rapid 600c continuous mixing plant user...
TRANSCRIPT
Issue 1.3 1
Rapid 600C Continuous Mixing Plant
User Manual
Pneutrol International Limited,
5 Caulside Drive,
Antrim, Co. Antrim, N. Ireland.
TEL: +44 (0) 28 9448 1800
FAX: +44 (0) 28 9448 1801
03/11/2015
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Contents
1: GENERAL INFORMATION .......................................................................................................... 4
1.1: System Hardware ...................................................................................................................... 4 1.2: System Software Standard Features.......................................................................................... 5
2: SYSTEM SET-UP ........................................................................................................................... 6 2.1: Standard Navigation bar: .......................................................................................................... 7
3: RUNNING INFORMATION: ......................................................................................................... 8 3.1 Running Screen – Manual Controls: ........................................................................................ 10
4: STATISTICS: ................................................................................................................................ 14
4.1: Production Summary: ............................................................................................................. 15 4.2: Stock: ...................................................................................................................................... 17 4.3: Trucks: .................................................................................................................................... 18 4.4: Drivers: ................................................................................................................................... 19 4.5: Delivery Supplier: ................................................................................................................... 20
5: RECIPE SCREEN: ........................................................................................................................ 21 5.1: View/Edit Recipes: ................................................................................................................. 22
5.1.1: Calibrate Recipes: ............................................................................................................ 23 5.2: Recipe Groups:........................................................................................................................ 28
6: CUSTOMERS: .............................................................................................................................. 29 7: SETUP: .......................................................................................................................................... 30
7.1: Plant Setup: ............................................................................................................................. 31 7.1.1: General Variables: ........................................................................................................... 32 7.1.2: Drives: .............................................................................................................................. 33
7.1.3: Times: .............................................................................................................................. 34 7.1.4: Drain Times: .................................................................................................................... 35
7.1.5: Alarm Times: ................................................................................................................... 36 7.1.6: Tolerances: ....................................................................................................................... 37 7.1.7: Rates:................................................................................................................................ 38
7.1.8: Drive Comms Control: ..................................................................................................... 39 7.1.9: Cement Calibration .......................................................................................................... 40
7.2: Material Setup: ........................................................................................................................ 44 7.3: Supplier Setup: ........................................................................................................................ 45
7.4: Moisture Setup: ....................................................................................................................... 46 7.5: Printer Setup: .......................................................................................................................... 48
7.6: IO Status: ................................................................................................................................ 50 7.7: Users: ...................................................................................................................................... 51
8: CHARTS: ....................................................................................................................................... 52
8.1: Historical Chart: ...................................................................................................................... 53 8.2: Real Time Flows Chart: .......................................................................................................... 55
9: MANUALS: ................................................................................................................................... 57 10: BACKUP DATABASE: .............................................................................................................. 58 11: REMOTE LAPTOP ..................................................................................................................... 59
11.1: Remote Viewing on Laptop: ................................................................................................. 60
11.2: Laptop Assuming Main Control of Plant: ............................................................................. 61 12: DIAGNOSTICS/ALARMS: ........................................................................................................ 64
12.1: Alarms Screen: ...................................................................................................................... 64
13: REMOTE ACCESS: .................................................................................................................... 65 13.1: Modifying Network Providers’ APN Settings: ..................................................................... 67
14: SHUTDOWN SYSTEM: ............................................................................................................. 69 15: USEFUL INFORMATION: ........................................................................................................ 69
15.1: Pausing The System: ............................................................................................................. 69 15.2: Emergency Stop: ................................................................................................................... 70 15.3: Safety Pull Switches ............................................................................................................. 71
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15.4: Mixer Castell Interlocking System ....................................................................................... 73
15.5: How To Reset VSD’s ............................................................................................................ 75 15.6: Compressor ........................................................................................................................... 76
15.7: Pneumatic Valve Box Lubricators/Air Pressure Setup ......................................................... 78 15.8: HMI ....................................................................................................................................... 79 15.9: How to Calibrate Moisture Probes ........................................................................................ 80 15.10: Admix Dispenser ................................................................................................................ 82 15.11: Hydraulic Controls .............................................................................................................. 83
15.12: What to Do If You Have a Problem? .................................................................................. 84 16: APPENDIX 1 – Best Practice/Regular Checks ........................................................................... 85 17: APPENDIX 2 – Full Alarm List .................................................................................................. 86 18: APPENDIX 3 – Troubleshooting Guide...................................................................................... 90
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1: GENERAL INFORMATION The Control System and Software have been designed and developed specifically for the control of
Concrete Batching Plants. The Hardware that is housed inside our Control Panel has been chosen
for its reliability in operation and for flexibility in different applications.
