Pick & Place Technology Trial

ENSC-41 worked with Kaiser Aluminum to design an automation system framework to help automate the cranes which Kaiser uses to move plates from their assembly lines onto various wagons. This automation system consists of a camera and collection of Python scripts that work in tandem to identify and locate plates and communicate their location to the cranes PLC controllers. The team’s system can locate the edges of a plate coming down the assembly line to an accuracy of +/- 1 inch and communicate that data quickly to the crane’s controller system. The wagon location and height are also detected and relayed to the crane. The crane can then use the locations of the plate and wagon to pick the plate up off the assembly line and place it on the intended wagon.

» Ethan Higa, Computer Engineering

» Dylan Brown, Electrical Engineering

» Jovan Koledin, Electrical Engineering

» Jason Dhanota, Computer Engineering

ADVISOR: Chris Nicol

DAB: Gary Holmesmith, Scott Schwartz

SPONSOR: Kaiser Aluminum

LIAISON: Chris Nicol, Scott Warnick, Ken Lucas