Service Advisor - April 2009

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" so the saying goes. Preparing your equipment and people for the upcoming processing season is key to a successful season. Read more about Key's programs to help you become successful.

In This Issue

Key Professional System Evaluation

Sorter and Shaker Audits

Key Technology can perform an audit of your sorters and shakers to ensure they are operating at peak performance when the season starts. Our Field Technicians will perform a thorough check of all your Key equipment and provide a list of recommended repairs. If time allows and you have the parts on-hand, the Technician will fix as many problems as they can during the audit visit.

Call 1.877.UPTIME1 (877.878.4631) today to schedule an audit.

Ensure you have the parts you need

Ordering Spare Parts

Do you have the spare parts on hand to deal with unexpected downtime? Or perhaps you need parts for your preventive maintenance program.Contact our Parts Sales Team 1.877.878.4631 option 1 to ensure you have the parts you need for your equipment. Our experts can provide the recommend spare parts list and order any long lead time parts.

Online Product Training

Request a free demo

Online Product Optical Sorter and Vibratory Conveyor Training

Key Technology's online training portal gives you anytime, anywhere access to Operator and Maintenance training for Key Technology products including sorters, G6 vision platform and Iso-Flo® vibratory conveyors.

We also offer OSHA, Employment Law, HACCP - Operator and HACCP - Manager training. Key's online training provides an affordable, flexible and convenient alternative to our onsite training.

Contact us for a demo account today at 1.877.878.4631 or training.info@key.net.

UpTime Tips

Quick, simple procedures you can perform on your Key Technology sorters and vibratory conveyors to maximize performance and minimize the risk of downtime

Operating Your Conveyor Efficiently

Shaker Tuning

Your vibratory conveyor, aka shaker, was designed to operate at a specified stroke and speed (RPM) for the product you process. Over-stroking will cause the arms to wear out faster and could potentially damage the bed or frame. The spring arms should be checked regularly for wear and breakage. Refer to your shaker drawings for the design stroke and speed for your shaker.

Quick Tune Procedure for Iso-Flo Shakers:

Inspect bed for product build-up
Make sure that all accessories are tight
Check the actual RPM and stroke
Adjust RPM to match specified RPM if necessary
Adjust arm springs until actual stroke is equal to design stroke
Inspect often and on a regular basis (daily is recommended).
Maintain a record of the inspection including speed and stroke.

Refer to your technical manual for more detailed instructions.

The design stroke is NOT the same as the "Max Stroke" that is stenciled on your shaker's frame. The Max stroke is the upper limit that a shaker should not exceed. Think of it like the redline on the tachometer for your car's engine. You should never allow your shaker to operate at this limit for extended periods of time. Continued operation at or above this limit will eventually cause damage.

Ensuring the Camera Sees Your Product

Sorter Normalization

Normalization corrects camera signals for distortions and non-uniformity in the imaging system and ambient light. The cameras "see" the edge of the image slightly different than the middle. Normalizing corrects the image so it is consistent all the way across the image.

Turn off and lock out power to the belt conveyor.
Clean the machine thoroughly, taking care to get the camera and light windows clean and clear. See the System Sanitation chapter of your sorter's technical manual.
Install the normalization tool/light bar for your sorter.
Select the "Learn Light" button (looks like a light bulb) for each camera.
The display will change to three numeric displays representing the gain setting for each channel. The numbers are expressed as percentages of 1 (e.g. 1.00 is 100% of the goal; .9980 is 99.80%, 1.012 is 101.2%).
Any number close to 1 will allow normalization. If the number is far from 1 you will not be able to normalize and an error will display.
Each channel's gains will be calibrated.
After calibration is complete, three images will be built. A raw image, a smoothed image, and a post-normalization picture.

On multiple camera systems, you should perform this procedure on each camera.

After normalizing, leave the bar in place and go to the scope/gains page by touching the camera icon. Touch each scanning icon at the bottom of the screen and make sure all three video lines are at the gain goal for your system (typically between 190 and 230) with no downward spikes or drop in video. If you see spikes, clean the window and/or the light bar. Then re-normalize the affected camera(s).

Stains or damage to the belt, lighting windows, camera windows and backgrounds affect the image seen by the camera. Cleaning of these items should be performed regularly, being careful not to scratch or damage the surfaces. Replace any damaged windows or belts.