Company G manufactures and sells conveyor belts, picking systems, and other equipment for production and logistics sites. Manager F, who is in charge of development, had this to say:
"According to the LCD panel manufacturers we supply to, the special glass for LCD displays is extremely thin, less than 1 mm thick, and even the slightest impact can cause fine scratches. The standard of smoothness required for glass is very high, and we were told that they have no choice but to discard the glass every time it gets fine scratches due to contact with the roller conveyor. As glass substrates become larger in the future, the probability of scratches will increase, which will ultimately put pressure on our customers' production costs."
To reduce the customer's production costs, it was necessary to eliminate scratches caused by contact with the conveying surface. In developing a new model, Company G began designing an air-floating conveyor that would lift the glass substrate above the conveying surface.
"Air levitation conveyors form a thin film of air between the glass substrate and the transport surface to eliminate scratches caused by contact. We tried to create a prototype equipped with a fan to form the air film, but we ran into problems with fans capable of levitating large glass substrates measuring nearly three meters in length and width. The fans consumed a lot of power and were loud. As several hundred conveyors are installed on a production line, the power consumption of the fans also became an issue. Additionally, as they are often installed near quiet clean rooms, there was also a request to keep the noise down as much as possible." (Mr. F)
While Mr. F was gathering information on the Internet, he came across SANYO DENKI CO., LTD. 's products and contacted the person in charge. After consulting with SANYO DENKI CO., LTD. person in charge, the person in charge listened to Mr. F's detailed explanation of the problem and proposed Counter Rotating Fan to Mr. F.
"We were told that in order to levitate a large glass substrate that is nearly three meters in size, a fan with high static pressure is required. Counter Rotating Fan has two sets of blades that rotate in opposite directions to each other, creating high static pressure. We were also told that power consumption can be reduced by optimally controlling the rotation speed using PWM control function," said Mr. F.
Upon receiving the proposal, Mr. F immediately carried out in-house testing and confirmed that the large glass substrate could be levitated to a sufficient height and transported without being scratched.
"With the new model of air suspension conveyor, the fan switch is turned on and off frequently, so the sudden change in sound was noticeable in quiet environments. So we had it customized so that the fan would ramp up slowly when it was started. As a result, the change in sound was reduced, reaching a level that satisfied the customer. I think that this can be used safely even if it is installed near a quiet clean room." (Mr. F)
Mr. F continued to work out the finer details with SANYO DENKI CO., LTD. 's staff, and completed the development of the new model. "Thanks to SANYO DENKI CO., LTD. 's prompt response, we were able to make smooth progress in developing the new model. A customer who handles a lot of glass substrates was very satisfied with the new model's air suspension conveyor, and they decided to adopt it. I would like to continue consulting SANYO DENKI CO., LTD. on various matters." (Mr. F)
For more information about Counter Rotating Fan, please also see "Characteristics of Counter Rotating Fan ".
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