SHRI KRISHNA EDUCATIONAL MANDAL

SHRI GULABRAO DEOKAR COLLEGE OF

ENGINEERING JALGAON (M.S)
DEPARTMENT OF AUTOMOBILE
ENGINEERING
“A PROJECT REPORT”
“ON”
“Fabrication of mini conveyor using
Mechanical (Geneva) Mechanism”

• SUBMITTED BY
• ANKET S. HIWARKHEDE
• NILESH S. PATIL
• SANKET S. HIWARKHEDE
• SALMAN A. PATEL

GUIDED BY

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 Prof .HEMANT SWARNKAR

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SHRI GULABRAO DEOKAR COLLAGE

ENGINEERING JALGAON – 42500
DEPARTMENT OF AUTOMOBILE ENGINEERING

CERTIFICATE
Certified that the mini project work entitled “Fabrication of mini
conveyor using Mechanical (Geneva) Mechanism” is a bona
fide work carried out by

• ANKET S. HIWARKHEDE
• NILESH S. PATIL
• SANKET S. HIWARKHEDE
• SALMAN A. PATEL

The report has been approved as it satisfies the

academic requirements of mini project work prescribed
for the course_____________________ ______________________

Mr. HEMANT SWARNKAR Mr. SANDIP PATIL

Mini -project co-ordinator Head of the Department

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SHRI GULABRAO DEOKAR COLLAGE

ENGINEERING JALGAON – 425001
DEPARMENT OF AUTOMOBILE ENGINEERING

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Abstract:
Geneva mechanism is a method to transform continuous circular
motion into intermittent/fixed step circular motion i.e. a circular
motion produced in equal intervals of time and resulting in the same
displacement. The name “Geneva” is derived from Geneva, Switzerland
where in its earliest days the device was used in mechanical
watchmaking. The Geneva drive is also called a Maltese cross
mechanism due to their visual similarity. A conveyer belt is basically a
linear belt usually made up of rubber or plastic compounds (of high
strength) combined with one or more layers of fabrics such as nylon,
polyester, neoprene, or nitrile. It has a basic function of transporting
material from one point to another. A simple Geneva mechanism
consists of a drive wheel (connected to motor) and a driven wheel
(connected to belt pulleys). The drive wheel is a disk with a pin or a
shaft near its circumference. The driven wheel consists of several slots.
The drive wheel is kept next to the driven wheel in such a way that
when the drive wheel is rotated, the pin or shaft fits inside the slot of
driven wheel. As it reaches the inner most point of the slot, the pin
exerts a force on the driven wheel. As the driven wheel is pivoted from
the center, a moment is produced which causes the generation of a
torque, leading to the rotation of the driven wheel and the pulley
attached to it. Hence, there is an intermittent circular motion in them
resulting in the movement of the belt. There are several types of
Geneva rotator such as external Geneva rotator, internal Geneva
rotator and spherical Geneva rotator. The mechanism that I will be using
for the conveyer belt is of an External Geneva rotator in which the
rotating drive wheel interacts with the driven wheel externally. This
mechanism results in instantaneous motion at regular intervals and can

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withstand higher mechanical stresses. The mechanism has numerous

applications in many industries especially the automobile industry.

Criteria for selection of material:

The material for different components was selected by assessing tensile
strength and modulus, flexural strength and modulus, impact strength,
compressive strength, fatigue endurance, creep, and stress-relaxation
properties depending on the application. This ensures that design will
work efficiently without any probability of failure. However, unexpected
conditions like being subjected to a higher load than expected or being
damaged by a chemical can affect the system.
Furthermore, the cost factor is also very important in selecting material.