The software is 'Customised' for each plant and is therefore suitable for all types of plants and
plant layouts.
1.1: System Hardware
CONTROLLER: - ALLEN BRADLEY Micrologix Processor.
- Uses Industry Standard Ladder Logic Programs.
- CSA Certification to Class 1 Division 2.
- Battery-backed up memory for protection of program and data.
- Can be expanded to take in 256 additional discrete I/O - Built-in LCD with backlight allows you to view controller and I/O status
TERMINAL: - Exor eTOP 15” touch screen operator interface
- 16.2M colours, providing XGA 1024x768resolution display
- Energy efficient LED display - Displays all plant data.
- Displays plant operation on screen.
PRINTER: - Able Systems Ltd Ap1400V Thermal Panel Printer
- Robust design with added protection for harsh environments
- Mechanism life of 13 million print lines - Print speed of 80mm/sec
- Flexible connectivity
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1.2: System Software Standard Features
1. STORAGE OF RECIPES: Each recipe will contain the details regarding a specific blend of
materials, which is the amount of each of the aggregates, cement, water and additives if required.
There is no limit to the number of recipes the system can store.
2. PASSWORD PROTECTION: Information in the memory of the computer can be protected by a
password code to prevent any unauthorised person deleting, changing or resetting stored data.
3. STOCK CONTROL: Materials in stock and material usage are stored in memory on the HMI.
These may be displayed as required to give daily or monthly totals for each material used in the
plant and stock levels remaining.
4. NO FEED: Should a bin be empty or material be bridged in the bin then an alarm message will
be given.
5. PRINTER: The system printer is used to print a ticket on demand or automatically given the parameters input for print detail.
6. PLANT ALARMS: An alarm message will be placed in an alarm log and displayed on the
monitor. A printout will be given of any/all alarm faults together with a date and time.
Alarm messages are given for specific faults e.g.
‘Mixer not running’
The operator may therefore rectify the problem quickly and so save on plant 'Down Time'.
An audible and/or visual alarm is also available where the operator may be a considerable
distance from the Control Panel.
Once the alarm has been initiated the operator may push the alarm accept button at the control
panel once to cancel the audible/visual alarm. He must then push the alarm accept button again
to continue batching once the fault has been rectified. Also the operator may rectify an alarm when in the alarm screen using option "F1: ACCEPT ALARMS".
7. MONITOR:
Displays Selection Menus. Displays recipes
Displays mix tolerances
Displays alarms
Displays plant Inputs and Outputs.
Displays running screen.
Displays a variety of stock and production reports Displays customer information
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2: SYSTEM SET-UP
When the generator is started, the UPS and HMI will automatically be turned on. During the course of normal use, if the HMI is not being used, it will automatically go into sleep mode. There
is a small LED in the top right hand side of the HMI which alerts the user to the following:
Red – Power is on, but the HMI is turned off
Amber – Power is on, but the HMI is in sleep mode
Green – Power is on and the HMI is on
When the HMI is powered on, the following Log On screen will appear:
Enter user name and password to log onto the system. This will launch the running screen of the
continuous mixing plant and highlight the following as sown below in the figure:
Conveyor status
Mixer status
Drive speed
Material loads across the system
Tons per hour target
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2.1: Standard Navigation bar:
The navigation bar (shown above) appears at the top of all screens in the system except for the reports screens.
View Alarms. In order to view alarms, hold down the ‘alt’ key and press 1.
View Running Screen. In order to view the running screen, hold down the ‘alt’ key and press 2.
View Silo Screen. In order to view the silo control, hold down the ‘alt’ key and press 3.
View Recipes. In order to view the recipes, hold down the ‘alt’ key and press 4.
View Plant Setup. In order to view system setup, hold down the ‘alt’ key and press 5.
You also can enter any of the navigation bars by just touching them on touch screen or by left clicking the mouse over them.
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3: RUNNING INFORMATION:
After the HMI is powered up, the running screen is the default, home screen, which allows the operator to oversee the entire continuous mixing process.
The Auto/Manual selector switch in the top right of the screen, lets the user know which control
mode the plant is currently in.
A graphical representation of the plant is shown in the running screen. The running screen has
weight indicator boxes around the weigh hoppers which show the actual weight in each hopper. The current live drive speeds are also shown.
In the top left hand corner of the running screen the following information is displayed:
Load Qty (Tns) – actual batched quantity versus the target Agg/Cem Qty Rate (Tns/Hour) – actual quantity rate in tons per hour versus the target rate
Target % - Percentage of each material being used in the current recipe. Calculated from the load
quantity and target tons per hour rate.
