Sensors Measuring powder flow.

[Bob O]

It's old but maybe it will help....

 

[milldrone]

After re-reading this thread and reading the link you provided for your feeder. I believe Ron went straight to the real issue in post #6

Another option may be to use a weight scale and/or rotary feeder.

I believe if your feeder was delivering correctly there would not be a need for a photo eye.

Personally do not care how fancy you get with an air blow system, it will always be a "fix" to get it working now. Your talking to people that have been there done that (BTDT) so all this is old stuff that in the long run does not work effectively.

Ron says many things in his last quote. I think you should listen to him. I know I plan to listen to him. He has experence that I can only dream of.

 

[rsdoran]

I am not worthy

GEEZUS milldrone, you humble me, all I have is experience, limited at that so do not ever take what I say to be correct, just may be an option.

BobB actually had to do research on that subject, thanks for the pdf, but my research at the plant I was at the cost was almost double that (.09).

As I mentioned, air costs money. Dust is a loss of product.

Any solution that eliminates dust or air usage may eliminate some costs. I am not an engineer per se but if you can eliminate those issues and document the cost savings...well, lets just say your future with the company may be secure.

It is not always about what is the cheapest.

 

[atifplus]

I agree Photoeye method is not the one i can depend on. I am looking for the other causes for the starch getting stuck in lines and also i believe the feeder is attached to PLC.

I gain so much insight in the problem just by posting my Qs here and getting different thoughts. I will consider every single possibilty. But eventually the management will decided which path i need to follow.

Haha
It is just bit hard to keep up with the info i am getting.

Thanks a lot Ron and rest of you for posting ur comments and suggestions

 

[Icefire]

Enclose the sensor/beam/window airtight and put a airline with a small pressure, just a few psi.

 

[DUNK]

Maybe I looked over it but is the starch used in some type of recipe? If so could you weight the starch? Maybe install a couple of loadcells. We use a lot of flour here and the only way we can monitor the flow of it is using the weight difference from point A to point B.

Just my 2 pennies worth.


DUNK

 

[Freak]

Also don't forget - solenoid or air compressor fails or PLC turned off etc. and then suddenly there is dust on the sensor again. We have a similar problem with cork dust and am yet to find a suitable solution.

 

[milldrone]

Another vote for a correctly working feeder

Maybe I looked over it but is the starch used in some type of recipe? If so could you weight the starch? Maybe install a couple of loadcells. We use a lot of flour here and the only way we can monitor the flow of it is using the weight difference from point A to point B.
DUNK

Dunk, atifplus listed this site earlier as the type of feeder he has. It is my belief that if it works half a good as the advertisemet says then he wouldn't need a photo cell to confirm that it is working

Acrison's "Weight-Loss-Differential" Weigh Feeders

I think the effort needs to be focused on the feeder.