Introduction:
In this section, a comprehensive account of the fundamental materials
and equipment used in the fabrication of a mini-conveyer belt using
Geneva mechanism is given below:

i) Frame/Stand:
Purpose:
This is the part which bears the load of all other components as they
are mounted on it. The frame material must have the capability to
endure the load and offer minimum deformation. It will consist of a
rectangular base with 6 vertical rectangular columns (one column for

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the Geneva drive wheel, one for the driven wheel and four for the belt
and pulleys to be fixed on).
Material:
Wood (Oak wood) will be used instead of any metal as it is cheaper,
lighter in weight yet strong and durable, and if the wirings between
motor and drive wheel get exposed and touch the frame, there will be
no dangers of getting electric shock.
Design:
Base: 13 mm thick with a cross-section of 600 mm x 400 mm
Column: 205 mm tall with a cross-section of 50 x 25 mm 5 .
CAD Model (I Modeled it in Fusion 360)

Fig.1

ii) Geneva Mechanism:

It will consist of a Drive Wheel and a Driven wheel.
Purpose:
It will change continuous circular motion into fixed step circular motion.
The rest of its mechanism has been explained earlier.
Material:
Wood (Oak wood) will be used. Reasons of preferring wood have been
stated earlier.
Design:

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The driven wheel has 4 slots. By changing the number of slots, we can
alter the time of rotation of the wheel. Rest of the dimensions are
discussed later.
CAD MODEL of a simple Geneva Mechanism (I Modelled it in Fusion
360):

Fig.2

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iii) Flat Belts:
Purpose:
It will be used for transporting objects from one location to another.
Material:
Polyurethane Rubber is used in flat belts.
Design: It is discussed later.
Image: Black polyurethane belt shown below:

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iv) Crowned Pulleys:

Purpose:
Flat belt pulleys are used in transmission systems that are driven by flat
belts, usually for high-speed and low-power applications. The driven
Geneva wheel transmits torque to pulleys which in turn apply kinetic
power on the belt. The purpose of a crowned pulley (or tapered pulley)
is to assist belt tracking. In most operating conditions, a belt follows the
path of highest tension, due to which the diameter of the pulley is
greater in the center compared to the ends. Tension on a flat belt is
usually established to stretch the belts a little and it is achieved by
adjusting the distance between pulleys.
Material: Mild Steel (polished) is used in pulleys.
Design: It is discussed later.
CAD MODEL (I modelled it in Fusion 360):

Fig.4

v) 5V DC motor:
Purpose:

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A DC motor is a device to convert electrical energy input to
mechanical/kinetic energy output via a simple mechanism that uses
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magnetic field and electricity to produce a torque. Electric current is
passed through the coil that is placed in a permanent magnetic field. A
force is generated in the coil (according to the Lorentz law, Force =
Current x Length of the wire x Magnetic flux, where x = cross product).
This produces a torque on the coil, the forces produced on both sides of
the coil are equal and opposite thus a couple moment is produced.
When the coil reaches 90°, the torque becomes 0, then the momentum
of the coil causes it to turn. A continuous motion is achieved like this.
The DC motor will be connected to the Geneva drive wheel, causing it
to rotate due to the torque produced in it. We can control the rotation
speed of the Geneva Drive wheel by varying the supplied Voltage using
a Rheostat or doing Pulse Width Modulation of Voltage using a
microcontroller. Greater the voltage, greater the speed of rotation.
Image:
A 5V DC motor connected to an Arduino Microcontroller

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Fig.5

Precautions while handling apparatus:

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) Ensure that main power supply and benchtop DC power supply are
switched off while the apparatus is being set up. ii) It should be
ensured that the wires being used are not damaged (their insulation is
intact) so that there is no risk of electric shock. iii) Do not put extreme
loads on the belt so that it does not snap (tear out) or get damaged by
friction and heat up. iv) Ensure that no eatables and drinks are placed
near the experiment.
v) Ensure that the frame/structure is intact with all fasteners
tightened sufficiently so there is no risk of collapse during operation.
vi) Ensure that the pulleys are lubricated sufficiently so that there is
a smooth and quiet operation without any risk of damage. vii) Do not
apply high values of voltage to the DC motor so that it does not get
damaged. Adjust the value accordingly.