Actual % - Percentage of each material being used in the current recipe, calculated from the
amount of material leaving the hoppers and feeders (continuously updated.) Actual Kgs or Lbs/s – Displays the actual flow rate per second of each material
Batched (Tns) – Displays how many ton of material have been utilized
Water Adjust % – this allows the user to change the water target percentage in real time.
To the bottom left of the Running Screen the Start, Abort, Hold and Shutdown buttons are
displayed.
When the Start button is pressed, a dialogue box as shown below pops up on screen:
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A close up of this dialogue box is shown below:
The user can select the recipe, customer, site and truck using the drop down menus. After selecting these 4 options the user enters the quantity to be batched and the batching rate (in tons
per hour). We will look at how recipes, customer information, site details and truck information
are entered later in this manual. After a load has been completed, the same details will
automatically appear in the start dialogue box. Al the user will need to do is press “Start”.
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The second button along the bottom of the screen is the Abort button. When this button is pressed, the system immediately stops what it is doing and resets its automatic program – any
material already weighed up will have to be discharged from the system manually by the operator.
This buttons function is primarily used to reset the program, but in case of emergency if the
wrong mix has been setup or started, this button can be used to minimise the amount of material
produced in error.
Beside Abort is the Hold button, this button does exactly what it says, when this button is pressed the entire plant will pause what it is doing and wait until its pressed again to taken off
hold. The mixer and outloading conveyor will continue to run, but the aggregate belts feeding the
mixer and also the cement filling/emptying process will pause. A large, red ‘HOLD’ warning
appears below auto/manual toggle switch on the running screen.
The last button in this row is the Shutdown button, this button is used to shutdown the plant when in the middle of a production run. For example, if the user has started the plant off making
25 tons of material, the shutdown button can be pressed at anytime, this will ensure the plant
stops producing any further material and shuts the system down in an orderly fashion as it would
do if it had reached its 25 ton target, ensuring the outfeed belt and mixer are totally drained out
and empty of material.
3.1 Running Screen – Manual Controls: At any point the user can chose to turn the plant into manual control as shown below by selecting
the auto/manual switch in the top right corner:
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When in manual mode, as you can see from the screenshot above, manual control buttons appear beside every device that can be controlled. These manual controls are very user friendly and very
intuitive. Each belt can be started and stopped using the green pushbuttons, there are
pushbuttons to fill and run the cement weigh hoppers and to open and close doors. The second
type fo buttons used are 2 position selector switches – these can be toggled from left to right and
are generally used for switching processes on and off. As the screenshot above demonstrates - additives, water, cement, aggregates and the gob hopper control can be turned off and on.
The Gob Hopper has its own unique auto/manual control sequence. In the bottom left of the
mimic screen, there is a Gob Hopper Auto On. When this button is turned onto the ‘On’ position,
the gob hopper door will operate as per the times configued in the plant setup (where there are
gob hopper open and gob hopper closed times). At the end of an automatic batch, the gob hopper doors will always remain open. When the Gob Hopper auto/manual selector switch is turned to
manual, 2 new push buttons will appear, one for open gob hopper, one for close gob hopper –
these buttons allow the operator to control the gob hopper door completely manually.
There is also the ability to adjust the speed in Hertz of the water VSD from the manual control screen. The yellow box can be clicked on and the desired new sped in Hertz can be typed in.
There is an additional button at the top called Silo Screen, pressing this button reveals the screen
shown below:
The silo controls screen provides the user with buttons to control silo filling operations. Indicators and input buttons are provided to test the silo controls and to start the silo filter as
shown above. There are various indicator boxes around the silo which can give the user its
status, such as fill pipe valve closed or fill pipe valve open, silo low level, silo pressure switch
fault, silo PRV fault, silo filter islolator on and silo high level and tacho feedback (if applicable). If
any component is green, it indicates that item is healthy, however, if something is red, it
highlights there is a fault with this piece of equipment.
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Silo Operating Procedure
1) To activate the system, the operator must press the lamp test button, which will activate
the system fault neon’s and the beacon / klaxon. When the operator has checked the fault
lights and beacon / klaxon are operating correctly he/she can press the filter start button.
If the filter start button is not pressed within 15 minutes of the lamp test button being
pressed the system will reset and the lamp test will have to be pressed before the filter can be started.
2) When the filter start button is pressed the Safe-silo system checks all of the safety sensor
inputs to ensure everything is healthy before opening the fill pipe valve and starting the
silo filter. When the system is operating, the filter start pushbutton will be change to ‘Filter Stop’
3) If a high level is reached, the warning beacon / klaxon will energise to alert the truck
driver to stop filling, the indicator neon on the mimic will illuminate red and the fill pipe
valve will close after 45 seconds. When the fill pipe closes after a high level it will not open
again until the high level signal has been removed. The red neon will remain illuminated until the high level signal has been removed. The alarm beacon / klaxon can be cancelled
at any time by pressing the alarm cancel button.
