Phase 3. Electrodes wrapping and group assembly

After curing, the electrodes must be wrapped in isolating envelopes before their terminals are connected to each other to form electrode groups. We will start modeling this production step with adding the necessary elements to the layout.

Draw the layout
  1. Double-click the Conveyor element in the Material Handling section of the Space Markup palette.
  2. Draw the conveyor over the layout as displayed in the image below.
  3. Name it wrappingConveyor.

    To draw a circular turn, press the left mouse button at the conveyor's next turning point, move the mouse with the left mouse button being pressed until you get the segment of the required shape. Release the mouse button when finished adjusting the form of the conveyor segment:


    Finish drawing the line by placing the double click at the ending point.

  4. In the conveyor's properties specify the following:

    a. Material item type: Electrode,
    b. Z: 20
    c. Width: 0.5 meters.

    When you finish, the conveyor should look like this:

  5. Drag the Station element from the Material Handling Library palette and place it on the wrappingConveyor:


  6. Name it wrappingStation.
  7. In the station's properties switch the Visible parameter to no.
  8. Adjust the wrappingStation parameters as follows:

    a. Set the station's Length to 0.5 meter.
    b. Set the Process time to 1 second.
    c. Don't change the default value of Quantity: 1.
    d. In the Loading parameter select the Simultaneous with unloading option.

  9. Next, we will define the separate areas where the assembly process will take place. The electrodes will pass through each area during different stages of processing. We will use the Rectangle node elements to mark these areas:


    a. wrappedElectrodeBuffer - a temporary storage location for wrapped electrodes before they are collected into blocks. Width: 25 and Height: 20.
    b. assembleArea - an area where the blocks are assembled. Width: 15 and Height: 20.
    c. assembledBlocksBuffer - a temporary storage location for assembled blocks of electrodes. Width: 20 and Height: 20.

    Make sure the dimensions and placement of these nodes exactly correspond to the image above and the instructions give here, since the nodes must fit the 3D animation object which we will add during the next step.

  10. In the properties of all these nodes specify the following:

    a. Visible: no
    b. Location layout: Arranged
    c. Z: 20

Add the 3D animation

  1. Drag the Plate Enveloper 3D object from the Manufacturing section of the 3D objects palette to the Main graphical diagram.
  2. In the displayed Auto scale 3D object dialog window click the Yes button.
  3. Adjust the placement of the 3D object over the wrappingStation as displayed in the image below:

  4. In the same manner use the COS Machine 3D figure from the Manufacturing section of the 3D objects palette to create the assembly area animation.
  5. In the properties of the figure, specify the Additional scale: 160%. Note, that this is a complex 3D object and you have to specify the scale for both elements that comprise it. Click through the 3D object to select its parts. On the first click, the whole object will be selected. On the second click, the first part will be selected, and on the third click - the second part.
  6. Use the handle to rotate the 3D figure 90 degrees to the right. Consult the image below for correct placement:


Now, let's define the logic behind the electrodes wrapping process.

Add the wrapping logic to the flowchart

Before being wrapped in the envelopes, the electrodes must be removed from the batches.

  1. Drag the Unbatch block from the Process Modeling Library palette on the Main graphical diagram and add it to the flowchart before the sink block.
  2. Name the block unbatchElectrodes.
  3. Select Electrode in the Element type property.

The wrapping will take place on the wrappingConveyor, therefore we have to add another block to model the movement of the electrodes along the conveyor.
  1. Add the Convey block to the flowchart after the unbatchElectrodes block.
  2. Name it wrappingConvey.
  3. Adjust its properties as follows:

    a. In the Source conveyor parameter select the wrappingConveyor.
    b. In the Target conveyor parameter select the wrappingConveyor.
    d. Select the Leave conveyor on exit check box.

The wrapped electrodes will change their color once again. To model this, we will use the wrappingStation.
  1. Open the wrappingStation properties and expand the Actions section.
  2. In the On process finished field type the following code: agent.color = white;


  3. Run the model and observe the electrodes wrapping process.

Assembly into blocks

First of all, we need a new material item type to represent the assembled electrode groups.

Create a new material item type

  1. Drag the Material Item Type element from the Material Handling Library palette to the Main graphical diagram.
  2. In the New agent wizard specify the Agent type name: BatteryBlock and click Finish.
  3. In the BatteryBlock graphical editor select the scale element and set the Ruler length corresponds to: 1 meter.
  4. Drag the Plate Group 3D object from the Manufacturing section 3D objects palette to the BatteryBlock graphical diagram and place it at the axis origin.
  5. In the displayed Auto scale 3D object dialog window click the Yes button.
  6. Ctrl drag the 3D object twice to make two copies and arrange them as displayed in the image below:


To describe the assembly process in the flowchart diagram, we will use the Assembler block.

Add the groups assembly logic

  1. Drag the Assembler block from the Process Modeling Library palette to the Main graphical diagram and add it to the chart before the sink block.
  2. Make sure that the connection is established with the uppermost in port of the assembler block.
  3. In the properties of the assembler block specify the following parameters:

    a. The number of incoming agents needed to assemble a single new agent in the Quantity 1: 15.
    b. The Quantity 2: 0.
    c. The New agent: BatteryBlock.
    d. Time needed to create a single block of electrodes in the Delay time: 5 minutes.
    e. The Output buffer capacity: 1.
    f. The Location of assembled agent: Network/GIS node.
    g. The Node: assembledBlocksBuffer.
    h. The area where the assembly process takes place in the Agent location (delay): assembleArea.

If you run the model now, AnyLogic will warn you that the agents pass through the assembler block without delay, since you haven't specified the resources that are required to perform the assembly.

Add the resources

  1. Drag the Resource Type element from the Process Modeling Library palette to the Main graphical diagram.
  2. In the New agent wizard specify the Agent type name: Operator and click Next.
  3. In the displayed list of the 3D models expand the People section and select Worker. Click Finish.
  4. Now, switch to the Main graphical diagram and drag the Point Node element from the Space Markup palette.
  5. Place it on the layout next to the assembleUnitLocation as displayed in the image below:

  6. Name the node operatorLocation. During the model run our worker will be located here.
  7. In the node's properties specify Visible: no.
  8. Drag the ResourcePool element from the Process Modeling Library palette to the Main graphical diagram and name it operator.
  9. Go to the block's properties and select Operator in the New resource unit parameter.
  10. Next, in the Home location (nodes) property specify the operatorLocation.
  11. Finally, go to the assembler block's properties and select the operator in the Resource sets: by clicking button:

  12. Run the model!


Reference model: Lead Acid Battery Production - Phase 3

Phase 2. Modeling the free space transporters

Phase 4 Battery assembly