Provided is a color sorting machine capable of properly removing foreign mater even when the specific gravity of the object to be sorted is low. A color sorting machine M1 removes foreign matter F in the object to be sorted being conveyed from a conveyance route G into a removal route R. The color sorting machine M1 is equipped with a supply portion 1 supplying the object to be sorted to the conveyance route G, a sorting portion 2 surrounding a sorting region R and partially formed by transparent walls 21a and 21b, a first conveying portion 3 surrounding the periphery of the conveyance route G to the sorting region R, a second conveying portion 4 hermetically surrounding the periphery of the conveyance route G from the sorting region R, a removing portion 5 hermetically surrounding the periphery of the removal route D extending from the sorting region R, an air intake port 32, a detection device 6 optically detecting the foreign matter F in the object to be sorted, a removal device 7 having an ejection port 72 hermetically inserted into the sorting portion 2, and a first suction device 8 provided in the second conveying portion 4 and sucking in the air in the conveyance route G to thereby generating an airflow heading for the second conveying portion 4 from the air intake port 32.

A novel consumer grade automatic sorter for pieces is disclosed with an application to organizing interlocking toy brick systems. The invention of a novel means to propel and separate pieces, and process sensor data in combination with standard methods for binning and storage. A novel mechanical screw is proposed to propel the parts. The device comprises a novel combination of backgrounds and artificial intelligence/machine learning to enable sensing of colors, estimation of size, and transparency of pieces. In addition, a method to embed a neural network efficiently on a microcontroller is disclosed.

An inspection system is configured for use with a conveyer apparatus including carrier bars. Each carrier bar conveys pellet-shaped articles along a predetermined path. The inspection system includes at least one camera unit for sensing a predetermined characteristic of the pellet-shaped articles, a removal unit, and a controller. The removal unit, downstream from the at least one camera unit, removes selected pellet-shaped article(s) from the carrier bar(s) depending on whether the characteristic is sensed by the at least one camera unit. The controller is in communication with the at least one camera unit and the removal unit. The controller provides a signal to the removal unit in accordance with the sensed characteristic. The removal unit includes a rotatable ejection drum having extended vacuum nozzles along its length, equal to the number of articles conveyed in each carrier bar. Each vacuum nozzle selectively removes article(s) from the carrier bar(s) by suction.

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for container chutes for sortation systems. In one embodiment, an example system may include a frame and a chute assembly coupled to the frame, where the chute assembly is configured to pivot from a first position to a second position with respect to the frame. The chute assembly may include a first planar ramp, a first support on a first side of the first planar ramp, and a second support on a second side of the first planar ramp. The chute assembly may include a first pneumatic lift component coupled to the first support and to the frame, and a second pneumatic lift component coupled to the second support and to the frame. The chute assembly may be held in the second position when the first pneumatic lift component and the second pneumatic lift component are in a compressed configuration.

An inspection system is configured for use with a conveyer apparatus including carrier bars. Each carrier bar conveys pellet-shaped articles along a predetermined path. The inspection system includes at least one camera unit for sensing a predetermined characteristic of the pellet-shaped articles, a removal unit, and a controller. The removal unit, downstream from the at least one camera unit, removes selected pellet-shaped article(s) from the carrier bar(s) depending on whether the characteristic is sensed by the at least one camera unit. The controller is in communication with the at least one camera unit and the removal unit. The controller provides a signal to the removal unit in accordance with the sensed characteristic. The removal unit includes a rotatable ejection drum having extended vacuum nozzles along its length, equal to the number of articles conveyed in each carrier bar. Each vacuum nozzle selectively removes article(s) from the carrier bar(s) by suction.

An object conveying system is provided. The system comprises guide plate (10) having at least one channel (11) for conveying an object (0) between a first end (11a) and second end (11b) of the corresponding channel (11). Each channel (11) comprises a first aperture (121) provided at a first longitudinal position thereof (P1).The system further comprises an object measurement unit (13) for conducting an optical measurement associated with a property of the object via the first aperture (121) when the object passes the first aperture (121) towards the second end (11b). At least one ejector unit (14) is arranged to eject the object conveyed on the corresponding channel when reaching a second longitudinal position (P2, P2) located downstream of the first aperture (121) based on the measured property of the object and a timing signal associated with a conveying velocity of the object being conveyed along the channel (11).

Provided is a method for processing electronic and electrical device component scrap, which can increase an amount of electronic and electrical device component scrap processed in a smelting step and efficiently recover valuable metals. The method for processing electronic and electrical device component scrap includes: a step 1 of removing powdery materials and film-shaped component scrap from the electronic and electrical device component scrap; a step 2 of concentrating synthetic resins and substrates from the electronic and electrical device component scrap from which the powdery materials and film-shaped component scrap have been removed; and a step 3 of concentrating the substrates containing valuable metals from a concentrate obtained in the step 2.

An insect sortation system can track movement of insects along a predefined pathway. The insect sortation system includes a puff-back system for moving insects toward an inlet of the pathway and a puff-forward system for moving insects toward an outlet of the pathway. An overhead imaging system captures images of the insects at one or more locations along the pathway. Once imaged, the insect may be classified into a category (e.g., sex category, species category, size category, etc.) using a variety of different classification approaches including, for example, an industrial vision classifier and/or a machine learning classifier. Once classified, the insects can be directed to various chambers for subsequent processing.

There is provided a component supply device for supplying a component to a component mounter, including; a transporter that transports a carrier tape in which the component is stored and of which an upper surface is sealed with a cover tape, along a transport path; a peeler that is disposed above the transport path and peels off the cover tape from the carrier tape; and an ejector that ejects a gas for capturing the cover tape by the peeler.

Provided is a color sorting machine capable of properly removing foreign mater even when the specific gravity of the object to be sorted is low. A color sorting machine MI removes foreign matter F in the object to be sorted being conveyed from a conveyance route G into a removal route R. The color sorting machine M1 is equipped with a supply portion 1 supplying the object to be sorted to the conveyance route G, a sorting portion 2 surrounding a sorting region R and partially formed by transparent walls 21a and 21b, a first conveying portion 3 surrounding the periphery of the conveyance route G to the sorting region R, a second conveying portion 4 hermetically surrounding the periphery of the conveyance route G from the sorting region R, a removing portion 5 hermetically surrounding the periphery of the removal route D extending from the sorting region R, an air intake port 32, a detection device 6 optically detecting the foreign matter F in the object to be sorted, a removal device 7 having an ejection port 72 hermetically inserted into the sorting portion 2, and a first suction device 8 provided in the second conveying portion 4 and sucking in the air in the conveyance route G to thereby generating an airflow heading for the second conveying portion 4 from the air intake port 32.