If any of the following faults occur the fill pipe valve will close immediately and the alarm
beacon / klaxon will energise:
If the High Level fail safe signal is lost (also known as the Tacho signal)
If the Pressure Switch sensor activates
If any faults occur the status neon will illuminate red and remain energised until the
alarm cancel button is pressed.
If a high level fail safe fault has been installed and a fault occurs, the tacho neon will flash
red for 45 seconds unless the alarm cancel is pressed. Then once the lamp test button is pressed the alarm light will re-energize.
4) When the truck driver has finished discharging into the silo he should press the ‘Filter
Stop’ button which will close the silo fill pipe valve and allow the filter to remain cleaning
for 10 minutes. If the stop button is not pressed the system will automatically shut down
after 45 minutes.
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Immediate System Shutdown
The rotating paddle high level probes have a motor driven paddle extended into the silo. The
paddle shaft is fitted with a motion detector.
When the paddle comes into contact with the cement and stops turning, the motor tries to turn
against the paddle, activating a clutch fitted with monitoring switches to give a high level alarm
signal.
If the rotating paddle high level has a fail safe indicator fitted, when the coupling from the motor
to the paddle shaft becomes disengaged the motion detector will indicate that the motor is turning and the paddle is not. The high level fail safe alarm will come on immediately and the system will
shut down.
If the filter is blocked, the silo will over pressurize and the pressure switch will activate causing
the system to immediately shut down.
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4: STATISTICS:
From the main menu, move the mouse over ‘Statistics’ to see the plant statistics menu. The system has reporting mechanisms for information relevant to the plant, such as the daily
production screen, a full stock inventory, a record of stock accuracy and docket printing. The
operator can choose what data is required to be reported.
From here, we are given options to view the following plant statistics:
Production Summary
Stock
Trucks
Drivers
Delivery Suppliers
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4.1: Production Summary:
From the statistics menu, select ‘Production Summary’ to view the batching history. From here
the operator can view all load details between the dates selected at the top of the screen. Press the
‘tab’ key to highlight the start date. Then use the up, down, left and right arrow keys to change
the date. Press the tab key again to move to the end date and repeat the process. Pressing the ‘tab’ key again will highlight the production list. Then Use the up and down arrows to select the
different drops within the list.
The operator can then view information about each load by selecting it in the list. He/she will
have the option of Viewing a summary of that load (F1), or viewing a drop report for that load (F2). Pressing ‘F3’ automatically sets the dates to show only today’s production. Pressing ‘F4’ sets the
dates to show production since the beginning of the week (Sunday). Pressing ‘F5’ sets the dates to
show production since the beginning of the month. The operator can also print a docket for that
load if necessary (F6). A production report can be printed by pressing ‘F7’. Pressing ‘F8’ will show
a bar graph for the production. Pressing ‘F9’ will prompt you to select the dates which you want to view any manual batches recorded. The operator also has an (F12) option which allows the user
to look back at historical charts and trending for loads previously completed. When this button is
selected, the following dialogue box appears:
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The user is provided with the option to select the particular weighers or flow rates they require to
view on the chart. For more information on charts, please see section 8.
The operator can view all the loads completed for a certain customer or truck by pressing the tab
button to highlight the ‘Customer’ or ‘Truck’ and pressing the up and down arrow to select the
customer or truck number.
When options (F1) or (F2) are selected, the user will be asked whether or not they want to view
any events, drops or manual controls that occurred during that load in the report. This is selected
by default. The appropriate report will then be shown, along with the standard report options.
The appropriate production report will then be shown, along with the standard report options as shown below:
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4.2: Stock:
From the statistics menu, select ‘Stock Screen’ to view the stock screen. The stock screen allows
the operator to keep track of stock levels within the plant and modify if necessary. Use the arrow
keys to select the date for which you want to view stock. This will automatically open today’s date
by default.
For any given day, selected at the top of the screen, the operator can view the amount of each
material present in stock at the start of the day (‘Open’), any deliveries for that day (‘Delivered’),
stock usage for that day (‘Usage’), any stock adjustments made (‘Adjusted’) and the actual current stock quantity (‘Quantity’).
This screen gives the operator the options to:
Make a new delivery (F1)
Make a stock adjustment (F2)
Set low levels for each Bin [F3] – option at top of screen to set alarm when stock low levels reached.
