Service Advisor

In this Issue

Communication is Key!
Training
Sorter Tips
Shaker Tips

It’s July and the harvest is underway for some and soon to be for others. One thing is certain, you should check your spares inventory and make sure you have critical items on hand. One hour of unplanned downtime can result in lost production totaling more than $25,000 depending on the products you process. We are here to help you with all your Service, Parts and Training needs, call us +1.877.UPTIME1 (+1.877.878.4631).

We would like to know what services you need to make your job easier. If you have a few minutes please take a short 10 question survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XFLBMWG to give us your thoughts.

Communication is Key!

There is an enormous amount of data on the plant floor. What are you doing with it?

The equipment in your plant is producing data continuously while in operation, and sometimes even when at rest. That data can be used to improve your plants operations, product quality and maintenance activities. But only if you can get at it.

The first step is to gather the data and have systems in place that collect it. For example, our SmartArm® system collects and wirelessly sends data about our vibratory conveyors to a centralized server.

The second step is to connect the device to the network so it can be shared with all who need it. The SmartArm® has base stations that connect to the network; the G6 based sorters use an Ethernet connection

Next is making the data available. Our G6 based sorters employ OPC/XML-DA (a communication protocol for process control) to make sorter data available to process control systems. The SmartArm® utilizes a client-server methodology to access the data from multiple desktops. It also employs OPC/XML-DA to make the data available to other plant systems.

The key to all of this is communication. The systems must be connected to the plant network, which provides the communication mechanisms required to make the data available to other systems that transform it into information and knowledge you can use. Information on configuring the network setting on a G6 based sorter is found in the G6 Help system under the System Page. For SmartArm®, refer to the Technical Manual.

Training

Visit Us at Process Expo in Chicago July 18-20 Booth #N-13007 and ask about our online training demo.

Sorter Tips

Defects in/Defects Out: Teaching your sorter to see the defects

We have all heard the phrase “Garbage in, garbage out” with regard to computers. Well, optical sorters rely on computers to identify the good product, background, defects, foreign material, and other. If you do not take the time to teach the sorter what it needs to do its job, then you won’t be getting the defects, FM and other out and your product quality will suffer. We call this process “teaching the sorter colors” because you identify a range of colors and/or shades and assign it to a sorting criteria.

The first step in teaching your sorter colors is to understand the sorting criteria for your KeyWare® application. KeyWare is typically specific to your product and to the sensor (cameras or lasers) used to identify the criteria. We use common names to label the criteria e.g. husk, stem, stalk, brown, rot, soft fruit, etc. We also use labels to identify the severity or importance of a defect e.g. major, minor, light, and dark, etc.

The next step is to run some typical product that is representative of all the defect criteria as well as good product that you will encounter when processing. Take some pictures that include examples of all the sorting criteria. If your KeyWare included a previous setup, you can jump to the fine tuning of the colors via segmentation, (see our previous article on Segmentation) to adjust the colors. If no colors have been defined, you can use the batch learn and/or blob select methods to define the colors of the sorting criteria. Refer to the G6 Help for more information on this process, or contact us to learn more about our online training that covers this topic in more detail.

Shaker Tips

Maintaining Your Impulse Shaker

Key Technology’s Impulse™ Vibratory Conveyor is typically used where gentle product handling and precise metering is important. As such, controlling product flow is dependent on the shaker being in tune. Tuning the Impulse shaker consists of adjusting the speed and stroke to match the specified design speed and stroke listed on the equipment drawings. Prior to tuning (see Technical Manual for detailed procedure), inspect the shaker for cracks to the frame or bed, ensure product buildup is removed, tighten all loose bolts or clamps, check the weight distribution on all four rubber isolators and verify that you are using only Key Technology arm springs. Turn on the shaker and get a stroke reading from the stroke indicator. If it is at design stroke it is ready to use. If not, follow the tune-up procedure in the Technical Manual.

A few essential tips:

1) If welding on or around the Impulse shaker, disconnect the green connectors on the front of the Impulse controller. This ensures that the controller, accelerometer and magnet are protected. Ensure your welder is properly grounded to the shaker you are working on.

2) DO NOT modify bed without consulting with Key. Impulse shakers are very weight sensitive and will have to be replaced if modifications are made without proper engineering review.

3) If an error appears on the display of the controller, the error latches and disables the controller. Parameter C009 is used to reset the error and enable the controller.

4) If having troubles with moving product because of low stroke, check the following:

a) Check parameters to ensure they match original settings listed on the cover sheet of shaker drawing. If you cannot locate your drawings, contact Key Customer Support.

b) Check clearance between magnet and attractor plate. Should be 1/8”

c) If still having issues, please contact Key Customer Support:

Corporate Headquarters: 877-878-4631, Option 3 for Mechanical Support

European Office: +31 (0) 345 509900

Australian Office: +61 3 8710 8200

Please have your model and serial number from the shaker’s data plate. The data plate can be found on the infeed right corner of the shaker’s frame.