Ling Systems Ltd has designed, manufactured and installed a new carton
Handling Air Conveyor system at Rothmans of Pall Mall's Darlington
site. The system takes packs from six cartonners and feeds four Casepackers
via 200 metres of conveyor incorporating four pneumatic gates, and is powered
by 24 2.2kw filtered fans.
The control philosophy, operating from Siemens S5 95U PLC, is as follows: Any backlog of product is monitored by two Rechner proximity sensors on each line. The first warns the operator of a possible problem with the Casepacker by setting off a beacon at the outfeed end, by this machine. The second shuts down the relevant Cartonner before that part of the system becomes jammed with product, and sets off a beacon at the infeed. Operation of the 2:1 pneumatic gate units involves sending batches through from alternating sides of the pair of infeed conveyors. Pairs of pneumatic stops group batches of the product each side, with their presence monitor's by proximity sensors in front of each stop. The gate switches from lane to lane, feeding batches from each side and this movement is monitors by limit switches on the cylinder.
Any
backlog approaching the outfeed of the gate is picked up by another proximity
switch, which halts the operation of the gate. The system was integrated with
existing machinery, so conventional, non-fieldbus, wiring was carried out
on site. The Rittal control panel was painted to the customer's specification
and is fitted with smoke detectors linked to an alarm. The electrical components
used were: Klockner Moeller circuit breakers, motor protection, relays and
motor isolators. Telemechanique pushbuttons, lamps and switches. Klippon /
Weidmuller terminals and Critchley cable markers. Pneumatic components were
supplied by Festo.
