New Product Development – Non Contact Sensor

Sensors play an important role in automated systems.  In a previous post, I mentioned a newspaper gripper system that is used to move newspapers with precision throughout a newspaper production facility.  I served as project manager on a number of those projects and was also attached to the Research and Development team responsible for creating the gripper conveyor product for the company.

As a member of the development team, it was important to understand the sophistication and limitations as well as expense of the embedded control systems that positioned each gripper to a specific newspaper coming off a printing press at rates up to 80,000 per hour.  One of the more expensive components to this system was a laser positioning system used to identify a newspaper’s position.

My solution developed in part by recognizing that we needed to detect the bottom edge of the newspaper as the grippers intercepted the newspapers from the underside.  I opted for a contact sensor that used a sensing pin embedded with a diamond tip to reduce the wear from the abrasive newsprint. This pin was attached to a spring mechanism that held a piezoelectric film strip. Every time a newspaper passed over the sensor, the pin was depressed and when the newspaper passed the spring loaded pin released causing the piezo film to discharge.  This discharge current was sensed and analyzed to identify the position of the newspaper.

Projects Overview

Company:  Hall Processing Systems

Savings per sensor: @ $3,500

Time to develop: 6 months

Patent No: #4,974,237

Organization structure:  traditional organization

Project Type: New product development

Number of Projects Managed: 1

Several specific projects were implemented:  Bangor Daily News, Portland Press Herald, Louisville Courier, Camden Press Herald, Arizona Republic Phoenix Gazette

Largest single project team: 1

Organizational authority of project manager:  engineering and materials, manufacturing