View a report on the history of deliveries(F4)
View a report on the history of adjustments (F5)
View the stock report (F6)
View the material usage (F7)
Toggle Admixture Units between KG’s/Ltrs (F11)
By pressing ‘F1’ to make a new delivery, the ‘Delivery Details’ column will appear on the right
hand side of the screen. Use the up/down arrow keys to select a supplier, or just type in the name of a new supplier. Use the ‘tab’ key to move onto the delivery date and change if necessary (Using
arrow keys). Again use the ‘tab’ key to move onto the docket number field and type in a docket
number for the delivery. Then enter any notes deemed appropriate. Then use the ‘tab’ key to move
down through the material delivery units and adjust as appropriate. Press ‘F1’ to confirm the
delivery, or ‘F2’ to cancel and undo any changes.
Pressing ‘F2’ to adjust stock levels works similarly. Use the ‘tab’ key to move down through the
quantity units for each material and adjust as appropriate. Press ‘F1’ to confirm the adjustment,
or ‘F2’ to cancel and undo any changes.
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4.3: Trucks:
From the statistics menu, press ‘F5’ to view truck statistics. This screen allows the operator to set
up the plants fleet.
Use the up/down arrow keys to move through the list of existing trucks. Use the ‘tab’ key to move
through the truck details for any particular truck. Any changes which are made, pressing ‘F1’ will
save these changes. ‘F2’ will undo the changes.
The operator can add a new truck by pressing the ‘F1’ key. If this is selected, use the tab key to
move to each of the ‘Code’, ‘Registration’ ,‘Truck Capacity’ and ‘Drivers’ fields and enter
appropriate details. The changes can then be saved (F1) or undo (F2).
To delete a truck, select one in the list and press ‘F2’.
Press ‘F9’ to view any changes made to the truck details between the two selected dates. Any
changes which have been made can be Printed (F1) or Saved to a file.
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4.4: Drivers: From the statistics menu, select ‘Drivers’ to view details of all drivers.
The operator can add a new truck by pressing the ‘F1’ key. If this is selected, use the tab key to
move the ‘Driver Code’ and ‘Name’ fields and enter appropriate details. The changes can then be saved (F1) or undo (F2).
To delete a driver, select one in the list and press ‘F2’.
Again by pressing ‘F9’ to view any changes made to the driver details between the two selected
dates. Any changes which have been made can be Printed (F1) or Saved to a file.
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4.5: Delivery Supplier:
From the statistics menu, select ‘Delivery Supplier’ to view details of all suppliers.
The operator can add a new supplier by pressing the ‘F1’ key. If this is selected, use the tab key to
move to the ‘Name’ or ‘Short Name’ fields and enter appropriate details. The changes can then be
saved (F1) or discarded (F2).
To delete a supplier, select one in the list and press ‘F2’.
Again by pressing ‘F9’ to view any changes made to the Delivery Supplier details between the two
selected dates. Any changes which have been made can be Printed (F1) or Saved to a file.
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5: RECIPE SCREEN:
From the main menu, select Mix Design to view the recipe menu screen.
This gives us the following options:
View/Edit Recipes
Recipe Groups
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5.1: View/Edit Recipes:
From the recipes menu, select ‘View/Edit Recipes’. This screen allows the operator to configure
all recipes for the plant. Features include:
Virtually unlimited recipes.
Recipe configurable aggregate bin hole settings.
Recipe configurable cleanout belt setting. (when ticked this will run cleanout belt during
production)
Recipe usage report
Material usage report by recipe or selection of recipes
Ability to view change history
Down the left of the screen, there is a list of all existing recipes. These can be easily edited by selecting one using the up/down arrows as normal, then using the tab key to move through all
the properties which make up the recipe. Each can be edited, and if any changes are made, the
user will be presented with the options of saving (F1) or undoing the changes (F2).
If a new recipe is required, enter the screen and press ‘F1’ to Add New. Select the recipe section which the new recipe is to be created under and press ‘F1’. The ‘Name’ field will be highlighted.
Enter a name and use the ‘tab’ key to move on to the next field. Once all values have been
entered, press ‘F1’ to save, or ‘F2’ to undo the changes. Recipes can also be deleted, by selecting a
recipe from the existing list on the left of the screen and pressing ‘F2’.
Some recipe statistics are also available, such as a record of all changes made to a recipe (F9), a summary of recipe usage (F6) and a material usage report (F7), configurable by selecting one or
any number of recipes to be reported on. These reports will appear in the usual format.
Note: If these buttons are grayed out, the current user may not have the rights to access these
features.
