Central System Controls

By Greg Washburn, Joshua Belisle and Fred Eichhorn · Edited by Dana Gardner
Published August 8, 2024 · Reviewed by Greg Washburn · July 1, 2026

Summary

How do I choose a control for a central conveying system?

Choose a central conveying control that meets current and future needs and that employees can understand and operate. Options range from single-station self-contained loader controls to single-pump multi-station and multi-pump multi-station controls. More sophisticated controls add automatic troubleshooting alarms, but because of their initial cost, most processors choose a simpler panel showing chamber and pump status.

Choose a control system that will meet current and future needs and that can be understood and operated by employees.

Control choices range from a single-station self-contained loader control to single-pump, multi-station controls to multi-pump multi-station controls. Individual processing needs will dictate the level of sophistication required in the control. Some of today’s more exotic control systems will do a lot of troubleshooting automatically. They include alarms for vacuum-pump motor failure, high vacuum, low vacuum, clogged filters, bag breaks, high amp readings, and motor phase. The initial cost for this level of sophistication leads most processors to opt for controls that include a simple panel showing the status of chambers and pumps.

Frequently Asked Questions

What alarms can a central conveying control provide?

More sophisticated central conveying controls handle much of the troubleshooting automatically. They include alarms for vacuum pump motor failure, high vacuum, low vacuum, clogged filters, bag breaks, high amp readings, and motor phase. This level of control has a higher initial cost, so many processors opt for a simpler status panel instead.

Do most processors need an advanced conveying control?

Not necessarily. Individual processing needs dictate how sophisticated the control should be. The initial cost of controls with automatic troubleshooting alarms leads most processors to choose controls with a simple panel showing the status of chambers and pumps, as long as the control meets current and future needs and employees can operate it.

About the Authors

Greg Washburn

Vice President of Operations, Novatec

Greg Washburn is Vice President of Operations at Novatec and has been with the company for more than three decades. He is involved in all phases of engineering design and product manufacturing, giving him a broad perspective on how resin drying and conveying equipment moves from engineering concept through production and into real-world processing environments.

Greg holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and an MBA from Loyola University Maryland. He is a member of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), reflecting his professional involvement in both plastics processing and mechanical engineering.

Joshua Belisle

Technology Manager, Novatec

Joshua Belisle is Technology Manager at Novatec, with a focus on simulation and advanced engineering tools used to better understand the science of resin drying. Since joining Novatec in 2023, he has applied new simulation capabilities to investigate aspects of the drying process that were previously difficult to measure directly, helping turn complex process behavior into useful engineering insight.

Joshua earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Engineering Business from the University of Virginia in 2023. He is a member of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), connecting his work in advanced simulation and engineering analysis with the broader plastics and mechanical engineering communities.

Fred Eichhorn

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.