb amputation

When a canine presents a serious case of disease, injury or necrosis, it is imperative to perform an amputation procedure, whatever the affected limb is, since it can minimize the risk of developing pathologies related to tissues, joints and spine, associated with an altered gait and/or unequal distribution of forces in their limbs. Thus, improvement alternatives arise such as prostheses which help to improve the quality of life of canines. The article proposes the development of a functional prototype of prosthesis for canines with partial forelimb amputation through the design and 3D modeling of the prosthesis, together with the selection of the material that adapts to the morphological conditions of the canine. Also, a cushioning system is incorporated to minimize the force of the impact with the ground when performing activities such as jumping, running or walking. Finally, the electronic component is included in the design and the respective electronic and biomechanical tests are carried out to verify its correct operation

Development of a monitoring system for COVID-19 monitoring in early stages

Covid-19 is considered the most infectious virus today. Likewise, the struggle to mitigate the effects of the variants, the flexibility in some measures such as the use of face masks, the advancement of vaccination and prevention and self-care campaigns continue to be topics of research and of global interest. The world health authorities published that the disease was characterized by presenting the same symptoms as the flu along with a complex picture where in the most serious cases they lead to difficulty breathing due to pneumonia, sepsis and septic shock that can lead to death. Some systems implemented for taking body temperature such as thermographic cameras, digital thermometers, for the description of symptoms in the people they analyze at the time of carrying out the epidemiological fences are not enough, since they handle low precision, are taken in isolation, individually or randomly and is not suitable for characterizing interest groups. Then, establishing risk levels by measuring non-invasive variables can be considered inputs into prevention campaigns and a low-cost way of monitoring the community. This article shows the design of a non-invasive embedded device for the measurement of 5 priority variables for the detection of the risk of covid-19 infection. The proposed device was duly calibrated and synchronized for the acquisition of data from 594 people in the city of Bucaramanga, Colombia, who authorize the monitoring of the symptoms. The people must be in a state of rest to be able to acquire the data with great accuracy, in this way the data is entered into the system in charge of doing the monitoring analysis. Additionally, the implementation of an interface that allows the visualization of results, laying the foundations for the development of automatic learning techniques or models for the risk classification in future work

Characterization of mechanical vibrations in a metal structure using the transform Cepstrum

This work adequately characterizes and correlates the effects generated by inducing mechanical vibrations on a metallic structure as a means of determining or predicting potential alterations or failures in bodies used in civil and industrial works of a static nature. Vibration sensors (piezoelectric), experimental information capture software (Labview) and the application of signal processing and classification tools were used for this. Various previous works have used signal processing techniques such as Fourier and Wavelet. These show indications about the relationship between the processed signals and the structural alterations of the different tests. On this occasion, through the use of Cepstrum analysis as an alternative tool for the processing of mechanical vibrations and complementary to the use of a dissimilarity technique (Euclidean distance) for the assessment of the ability to differentiate between classes grouped according to the anomaly studied and The use of statistical indicators to evaluate the homogeneity of the data has made it possible to show deviations that can be linked to structural defects (perforation, welding, denting and shear) of a metallic armor at the laboratory level. Finally, it was evidenced that the use of Cepstrum coefficients as characteristic information of the anomaly, at an experimental level, broadens the knowledge base and undoubtedly allows the implementation of the bases to encourage the academic and commercial development of tools or techniques for remote inspection of static equipment that is of great use to society