Silverware sorting machine

Automation is the art and technique of automatically controlling and operating processes by taking the place of human observation, effort and decision in order to reduce operating costs and improve efficiency and productivity. Sorting silverware pieces after being washed by a dishwasher machine in places like hotels and restaurants is a costly and time consuming process which can be improved by automation.;In this project we designed and constructed a silverware sorting machine. The machine is to detect the type and orientation of 4 different silverware pieces and place them into different bins depending upon a specific working mode. The detection and sorting processes are to be independent of the material of which the pieces are made, such that the machine sorts any type of piece composed of any material.;An implemented working mode is to place all pieces of same type and same orientation together.;The project was conducted in two major phases: (1) Design and Building the Mechanical System: In this phase a simple and effective mechanism was designed to sort the pieces into separate bins off of a conveyor belt. In order to run the mechanisms pneumatic actuators were implemented. (2) Design of the Control System: A computer program is developed that can detect the entrance of a piece into the machine and can recognize the type and orientation of each silverware piece. Regarding this data it then commands the proper mechanical component at the proper time so that each piece ends up into the designated bin.;The machine was tested with different entries and the accuracy of each part of the machine (mechanical and control) along with the accuracy of the whole system were calculated and reported.