PROTOTYPE OF AUTOMATED TUBULAR CLEANING SYSTEM

Abstract

Manual handling of heavy pipes for cleaning employs high risks to worker’s health such as gradual and cumulative deterioration of musculoskeletal system and acute trauma due to accidents. The advancement of technology has evolved tremendously over the past few years. However, the implementation of automation in tubular cleaning is still very new in the industry and not widely used. The latest technology in industry is semi-automated whereby human intervention is still required in monitoring the whole cleaning process. The focus of this project is to improve the cleaning system by changing from the semi-automated system to fully automated system by using infrared sensors to control the operation. When the sensors detect the presence of a pipe, they regulate its movement along the conveyor. After the pipe undergoes internal cleaning, the second infrared sensor identifies its presence, reverses the DC motor's direction, and returns the pipe for subsequent operations. Result shows that higher PWM of the motor at 90 will produce better cleaning effectiveness as compared to lower PWM. Additionally, heavier pipe at 1.2 kg requires higher PWM to complete the task as compared to lighter pipe at 0.4 kg. This project shows the potential of automation in the industry of tubular pipe cleaning.