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In addition, there are also built in checks to ensure mistakes are not made, for example, when entering in a recipe, the total aggregate and cement percentages must add up to 100%, otherwise
an error message will be displayed when the user has tried to save the recipe:
5.1.1: Calibrate Recipes: At the bottom of each recipe there is a calibration button, this allows the user to enter a new
calibration for the aggregate of that recipe. Before any new calibration is considered, the user
must physically check around any weight scales or belts. They must also be sure to charge the
mixer with an appropriate amount of material so that calibration material isn’t filling the mixer and throwing off calibration numbers! For more info see Appendix 3. When the calibration
button is selected, the following screen appears:
The user is asked to specify the aggregate low running speed. Normally this is set to 10 Hertz,
when ‘Next’ is clicked on, a dialogue box appears for setting the Low calibration time:
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The user is asked to specify the aggregate low calibration time. Normally this is set to 120
seconds, when ‘Next’ is clicked on, the mixer and belts will start, allowing the system to run
aggregate through the system on the appropriate gate setting for this period of time - it is important the user has a truck below the end of the belt, as the amount of material run through
the plant must be weighed after the low calibration has finished. As the low calibration time is
running, you will see the following dialogue box:
The countdown timer allows the user to clearly see how long is left to run on the low calibration time. After the low calibration time has completed, the following dialogue box will appear:
The system displays confirmation that the low aggregate calibration has been completed. After
the “Next” button is selected, the finish low calibration screen appears as below:
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The user must now enter the actual weight of material run through the plant during the low
calibration time. On this dialogue box you will notice the average weigh value appears – this is to
allow the user to compare the most recent low calibration with other calibrations – this is a quick
way to flag up a problem with the calibration just performed – if the reading was significantly
different to similar low calibrations, this would point to a blockage or other mechanical problem.
The user also has the ability to ‘Repeat LOW Calibration’ if required.
Next the user must specify the high aggregate calibration speed:
Usually this would be set for the maximum speed of the belt – in most cases this will be 60 Hertz.
The user must now click on the ‘Next’ button to set the duration for the high calibration as shown
below:
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Above, the user must set how long the full calibration is to run for. Normally this would be set for 120s. The plant will start-up and run for the pre-set time using the belt drive speeds set
previously. It is important the user has a truck below the end of the belt once again, as the
amount of material ran through the plant must be weighed after the full calibration time has
finished. Once again, the user will be able to view the full calibration countdown timer as shown
below:
After the full calibration timer has finished, the following dialogue box will appear:
The above dialogue box confirms the calibration has completed successfully. The user must now
click ‘Next’ again to be taken to the finish calibration dialogue box:
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The user must now enter the weight of material ran through the plant during the 60s high speed calibration time (after it has been weighed) into the first text box. Again the average weigh value
appears – this is to allow the user to compare the most recent high calibration with other
calibrations – as before this is a quick way to flag up a problem with the calibration just
performed – if the reading was significantly different to similar high calibrations, this would point
to a blockage or other mechanical problem. Again there is an option to ‘Repeat HIGH Calibration’ if required.
The recipe screen is now updated displaying the new results and time/date stamp as shown
below:
It is imperative the user clicks ‘Save’ in the bottom left hand side of the recipe screen to complete
final confirmation of calibration and save the new recipe details and calibration details.
Immediately after calibration the user must now run a given amount of the newly calibrated recipe (normally 10Tons) through the plant and weigh it to confirm accuracy of calibration.
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5.2: Recipe Groups: From the recipes menu, select ‘Recipe Groups’ to view. This feature allows the ability to add
different material sections to display in the recipes for editing.
A new recipe group section can be added by pressing the ‘tab’ key to highlight it and press the
‘spacebar’ key to select it and it will be added on the right. Press the ‘tab’ key to move over to the
right and select the different material sections to be shown on the recipe. Press ‘F1’ to save the
changes. The screen is typically only used by PIL or other authorised personnel.
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6: CUSTOMERS:
From the main menu, select ‘customers’ to view and edit the customers’ details.
If a new customer is required, enter the customer setup screen and press ‘F1’ to Add New. Enter a
customer’s name and use the ‘tab’ key to move on to the next field. Once all fields have been
entered, press ‘F1’ to save, or ‘F2’ to undo the changes. Customers can also be deleted, by
selecting a customer from the existing list on the left of the screen and pressing ‘F2’.
Each customer can have several sites which can be added by pressing ‘F5’ and entering in the details to the fields and pressing ‘F1’ to save. A site can be removed from a customer by selecting
the site and pressing ‘F6’ to delete.
Each customer can have certain recipes assigned to them therefore when adding a load for that
customer the recipes are narrowed down to only a few to choose from. It can be narrowed down
further by assigning certain recipes to customer’s sites. To assign a recipe to a customer, select the customer and press ‘F7’. All the recipes appear. Press
the ‘tab’ key to highlight the first recipe and use the up and down arrows move through them.
