Designing a conveyor system involves more than just bolting a motor to a frame. If you undersize the motor, it won't start under load due to breakaway torque . If you oversize it, you waste thousands on electricity and oversized VFDs. In this guide, we will walk through the engineering math required to size a conveyor motor and gearbox correctly, specifically focusing on the critical "Dynamic Tension" resulting from inertia. Table of Contents 1. The Physics: Effective Pull (Te) 2. Calculating Motor Power (Worked Example) 3. The Inertia Problem: VFD vs DOL 4. Gearbox Ratio Selection 5. Frequently Asked Questions Advertisement 1. The Physics: Effective Pull (Te) The first step in any sizing calculation is determining the Effective Pull ( T e ) . This is the sum of all forces resisting the motion of the belt. The Basic Formula: T e = F friction + F gravity + F material...
Motion Simulation with Microsoft Excel Mechanical design usually deals with the movement of several parts. There are a lot of software packages that help simulate the movement of machine parts, such as NX (UG), Solid Edge, and SolidWorks. Advertisement But how do you make a simulation without those expensive software packages? I use Microsoft Excel to simulate my timing diagrams. As you can see in the video above, it provides a clear visual representation of the machine's cycle. How it Works Actually, it is nothing but motion simulation using the graphing method in Microsoft Excel. While it cannot simulate complex 3D collisions or physics like high-end CAD, it helps you get a feel for how your machine will behave according to your timing diagram. This technique uses VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) to control the movements. Here is the general workflow: Prepare the Spreadsheet: Create a table defining the geometry (...