JPCompounds
Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2004
- Posts
- 37
We have a feeder that blends a dry partitioning agent into our pellets prior to packaging to prevent massing.
Today we are just running a small screw conveyor with a manual dial and setting the rate essentially by eye. "Looks like enough" or "Looks like we need more".
Currently we run our pellet feed rate at ~3000-3500 pounds/hour and I require a .5% of partitioning agent. But we do change feed rate occassionally when we have upstream issues or if there is a downstream problem. We may drop as low as 2000 pounds/hour. This leads to some boxes receiving too much partitioning or if they do remember to turn it down when they slow down often times our operators may forget to speed it back up.
Our current project is to update our system and automate. I have a SLC 5/04 that is currently controlling other metering operations in the same process and would like to add this to the system.
What will I need from a hardware setup to some basic concepts for programing?
My first thoughts are:
* a new DC drive with analog inputs.
* Another analog output and input card (actually have one on the self that was for another project that hastn' gotten off the ground yet).
* Load cell for my feeder
As far as programing my thoughts are to take samples every 10sec and simply check the amount of material feed and compare to a setpoint. Then adjust. Is it necessary to take many samples and calculate a rolling average? How many points do you suggest?
Right now we feed manually. How do I address when material is added? Is it easy enough to just reset the "starting" weight when you get an unexpected increase in weight?
Thanks,
Jamie
Today we are just running a small screw conveyor with a manual dial and setting the rate essentially by eye. "Looks like enough" or "Looks like we need more".
Currently we run our pellet feed rate at ~3000-3500 pounds/hour and I require a .5% of partitioning agent. But we do change feed rate occassionally when we have upstream issues or if there is a downstream problem. We may drop as low as 2000 pounds/hour. This leads to some boxes receiving too much partitioning or if they do remember to turn it down when they slow down often times our operators may forget to speed it back up.
Our current project is to update our system and automate. I have a SLC 5/04 that is currently controlling other metering operations in the same process and would like to add this to the system.
What will I need from a hardware setup to some basic concepts for programing?
My first thoughts are:
* a new DC drive with analog inputs.
* Another analog output and input card (actually have one on the self that was for another project that hastn' gotten off the ground yet).
* Load cell for my feeder
As far as programing my thoughts are to take samples every 10sec and simply check the amount of material feed and compare to a setpoint. Then adjust. Is it necessary to take many samples and calculate a rolling average? How many points do you suggest?
Right now we feed manually. How do I address when material is added? Is it easy enough to just reset the "starting" weight when you get an unexpected increase in weight?
Thanks,
Jamie