Press the ‘spacebar’ to select the recipe to be assigned to the customer. When the appropriate
recipes are selected press ‘F1’ to move back to the customer’s screen and press ‘F1’ again to save
changes or ‘F2’ to undo. To assign a recipe to a customer’s site, select the customer’s site and press ‘F8’. Follow the same process to assigning a recipe to a customer.
All changes made to customers are recorded and these reports will appear in the usual format by
pressing ‘F9’.
Issue 1.3 30
7: SETUP:
From the main menu, select ‘Plant Configuration’ to view the configuration menu screen.
This gives us the following options:
Plant Setup
Materials
Supplier Setup
Moisture Setup
Printer Setup
IO Status
Users
Issue 1.3 31
7.1: Plant Setup:
From the ‘Plant Configurations’ menu, select ‘Plant Setup’ to view the plant setup screen. This
screen allows the operator to accurately control how the plant runs, and in particular, the times
taken for various processes which occur during a load.
When the screen appears, there will be a list of categories down the left side of the screen. Select
the appropriate category using the up/down arrow keys. The categories available are:
General Variables
Drives
Times
Drain Times
Alarm Times
Tolerances
Rates
Drive Comms Control
Moving up and down through the list will display a number of properties for each category. Use
the ‘tab’ key to highlight the property/variable to be changed or select the desired box with the
touchscreen. Make the change. In the case of a checkbox, use the space bar to activate/deactivate it. In the case of a numeric value, use the arrow keys to alter it. Once satisfied, press ‘F1’ to save
any changes, or ‘F2’ to undo any changes made.
The options at the bottom of the screen allow the settings to be Refreshed (F3), or a report of any
changes to be viewed (F9). Choosing ‘Refresh’ updates the current on-screen values.
Issue 1.3 32
7.1.1: General Variables:
Selecting ‘General Variables’ allows miscellaneous settings for the plant to be edited.
General variables include the following:
Belt Scale Pulser – when ticked, the system will ignore the belt scale signal
Kgs or Lbs / Pulse – Defines how many Kgs or Lbs is used for each pulse of the aggregate belt scale.
G or Oz / Pulse – Defines how many Grams or Oz is used for each pulse of the various pulsers – admix 1, admix 2 and water pulser
Density – This is used to set the density of the admix material being used.
Next Docket Number – this is used to set the next docket number the plant will batch. This will be printed on the ticket and stored with the load in the production screen.
Record Interval (Tns) – this defines how frequently the aggregate moisture will be recorded both in the events log (shown below) and also in the load report (which can be
accessed from the production screen)
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7.1.2: Drives: Selecting ‘Drives’ allows the manual drive speeds to be edited.
The following settings can be edited:
Manual Speed – This allows the user to set what speed they would like each drive to run at when using the plant in manual mode.
On/Off Speed – This allows the user to set the speed of water pump 1 at which water pump 2 will turn on and off.
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7.1.3: Times: Selecting ‘Times’ allows timing variables for the plant to be edited.
The following settings can be edited:
Aeration – this defines the length of time the cement silo aeration comes on for when weighing into the cement weigh hoppers in manual.
Gob Door Open/Close – these times defines how long the gob opens and closes for when running the plant in auto mode.
UPS shutdown delay - after power has been lost to the UPS, it will automatically shut down after 5 minutes. The UPS Shutdown Delay here defines how long the HMI will stay
on after genset power has been lost to the UPS.
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7.1.4: Drain Times: Selecting ‘Drain Times’ allows drain times and discharge delay times for the plant to be edited.
The following settings can be edited:
Drain Time – Drain time defines the time the system should take the plant to discharge its contents after reaching the empty signal.
Discharge Delay – Discharge delay defines the time delay (in secs) the system is to wait after receiving the discharge signal, before discharging a particular bin or weigh hopper
into the mixer. The discharge delay is also used as a run on time for each item after
discharging has finished.
Issue 1.3 36
7.1.5: Alarm Times: Selecting ‘Alarm Times’ allows alarm time settings for the plant to be edited. When an error is
detected in the plant, alarm times are the amount of time the system will allow the plant to rectify
the error before raising the alarm. If, after this time the error still exists, the alarm will be raised.
Here follows definitions of the most common alarm times:
Run/Stop – This defines the amount of time before the system alarms once the mixer/belts have failed to either start or stop when requested.
Flow/No Flow – This defines the amount of time before the system alarms after a flow or no flow fault condition has occurred.
Low Flow – This defines the amount of time before the system alarms after a low flow fault has occurred.
