The choice of suitable dosing machines for blending
applications can be determining for the product quality as well as the smooth
operation of the process. Friedrich electronic are facing this challenge with
their Flow Controller FC3.
In many
companies of the worldwide bulk processing industries the possibilities of flow
regulation at the silo discharge often remain underestimated. There are still
manual sliders in operation, set to optimum dosing performance via markings. This
may be quite useful with some of these applications. In other places, older
types of volumetric dosing units are still in operation. However, before
exchanging manual or older units or designing new plants, one should be aware
of the huge possibilities modern systems can offer.
The operation
of volumetric dosing units may in some cases cause malfunctions or inaccuracies.
It demands interventions of skilled personnel in case the bulk density changes.
The same problem occurs, if the blending ratio is to be changed; the operator
has to estimate the performance and to adjust the machines accordingly
afterwards.
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By installing a Friedrich electronic FC3 Flow
Controller, the blending efficiency of most plants can be improved.
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Blocking or
running dry of the silos remain partly realised with an immense time delay, or they
demand extremely sensitive notification systems in order to avoid that. An
effective process monitoring including visualised material flows, which is
today’s state-of-the-art, is unfortunately impossible in those cases.
For all that,
especially in the bulk processing industries the accurate mixture of components
e. g. cereals or legumes is most important, as it is determining for the
quality and at least for the success of the product.
Although some
of these shortcomings do not occur using volumetric dosing units, which offer
more exact dosing compared to manual sliders, it remains volumetric. Therefore,
effective process control including blocking and running dry prevention is not reached.
Parameter adjustments have to be made manually, while remote control and proper
process monitoring are still impossible.
A further
alternative is the usage of dosing screws. In that case, process manipulation
by means of remote controlling is possible, and the performance can be adjusted
via rotation speed. Nevertheless, even this method is volumetric and holds the
danger of inaccuracies, rarely bearing a relation to the high investments as
well as installation and maintenance efforts. The general problem with blocking
and running dry can also not be solved using a dosing screw without any
additional sensor technology.
Having to cope
with these kinds of problems with the production of blendings was decisive for
the development of Flow Controller FC3 at Friedrich electronic.
The result is a
dosing system developed on the basis of many years of experience, allowing for
intelligent, accurate blending of various products. Moreover, it offers the
possibility of exact performance adjustment and quantity balancing.
The system is
designed with a pneumatic flat slide at the inlet and a specially embedded
baffle sensor, regulating the flow capacity in t/h according to the desired
value and weighing the product in kg. Meanwhile, the process is monitored and constantly
checked for malfunctions. If blockings or bridgings occur above the unit, the
flat slide automatically opens up more widely until the problem is solved or -
if the problem remains - individually triggers an alarm. Therefore, once the
process control is programmed the monitoring and malfunction detection is
greatly facilitated. The electric slide control also provides automatic and zero-taring
as well as checking of plausibility regarding slide position and weighing
signal.
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Thanks to its low housing, the
FC3 Flow Controller can be retrofitted in many production processes.
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If necessary,
the operation personnel may intervene quickly and effectively in the process via
interface to make adjustments or to analyse the collected data. With these
features a very high level of integration is reached, providing both maximum
process safety and product quality - and offering valuable data on the process
itself.
Thanks to its
very low housing, most of the production processes can even be retrofitted with
Flow Controller FC3 in order to increase the plant efficiency. The only
precondition for a successful installation is a product reservoir of a
free-flowing product above the machine. That is why in most cases the
controller is installed directly underneath the silo discharges.
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