Overall Working Principle:

The working of Geneva mechanism was stated earlier; a continuous
rotary motion is converted into the intermittent rotary motion. The 5V
DC Motor is connected with the Geneva drive wheel. The voltage of the
motor is being monitored and supplied by the benchtop DC power
supply. To control the direction of the rotation of motor, without
changing the way that the leads are connected, an H-Bridge circuit can
be used. An Arduino microcontroller or a regulator (rheostat) can be 9.
used to vary the speed of motor. The Geneva drive wheel consists of a
pin and the Geneva driven wheel consisting of 4 slots. When Voltage is
applied to the motor, it rotates, making the drive wheel rotate as well.

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When the pin of drive wheel inserts in a slot of the driven wheel, it
causes the latter to rotate. The Geneva driven wheel is coupled to a
crowned flat belt pulley. When the driven wheel rotates, this pulley also
rotates and as the pulley at the other end of the belt is free to
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rotate as well, motion is induced in the belt. Hence, an object placed on
the belt can now be transferred from one position to the other.

Fig.6

Results and Discussion:

The theoretical values obtained can then be applied practically for the
experiment. Some experimental values may slightly differ from
theoretical values due to the varying environment/surrounding
conditions and the rounding off of values in the theoretical part. By and
large, the system would work properly. The Geneva drive pin would
smoothly insert in the Geneva driven slot. One of the crowned pulleys
will be welded to driven wheel, due to which the pulley will able to
rotate along with the driven wheel. The second pulley will be set on the
other end of the belt. This results in the movement of the belt which
might be a little jerky so proper lubrication between pulleys and belt
should be ensured.

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Following are the advantages of Geneva Mechanism Conveyor Belt:
i) Available in a wide variety of sizes ii) Maintains good control of its
load at all times iii) Minimal wear and tear leading to a long life span
iv) Cheap cost
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Sufficient Time delay can be achieved easily vi)
Simple setup/installation in industry
However, there are some drawbacks: i) Difficult to change timing once
design is finalized ii) Not a versatile mechanism iii) Once the number of
dwells per revolution has been selected, the ratio of dwell period to
motion is also established. iv) All Geneva acceleration curves start and
end with finite acceleration & deceleration which means they produce
jerk.
Despite the drawbacks, this mechanism is used in many industries.
Few of its application are:
i) Used in mechanical watches ii) Pen change mechanism in plotters,
automated sampling devices iii) Indexing tables in assembly lines, tool
changers for CNC machines iv) The Iron Ring Clock, prepared by
students of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada uses a
Geneva mechanism to provide intermittent motion to one of its rings.
v) Modern film projectors may also use an electronically controlled
indexing mechanism or stepper motor, which allows fast-forwarding the
film.

Conclusion:
Components were designed and modelled by me in Fusion 360. I also
did the animation of the whole assembly in Fusion 360 before software
issues in my PC arose, to ensure that the working is proper and
complete. In this way my software knowledge was further polished.

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Apart from this, I gained practical knowledge about the principle and
working of Geneva mechanism for belt conveyors. I plan to fabricate it
as soon as our institute reopens, and labs begin as usual. Due to the
aforementioned benefits of Geneva Mechanism Conveyor Belt, this

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project can be applied to a larger scale in industries, especially in

production lines, where significant amount of labor is used for the
material handling purpose. Using this mechanism can cut down the cost
of additional labor and also reduce the working time as fewer workers
can complete the operation more efficiently. The primary goal of
transporting the materials at regular interval of time will also be
achieved.

References:
[1]www.tutorialspoint.com/arduino_DCmotor
[2]electronics.stackexchange.com/DCmotor
[3]tech.txdi.org/smalldcmotors
[4]www.etonm.com/DCmotor
[5]polyurethanebelts.com
[6]www.machinedesign.com/Geneva
[7]emweb.unl.edu/GenevaMechanism
[8] www.instructables.com/id/Make-Geneva-Wheels-of-Any-Size-in-a-EasierWay/
[9] www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqYSWflnKr4
[10] www.retechprojects.com
[11] www.academia.edu/35022917/DESIGN_AND_FABRICATION_OF_GENEVA_OP
ERATED_BELT_CONVEYOR
[12] www.instructables.com/GenevaMechanism

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[13] www.mechanicalwalkins.com/GenevaMechanism
[14]www.ijarse.com/GenevaConveyor

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