# A Study on Design and Control of the Multi-Station Multi-Container Transportation System
## 3 Results
### Experimental Results
#### 3.3.2 The Experimental Tests to Evaluate the Operation of the Entire System  
The whole system after installation at BK-RECME is shown in Figure 23.  
For the experiments, a prototype system with three stations is tested. In addition, the control algorithm also ensures the transportation system of m containers (m > 3). In this practical setup, the whole system includes three containers. With three stations, there are six corresponding routes. The containers are transported on separate routes to ensure the consistency of the algorithm in operation. The consistency manifests itself in two ways. First, the sub-conveyors of the lifting and line switching module are checked if they return to HOME position as mentioned above. Second, the line switching modules need to take the entry order into account, as explained in the simulation (occurs in all routes). As a result, the containers completed all six transport routes from  
Figure 23: The completed overhead conveyor system installed at BK-RECME according to the drawing in Figure 3.  
Figure 22: The technical tests for the line switching module. station to station. The process of transporting containers according to a route from station 3 to station 1 (one out of six routes) is shown as in Figure 24.  
According to Figure 24a, the transportation process is as follows: The user places the container at station 3, as shown in photo 1 in Figure 24, then the container will be transported into the lifting module as in photo 2. After that, the container will be lifted up as shown in photo 3. Next, the container exits the lifting module to enter the 2-line switching module as shown in photo 4 and photo 5. After the container exits the lifting module, the lifting module will return to HOME position. At that time, the container exits the 2-line switching module as shown in photo 6; when the container is completely out, the 2-line switching convey  
Figure 24: The transporting procedure of the container according the route from station 3 to station 1.  
shown in photo 5 and photo 6. After container 1 is out of the lifting module, the lifting module will return to HOME to transport container 2. Next, container 1 will be switched to another line, and when it reaches the destination, container 1 will be out of the 2-line switching module as shown in photo 7 and photo 8. When the lifting module at station 3 returns to HOME, container 2 will be moved into the lifting module and lifted to the upper limit, as shown in photo 9 and photo 10. According to Figure 25b, after being lifted to the upper limit, container 2 will go out of the lifting module and wait for the 2-line switching module returning to HOME, as shown in photo 11 and photo 12. At the same time, the user places container 3 at station 2, and it will move into the lifting module and then be lifted to the upper limit as shown in photo 13 and photo 14. After being lifted to the upper limit, container 3 will go out of the lifting module to move into 2-line switching as shown in photo 15 and photo 16. Next, container 3 will go out of the 2-line switching module as shown in photo 17. At container 2's position, container 2 enters the 2-line switching module as shown in photo 18. When the destination has been reached, container 2 exits the line switching module. Simultaneously, container 1 arrives at the 4-line switching module's position and it will wait for the sub-conveyor to arrive at the container pickup position; at the same time, container 2 will also stop because container 1 and container 2 are on the same conveyor line as photo 19 and photo 20. According to Figure 25c, container 1 moves into the 4-line switching module and then goes out as shown in photo 21. At that time, it will go to the waiting position for entering the lifting module, then container 1 will move into the lifting module as shown in photo 22 and photo 23. After that, container 1 is lowered to the lower limit and goes to station 1 as shown in photo 24. At the 4-line switching module, container 3 comes before container 2.