Co-author: Fred Eichhorn
Controls
Touchscreens are the latest form of interface to be applied to the control of polymer conveying systems. A touchscreen can be made to operate either a programmable logic control (PLC) or a microprocessor-based control. Touchscreen control interfaces have multiple advantages versus membrane interfaces, which have a limited number of light emitting diode (LED) display characters. The touchscreen interface can be graphical in appearance and animated to enable intuitive setup and monitoring of operation. The touchscreen interface uses an open-protocol programming language and can be easily customized. Touchscreens are readily available, are industry tested and have a long service life.
A good match of control systems to plastics conveying equipment is important for a system to operate efficiently, whatever its size and capability. Some plants use simple self-contained loaders with built-in controls, others use microprocessor controls for just a few stations while larger plants use Color Touch Screen PLC Controls for central systems with up to 20 vacuum pumps and 120 receivers. Determining what conveying controls to use can be a complex process, but help is available.
About the Co-author
Engineering Manager – Electrical Controls, Novatec
Fred Eichhorn is Engineering Manager – Electrical Controls at Novatec, where he has held engineering and leadership positions since 1992. His experience spans automation, product development, electrical controls and R&D across Novatec’s resin drying and material handling technologies. Fred has also contributed to technology development at MachineSense and Opteev.
Fred holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, and has earned professional certifications in PLC and HMI programming, Lean business practices and ISO 9001. He is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE), bringing together expertise in industrial automation and plastics processing.
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