Which motor would you used to detect the consistency of a batter being mixed, Stepper

[piscis]

Which motor would you used to detect the consistency of a batter being mixed, Stepper motors, a Servo Motor or just any motor with a VFD?



Imagine I pour Pancake powder with water into a hopper and start mixing. As the viscosity of the batter changes the PLC is monitoring the amps draw by the motor and stops the mixing process when a certain viscosity has been achieved.



Viscosity meters are insanely expensive, this is a solution for a bakery chain and I must resolve this issue on a tight budget?



I will appreciate your thoughts and Ideas?

[TConnolly]

The motor is not the problem, the instrumentation measuring the motor amps is the problem.

On a tight budget? Then I would use an ordinary three phase motor and put the right kind of instrumentation on it. An ampmeter simply cannot do the job. But one of these meters from Load Controls (http://www.loadcontrols.com/) just might be able to do the trick, they are used in mix viscosity applications all the time. I suggest you contact them about your application.

Incidentally, a stepper motor is most definitely not the right kind of motor for this application.

[rdrast]

I second the Load Controls solution, with a standard 3 phase motor. LCI has true 'load' sensing devices that have analog outputs (to send to another controller/PLC), and settable contact outputs if you just need a few setpoints.

[piscis]

Alaric / rdrast



I already email Load Controls I will post the answer to the forum. This happens to be an old project that was just recently revived.



Thanks

[TConnolly]

I browsed the app notes on the Load Controls web site. I found two app notes dealing with viscosity sensing in a mixer.

The first deals with viscosity metering when dry powders are added to a mix.

The second is an ordinary single phase home ice cream freezer which usually have cheap shaded pole motors which really present a challenge to ordinary meters.

http://www.loadcontrols.com/application_notes/pdfs/profiling_a_process.pdf

http://www.loadcontrols.com/application_notes/pdfs/sensing_viscosity_change.pdf



Alaric / rdrast


I already email Load Controls I will post the answer to the forum. This happens to be an old project that was just recently revived.

Thanks
Great, let us know how the project turns out.

[bwheat]

You could use a VFD. The Rockwell PowerFlex 700 has a calculated torque parameter you could use to send out on a analog out to your PLC. I'm sure other drive vendors can do the same thing.

[piscis]

Just curious:

Does it has to be a 3 phase motor? The Mixer comes in 1/2 and 1 HP motors and both will be one phase.

[TConnolly]

http://www.loadcontrols.com/downloads/UPCdatasheet.pdf shows it being used in a single phase application. The ice cream freezer app note was also a single phase application.

Be sure to discuss this with the LCI rep however. Three phase is better, but I imagine that three phase power is not always available in every bakery.

[piscis]

Here is the repply from LC:

Anibal,

This is a perfect application for Power Measurement. Power is linear with load ( Amps are Not ) and a High Limit can be setup either in a Load Control with a relay output or in a PLC accepting an analog input from the power sensor.

Attached is an application note and some product information on a Load Control and a Power Sensor.

Let me know if you need more information. Visit our website for more information and also Application Notes.

Thanks,

Bill Allen
Load Controls Inc
53 Technology Park Rd.
Sturbridge, MA 01566
Phone: 888-600-3247
Fax: 508-347-2064
email: sales@loadcontrols.com

[danw]

I echo the appraisal of using Load Controls' monitor for measuring viscosity. Great device. I've done used it, too.

Dan

[CroCop]

If it's a bakery, and they are truly concerned with a quality product, measure the viscosity. What happens when a bearing wears, drive train drags, etc? You get poor product out the back door. Every food service I've been in would rather spend the money to ensure quality product, rather then save a few bucks and get a Kwality product.

[Gerry]

Every bread mixer I've worked on used a watt-hour meter with pulse output option (photo eye detecting marks on the rotating disc).
The recipes have a "work figure" specifying WHr/kg. The value depends on the characteristics of the mixer and the ingredients as well as the desired result.

Work input is the major factor affecting end dough temperature and is used to calculate the temperature for the water component of the mix.

[brett93304]

I like the AB PowerFlex 700 VFD with a 20 Com module Wich will talk E-Net to your PLC you bring in any and all of the motor info you want. More info than than you will ever need.