copyright 2009 by automatic test & control limited. all rights reserved.automatic test &...
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![Page 1: Copyright 2009 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.Automatic Test & Control Limited Form, fill and seal flexible packaging Low Pressure](https://reader038.vdocuments.site/reader038/viewer/2022110323/56649d965503460f94a7ebd2/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Copyright 2009 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.
Form, fill and seal flexible packaging
Low Pressure FeederDevelopment Project
Developing collaborative partnerships that optimise the business of product research and development,
assisting customers to exploit science and technologyto create value, profit and growth
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Copyright 2009 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.
Standard In-Line Feeder OperationMaximum Speed Sensor
Medium Speed Sensor
Minimum Speed Sensor
Monitoring BeltTransports products towards the metering
belt by running at a relatively high constant speed, slipping beneath the section of the slower moving product
queue formed over it
Metering BeltSets the speed at which the entire product queue
moves, running at one of three discrete speeds determined by which speed sensors are blocked by
the product queue.
Accelerator BeltMechanically geared to the metering belt to pull a
gap between products as they leave the queue
Product SensorDetects individual products and synchronises them with the
downstream infeed. As the products in the queue are touching each other and the metering belt is electronically geared to the
infeed at one product pitch per infeed pitch, after the initial product is correctly positioned subsequent products remain synchronised with minimal corrections allowing high speed
operation
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Copyright 2009 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.
Standard In-Line Feeder Operation
Waiting for Product The metering belt and hence the product queue is stationary while waiting for products arriving on the monitoring belt
Minimum Speed The metering belt runs at the minimum speed when the minimum sensor becomes blocked with products
Medium Speed The metering belt runs at the medium speed when the minimum and medium sensors are blocked with product
Maximum Speed The metering belt runs at the maximum speed when the minimum, medium and maximum sensors are all blocked with products
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Copyright 2009 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.
Standard In-Line Feeder Operation
Pros
Simple, low cost design - 3 conveyor belts controlled by 2 motors and a basic speed control algorithm, controlling product flow by continually jumping between the minimum, medium and maximum speeds as the end of the product queue is detected. The medium speed is set to the nominal product arrival rate with the minimum and maximum speeds setting the range over which the speed can vary.
Cons
Operates over a limited minimum-maximum speed range, typically +/-15% of the nominal product arrival rate, depending on product handling constraints and the time available to make speed change
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Copyright 2009 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.
Standard In-Line Feeder Operation
Push Through As the length of the product queue
increases, the back pressure on the queue also increases due to the faster moving
monitoring belt slipping beneath the slower moving queue. This can cause “push
through” where the entire queue starts moving faster than the metering belt, creating
an un-correctable positional error in the products leaving the queue, leading to loss of
synchronisation with the infeed.
The minimum-maximum speed range can be increased by a combination of the following
Increasing the length of the monitoring belt to increase the distance between consecutive speed sensors, extending the time available to make speed changes.
Increases the back pressure on the product queue due to the monitoring belt slipping beneath a longer queue, making the onset of “push through” more likely.
Increasing the acceleration rate used to jump between speeds, ensuring speed changes take place within the time available.
Rapid speed changes increases the chance of product slipping on the metering belt, making the onset of “push through” more likely.
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Copyright 2009 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.
Standard In-Line Feeder Operation
The onset of “push through” can be minimised by a combination of the following
Using a low friction (slippery) monitoring belt
Belt can be contaminated with product debris, loosing its low friction properties
Using a high friction (sticky or vacuum) metering belt
Belt can be contaminated with product debris, loosing its high friction properties
Increasing the length of the metering belt to increase the static friction holding the product queue at metering belt speed
Increases the overall length of the ILF using more floor space
Reducing the length of the monitoring belt to reduce the back pressure on the product queue
Reduces the distance the distance between speed sensors, decreasing the time available to make speed changes and hence limits the minimum–maximum speed range.
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Copyright 2009 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.
Low Pressure In-Line Feeder Operation
Arrival Rate Sensor Queue Sensor
Monitoring BeltTransports products towards the metering
belt by running at a relatively high constant speed, slipping beneath the section of the slower moving product
queue formed over it
Metering BeltSets the speed at which the entire product queue moves,
running at the average product arrival rate as detected by the arrival rate sensor with feedback correction to keep the end of the product queue around the queue
sensor
Accelerator BeltMechanically geared to the metering belt to pull a
gap between products as they leave the queue
Product SensorSynchronises products with the downstream infeed
using a variable electronic gear, automatically compensating for products that naturally vary in length
due to the manufacturing process (e.g. baked products, which can be over/under sized by as much
as +/-15%), increasing the maximum speed and/or reducing the chance of push through by minimising the
otherwise higher accelerations required to remain synchronised
![Page 8: Copyright 2009 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.Automatic Test & Control Limited Form, fill and seal flexible packaging Low Pressure](https://reader038.vdocuments.site/reader038/viewer/2022110323/56649d965503460f94a7ebd2/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Copyright 2009 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.
Low Pressure In-Line Feeder Operation
Waiting for Product The metering belt and hence the product queue is stationary while waiting for products arriving on the monitoring belt
Minimum Speed
The metering belt runs at a variable speed between the minimum and maximum limits while the end of the product queue remains around the queue sensor, making machine speed independent of queue length
Maximum Speed
![Page 9: Copyright 2009 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.Automatic Test & Control Limited Form, fill and seal flexible packaging Low Pressure](https://reader038.vdocuments.site/reader038/viewer/2022110323/56649d965503460f94a7ebd2/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Copyright 2009 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.
Low Pressure In-Line Feeder Operation
Simple, low cost design – 3 conveyor belts controlled by 2 motors and a refined speed control algorithm, controlling product flow by monitoring the actual product arrival rate.
Back pressure on the product queue is automatically minimised by maintaining a short queue over the entire speed range, significantly reducing the possibility of “push through”.
Speed changes are carried out gradually using low acceleration, minimising the chance of product slipping on the metering belt, making the onset of “push through” less likely.
Operates over a wide minimum-maximum speed. The maximum speed is set slightly higher (typically 10%) than the maximum product arrival rate. The minimum speed is set as low as possible without causing other wrapping issues, e.g. burning the wrapping material
![Page 10: Copyright 2009 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.Automatic Test & Control Limited Form, fill and seal flexible packaging Low Pressure](https://reader038.vdocuments.site/reader038/viewer/2022110323/56649d965503460f94a7ebd2/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Copyright 2009 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.
Low Pressure In-Line Feeder Operation
50%
50%
100%
0%
Wide Min-Max Speed Range
Multi-line application where machines run in pairs, each receiving 50% of production. If one of the pair stops for any reason, the other machine automatically ramps up to take 100% of production until the stopped machine comes back online.
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Copyright 2009 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.
Low Pressure In-Line Feeder Operation
Alternate slugs of products
Alternate products
To prevent slugs of products rapidly increasing queue length and causing push through, an adjustable feature modulates machine speed in synchronisation with products arriving at the end of the queue
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Copyright 2009 by Automatic Test & Control Limited. All rights reserved.
New End Seal Technology
For more Information
Please contact [email protected]
Telephone
+0044 (0)141 812 6031
Address
Automatic Test & Control Limited35 Lubnaig DriveLinburn EstateErskinePA8 6AU