Help with motion

[Guest gouziee]

Hello, I am a third year mechanical engineering student that was thrown an automation project during a summer job. I have little experience with PLC's and other automation devices. The project I was given was an automated cutting machine using a die. The device must cut out an item from a reel with a fairly high degree of accuracy. I am using a keyence vision system to locate where the appropriate place to cut is and I plan on feeding this information into a pc. I need to then make some quick calculations (using vb or c++, both of which I have quite a bit of experience in so it should not be a problem) and tell 2 linear actuators and a stepper motor where to move the die to and what angle to rotate it to. An air cylinder then needs to cut out the item and another needs to then pick it up using a suction cup. I understand the mechanics and structure of the system, however I do not know exactly how to control it. I have spent hours researching this, reading through proprietary marketing brochures and sifting through confusing and complex company websites. I am confident that once I have the right product that I can make it work, but I am at a loss of what to purchase. I would really appreciate any advice on what to look for or another resource that would provide some help. Thanks! Evan Gouzie

[Guest Guest_Gerry]

If you already have a Keyence vision system, then check out their PLC. Also, it sounds like you may need some motion control. There are alot of details that need to go into motion control, vision, and PLC. In this case, I would say your a bit over your head. Look into hiring a local controls integrator.