Active fence with flexible link

This paper presents the results of research on a model of the sorting process of a unit load stream by means of an active fence with one degree of freedom. In this study, the manipulated loads are treated as bodies of nonlinear elastic-damping properties described by the modified Kelvin model. In investigating the fence structure, one takes into consideration a rigid link and an adjoining flexible link. The equations of motion of the fence flexible link, and those of the interacting object were derived using the finite element method (FEM). The developed model makes it possible to assess the influence of the fence structural and operational parameters on the process of sorting, and evaluate dynamic forces exerted on the manipulated loads.