Filler Valve Monitoring & Sampling
By far, the simplest, toughest system on the market. By utilizing existing sensors and touchscreen along with all Allen-Bradley electronics, we virtually eliminate all the maintenance hassles associated with the other brands.
Features:
- Identifies low filling valves
- Provides samples from filler valves and closer stations at full line speed
- E-stops the filler in the event of excessive underfills or a seamer jam
- Monitors line efficiency and provide line performance data
- Uses a “Smart Restart” function that detunes the alarms during line restarts to prevent false shutdowns
Benefits:
- Saves tens of thousands of dollars per year in reduced underfill rejects
- Increases efficiency up to 1.5% by eliminating stoppages for filler and seamer sampling
- Reduces scrap and increase efficiency by minimizing the impact of seamer jams
Cost-benefit analysis (ROI):
Assumptions:
- Line Speed: 1200 CPM
- Hours of operation: 2 shifts x 5 days/week
- Line efficiency: 75%
- Cost per case: $5.00
- Fully burdened cost of running a can line: $3000/hour
- Initial reject rate .06%
- 50% of rejects are due to valve failures
- Lines stop 2 minutes every 2 hours for seamer sampling
1200 CPM x 60 Min/Hour x 16 Hours x .75 Efficiency x $6/Case/24 cans x .03% reduction = $64.80/day x 250/days per year = $16,200 savings per year
2 min / 120 minutes x $2000/hour x 4000 hours/year = $133,333/year
TOTAL ANNUAL SAVINGS: $149,533
First, to keep the system running we use almost entirely pre-existing devices. More importantly, we used devices that need to run for the filler to run, like this Allen-Bradley Nema 4X filler control console. As in the name, the "built-in" system uses the same proximity sensors, PLC network, and HMI that are needed to run the filler. This eliminates the maintenance associated with traditional "add-on" systems that require a crateful of proxes, photoeyes, brackets, cables, power supplies, encoders, computers, monitors, touch screens, enclosures, junction boxes, etc... Everyone knows it's tough to keep all these components working in a harsh filler room environment - especially when it's the lowest thing on the maintenance priority list.
A separate PLC, power supply, and opto-couplers are added to maintain complete electrical isolation to prevent any possible interference with the existing filler controls. The make and model of PLC (Allen-Bradley, Seimens, Modicon, etc...) are specified by the customer to be compatible with the plant's existing control network and to allow for in-house support by the plant's maintenance personnel. Inspection results and diagnostic information are provided by a downstream fill level inspector such as this Filtec model FT-50. Sampling is done using the fill level inspector's rejecter or a separate rejecter can be supplied. An illuminated pushbutton is provided to initiate sampling. The light flashes just prior to each sample to give the operator a "heads-up" when a sample is coming.
- Monitors and Samples from Filler Valves, Closer Stations, and Blow Molder Cavities
- Screens are typically added to the customer's existing filler control touch screen
- Rinse Water Sampling allows quadrant sampling from filler for lab samples
- Efficiency Monitoring automatically sets target speed based on bottle size
- "Smart Restart" Function allows rejects to clear out without a double stop
- Filler Speed Graph shows uptime, downtime, and run speed for the past 12 hours
- "Reject on E-Stop" Function rejects soft bottles on Nitrogen Lines
- Data is PLC based and is available to the customer's SCADA System
- Optional Cap Blow-Off saves compressed air by shutting down when bottle flow stops
- Optional "Cap Sync" function provides 100% guaranteed accurate sampling of capper heads
With 78 completed installations in the US and Canada, View Technology is one of the industry leaders in Valve Monitoring and Sampling Systems.