Weight Sensor + A Flow Meter

Hi there - This is another post to be added to my chain of questions that I have regarding the new panel I am building! And this place has been really helpful.
I need to Dispense a Lube Fluid into a rear Diff. module for an AWD car. I am looking to use a flow meter with a fast PLC5 counter and control the dispenser based on that! I would like also to add a weight check after dispensing the fluid to double check that the part has been filled with the right amount of fluid. I have seartched for weight/strain gage modules but they all seem too complicated for my application! “and Pricy!!” I am looking for a Go/No go digital signal to the PLC something really simple; my go weight is between 70 and 72.5lbs so I don’t really need too much resolution. Is there something in the marker where you teach the scale limits and based on that it will send a digital signal out? I would also appreciate your input as far as the dispensing part goes, if there is something that you guys recommend using .

Thank you for the help!
Super B. Weekend Have a great one!

I have used a cheap strain gage meter from Omega Engineering. It can read the weight from load cells, and turn on a relay output if the measured weight equals the setpoint. You only need some the meter, some load cells (strain gages, probably 3 minimum), and a summing box, although I have done projects without the summing box.

Used and rebuilt load cells are available.

Lancie -I checked their website, do you happen to have a P/N or a referance to the setup you are using?

Thank you,
Y@s!

I suppose if you really want a cheap solution and can stand a little vertical movement, you could use a stiff spring, and have it trip a limit switch at the correct weight, and trip another limit switch at a high weight. You know, kind of like a fish scale with limits.

I have used the Omega DP25B-S-AR Strain Meter/Controller, about $395 US. There are several models available, but this one has an analog output and two relay outputs as well. I have also used the DP25-S-R, the "economy" version, which only two alarm relay outputs. The alarms, however, can be programmed to trip at a setpoint.

http://www.omega.com/ppt/pptsc.asp?ref=DP25B_S&Nav=pree03

Have you already got the lube dispenser? I used to work in a bakery which had a positive displacement oiler. It was just two cylinders. A larger bore pnuematically powered driving the smaller bore which acted as a pump through a couple of check valves and a regulator the volume was steady. Another application used the same thing with two limit switches to meter out liquid ingredients. The stroke was mechanically limited to match the recipe and the volume dispensed was very repeatable.

Okie

Hi there - Thank you for the input, We already have a system in place for the 05 model that uses a tank/pump and feeds the lube thru a tube that has a flow meter by MicroMotion and the flow meter has a transmitter that sends the pulses to a Fast PLC5 counter which in place controls the valve that opens and closes the dispenser. The system works pretty well but I believe its overly complicated “and pricy if I were to duplicate it”. I am looking for something simpler for the 07 build "Simpler is better !no I am not lazy lol" that I can preset then send a signal to fill and when the flow meter reaches the preset value it will reset the counter and sends a signal back to the plc saying I am done and I can double check that through a strain gage. This is my theory!! but again we all know things don't work out perfect at the end !!!! I am open for other suggestions still.



Great support thank you guys!

Y@S!

You might look in the DC Input Alarm Trip section here:

http://www.api-usa.com/

or here:

http://www.actionio.com/support/datasheets/actionpak/ap1080-90.pdf

and here:

http://www.actionio.com/products/slimpak/g108.html

These are all examples of DC input limit alarms. They provide a contact closure when an input gets above a certain level. A load cell with a power supply and an input to one of these will give you the weight side of what you want.

I don't see why the weight method but be careful going away from a system that works to an unproven one. If you have the time to change back to the original system if this doesn't work it's not as big a deal.

Keith