Sorting by Color on Conveyor System.

Question

question

browna15 asked Jul 19, '23 Carter Walch answered Jul 19, '23

Sorting by Color on Conveyor System.

I have a system where there are several sources delivering red and blue to processing cells, where red enters a automated cell and blue enters a manual cell. Once a unit enters and completes processing, it becomes green. Green units are accepted where any other color unit is discarded at the end. Currently I am using a logic that I found from a similar post, however I do not understand it, therefore do not know how to troubleshoot it well. I want to be able to sort by type (color = type?) and have specific colors only enter specific cells. As seen in the model provided, in the manual cell the outputted green units return back into the cell as if it had no accomplished processing already. How do I over come this and use separating by type where type = color.

Thank you in advance. ConveyorSystem.fsm

Software Version:

FlexSim 17.1.6

conveyor sorting color

conveyorsystem.fsm (33.7 KiB)

Answer 1 · 2023-07-19T19:18:55Z

Carter Walch answered Jul 19, '23

Hi @browna15 ,

conveyorsystem (1).fsm

First off, we recommend that you upgrade your license to make tasks like this easier. However it is still very possible by using labels on your flow items.

In each source, we add a label 1 for red items and 2 for blue items. We can use labels like this in the decision point triggers to know where to send items. The label is called "Type" and can be referenced with item.Type.

At the first decision point, we use this label to send red items (Type = 1) to the first output connection and blue items (Type = 2) to continue down the conveyor.

After items are process at either the manual or automatic station, we update the Type label to be 3 to represent finished items. We also update the items to be green. This allows us to later send items based on this label.

Finally, any finished items (green items) have a Type label of 3 so we can send them to the right decision point based on this label. The case function and cases mean that if an item has a Type label of 2, send it to the first connected output, and if the Type label is 3, send to the second output (meaning continue to the sink). Let me know if that makes sense

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conveyorsystem-1.fsm (34.1 KiB)