How to model a shelf so it moves along the chain while the chain stays stationary, for use in a digital twin

Component Modeling
1

Hello everyone, My name is Do ,I’m from Thailand How to model a shelf so it moves along the chain while the chain stays stationary, and make the shelf move in a continuous loop, as shown in the video.

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I would like to ask for help from everyone who has expertise. Thank you in advance. Respectfully.

2

You could try to use the “Vertical Paternoster” as a model to build your component. It doesn’t look exactly the same, but you could use some of its logic.

It works with a Path for the carriers, a Path for the entering products and one for the exiting products. With PathSignals, you can know when a product is there and when a carrier is there. At the moment a PythonScript makes it work automatically (when a carrier arrive at the entrance and a product is there, it will grab it, otherwise just continue), but you could modify it to be able to control it yourself with signals.

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2 Likes
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Thanks for the suggestion! The Vertical Paternoster model looks very close to what I’m trying to achieve, especially the separation between carrier path and product paths.

I’m interested in reusing the logic with PathSignals and possibly replacing the automatic PythonScript behavior with external control.

Could you explain a bit more about:

  • How the PathSignals are typically structured to detect both carrier and product at the entrance?

  • Where the PythonScript is attached (component vs. controller), and how it decides when to grab or skip a product?

  • Whether it’s feasible to fully control the grab/release logic via signals (e.g. from a PLC or state machine) instead of the internal script?

Any guidance or example would be really helpful. Thanks again.

4
  • the Component Path Sensors are connected to a Path, and can detect components on this Path arriving on a Frame. I actually did not precise on my diagram, but there is one Path Sensor on the path for the incoming product, and another one on the Path for incoming carriers. This Sensors can be linked to Signal, to know when a products arrive.
  • The PythonScript is in the component, you can open it in the modeling tab.
  • If you adapt the OnRun and the OnSignal in the Python Script, you could control it the grab/release via signal.