Circuit Design for Label Feeder

Here's just one to get you started. There are more. Just check the list.

Block diagram of circuit given below can work for a dual stack 6 or 5 wire 4 Phase stepper,You can put a preset pulse counter in between to to adjust the length of strip.

Hello toolman911965,

"Simple" is somewhat ambiguous. This is a circuit I have used:

SW1 allows you to choose between a motor voltage of 5V or 12V. For your application, you could have a digital input to the PIC16F88 telling it that the strip was cut - you would have to have some kind of switch/sensor to tell it when this happens.

The use of the PIC16F88 microcontroller gives you a lot of flexibility, but you need to program it. According to your post, it would be a very simple program.

If you have questions, feel free to ask.

Mike

Thank you, actually the label does not need cut, but I have thought about things and my client decided maybe since he has air lines we would actually use an air actuator to move the system with a spring return or a dual action actuator. This would effectively eliminate electric needs, and possibly a simple hydraulic foot pedal with a linear actator might work well. I will look these circuits over however and see if they might do what I need.

These all look great and may well work. I was actually thinking yesterday of a simpler way but am not sure how to best initiate it. Basically on the drive gear there would be a pin that can be set for a specified length. rather than a stepper motor, I was thinking of a simple motor with a foot switch. when the foot switch is pushed the motor turns and when the pin on the gear hits a stop switch the system stops. The key here is this is a unique labeler and a one time device so simple maintenance is key, if something goes wrong I would like it to be an easy fix with off the shelf components. I have the design layed out and rather than a complex circuit would something like this be reasonably easy. I studied electronics back in high school 26 years ago but do not remember very much of it. Rather than a lot of components it seems this would work. The button is pushed, the motor turns until it hits a switch which shuts the motor off, then the button is pushed again and it moves the same. The drive gear would be interchangeable with different gears in a set for several lengths. I am not sure I have explained it simply but if something such as this might work it would be much simpler circuit.

a limit switch?

Yes, that is what I was thinking of but it totally slipped my mind. If I place gears with the appropriate ratio to dispense the correct amount of label and have a limit switch so that as the gear turns it will hit the switch and stop the motor until the pedal is pressed again. Thank you.

Don't forget old MO; (momentum, inertia, etc); might want to think about a brake.

Hello Shawn,

If you want simple, inexpensive, and reliable label feeding, then duplicate what you see in every printer and copier that is mass marketed-- i.e. a stepper motor turning the feed rollers. It may be easy for you to set a limit switch, but wait until you have to explain it to a technician over the telephone.

The circuit suggested by Mr. rakesh semwal is straightforward and does not require programming. His block diagram should have shown SE (or NE) 555, not 55, in the first rectangle. If you substitute a dual 555 timer (556) for the single 555 clock shown, you can adjust the paper length. The first timer is configured as an adjustable one-shot with a graduated dial set potentiometer controlling its duration. This effectively sets paper length by controlling the run time of the stepper motor for each trigger signal received from your foot switch.

The potentiometer could be rotary or linear to control the label length, linear might be more intuitive. The stepper motor running at normal speed will stop with no "coasting". All you need to know is the parts are abundant and cheap in easily breadboardable DIP packaging. You can power the circuit and stepper motor from a single 5 volt "wall wart" voltage regulator.

Google "555 timer circuits" and "stepper motor" for all you need to know. BTW be sure to use a form 'C' contact foot switch that resets the circuit when you do not push it and use a one-shot that is not re-triggerable while timing.

Best of luck,

Luther M

Actually I have decided to go with a semi automatic process using either an air actuator or cable to move a drive gear a set distance with a pressure roller to feed the paper backing. by doing this a known rotation of the feed roller will move a set amount of label each time it is activated. the client has air at his location so a simple actuator and some gearing with different settings for the different lengths of labels will give reliable results. thank you for the information and I may use it too.