Determining the most probable natural resting orientation of sector shaped parts

Abstract

PurposeIdentifying the most probable natural resting orientation of a part, in automatic handling, helps in the effective design of feeder and orientation devices. For parts with complex geometries and topologies, it is not always intuitively apparent what the natural resting probability of each orientation is. The purpose of this paper is to determine, by theoretical methods, the probability of occurrence of each natural resting orientation of eight different typical sector shaped parts.Design/methodology/approachProbability of natural resting orientations were found using theoretical methods and drop test. Pearson's χ 2 test was used to decide whether to accept or reject the expected data by comparing with the observed data.FindingsIrrespective of dimensions and material, the most probable natural resting orientation was the same. Height of drop was influential in the probability of most probable natural resting orientation.Research limitations/implicationsThe research does not include objects with minimum thickness (i.e. 2D objects).Originality/valueThe paper shows that determining the most probable natural resting orientation will help designers to design the part feeders effectively.