In which production stages do faults related to feeding and positioning typically occur?

1. Incoming Material Conveying Stage

When steel pipes roll into the positioning station, issues such as **pipe bending, inconsistent lengths, and end burrs** can easily cause jamming or positioning misalignment; worn conveyor rollers or roller surfaces fouled with iron filings lead to slippage, resulting in inaccurate pipe arrival and false triggering of positioning sensors.

2. Mechanical Positioning Stop / Side-Push Mechanism Stage

Air leaks or worn seals in the stop cylinder (e.g., AirTAC type) result in insufficient thrust; deformed stops or loose bolts cause inconsistent stopping positions; iron oxide scale accumulation in the side-push guide slot causes jerky movement, leading to lateral positioning deviations.

3. Detection and Sensing Stage

Dust or iron filings on photoelectric/proximity switches cause false signal triggering or signal loss; vibration shifts the sensor mounting bracket, causing detection point misalignment; worn cables lead to poor contact, resulting in intermittent signal detection.

 4. Air Supply Stage (Air Pre-treatment)

Moisture or oil in the compressed air causes unstable cylinder operation; pressure fluctuations in the regulator lead to inconsistent thrust in the positioning cylinder; a clogged filter restricts air supply, preventing the positioning mechanism from completing its stroke.

 5. Machine Frame and Tooling Datum Stage

Long-term heavy-load vibration loosens the machine frame's anchor bolts, shifting the overall reference datum; wear on positioning tooling shims reduces repeatability and degrades positioning consistency across batches of pipes.

6. PLC Programming and System Coordination Stage

Cycle time mismatches between upstream and downstream processes cause the next pipe to feed before the previous one is fully positioned; improper program delay settings lead to collisions or interference between pipes, disrupting the positioning process.