Part tracking on a Unilogic conveyor — encoder vs photo-eye train

Plant floor & careersField note

The question

Unitronics Unilogic, 40 ft belt, 6 rejects. Tracking works at 30 fpm and loses the part at 80. Do you lock the encoder to the belt drum or trust a photo-eye train and a FIFO? Looking for a pattern that survives a belt slip.

TS ControlsThe answer

Encoder on the drum, FIFO of positions, photo-eye as a corrector not the clock. At 80 fpm belt slip is real — resync at each eye and drop the part if the error is bigger than one pocket. Don't clock the whole train off the first eye; one missed pulse and you scrap a shift.

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