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7.1.6: Tolerances: Selecting ‘Tolerances’ allows the flow percentage tolerances to be set.
Tolerances are used to define how accurate the system weighments must be. They apply to each
material being weighed or measured in the plant. The main tolerance is:
Flow (%) – each materials flow percentage can be set and if the actual flow rises above or falls below this percentage from its target, the system will alarm to notify the user.
Flow (Tns/Hour) – The target tns/hour flow rate not being reached. This tolerance is for alarm only
Low Flow (Tns/Hour) – The actual tns/hour goes below this tolerance. Sytem will alarm and holds the batch so operator can check out why flow not being reached.
NOTE: The plant will attempt to stay within the tolerance limits set at all times regardless.
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7.1.7: Rates: Selecting ‘Rates’ allows the maximum Kgs or Lbs/sec for the plant to be edited.
The following variables can be edited:
Kg or Lb/sec (Max Hz) – This allows the user the enter the maximum flow of each material per second when weighing at maximum speed. The aggregate and additive both
have a maximum speed of 60 Hz, the cement has a maximum speed of 100 Hz.
Litres or Gals/sec (Max Hz) – This allows the user to enter the maximum flow of the water pulser per second when weighing at maximum speed. The water has a maximum
speed of 60 Hz.
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7.1.8: Drive Comms Control: Selecting Drive Comms Control allows the user to configure variable speed drive settings:
We have provided a check box to provide a simple method for the user to disable any of the
Variable Speed Drives (VSD’s) installed in the plant. To remove a VSD from operation, simply
untick the checkbox beside the relevant drive you wish to disable.
Issue 1.3 40
7.1.9: Cement Calibration
Along the bottom of all the plant setup screens you will find there are two options: F5 Cement 1 Calibration and F6 Cement 2 Calibration. This provides the user with a means to calibrate the
cement flow (note cement 1 is the silo incorporated onto the chassis of the machine). Before
beginning the calibration, it is important there is a calibration tray put in place to capture all
cement dispensed through the Rotoloc feeder during the calibration. To start calibration press
one of the two buttons along the bottom, the following dialogue box will appear:
The user is asked to specify the cement low running speed. Normally this is set to 20 Hertz, when
‘Next’ is clicked on, a dialogue box appears for setting the Low calibration time:
The user is asked to specify the cement low calibration time. Normally this is set to 30 seconds,
when ‘Next’ is clicked on, the cement rotary valve will start up, allowing the system to run cement
through the system for this period of time - it is important the user captures all cement discharge
from the silo, as the amount of material ran through the plant must be weighed after the low
calibration has finished. As the low calibration time is running, you will see the following dialogue box:
Issue 1.3 41
The remaining time countdown timer allows the user to clearly see how long is left to run on the
low calibration time. After the low calibration time has completed, the following dialogue box will
appear:
The system displays confirmation that the low cement calibration has been completed. After Next
is selected, the finish low calibration screen appears as below:
The user must now enter the actual weight of cement run through the rotary feeder during the
low calibration time. On this dialogue box you will notice the average weigh value appears – this is to allow the user to compare the most recent low calibration with other calibrations – this is a
quick way to flag a problem with the calibration just performed – if the reading was significantly
different to similar low calibrations, this would point to a blockage or other mechanical problem.
The user also has the ability to ‘Repeat LOW Calibration’ if required.
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Next the user must specify the high cement calibration speed:
Usually this would be set for the maximum speed of the screws – in most cases this will be 60
Hertz. The user must now click on the ‘Next’ button to set the duration for the high calibration as shown below:
Above, the user must set how long the high calibration is to run for. Normally this would be set
for 60s. The plant will start-up and run for the pre-set time using the drive speeds set previously.
It is important the user captures all cement discharge from the silo once again, as the amount of
cement ran through the plant must be weighed after the full calibration time has finished. Once again, the user will be able to view the high calibration countdown timer as shown below:
Issue 1.3 43
After the full calibration timer has finished, the following dialogue box will appear:
The above dialogue box confirms the calibration has completed successfully. The user must now
click ‘Next’ again to be taken to the finish calibration dialogue box:
The user must now enter the weight of cement ran through the plant during the 60s high calibration time after it has been weighed into the first text box. Again the average weigh value
appears – this is to allow the user to compare the most recent high calibration with other
calibrations – as before this is a quick way to flag up a problem with the calibration just
performed – if the reading was significantly different to similar high calibrations, this would point
to a blockage or other mechanical problem. Again the user also has the ability to ‘Repeat HIGH Calibration’ if required.
Finally you will be asked to confirm you are happy for the calibration details to be saved.
Issue 1.3 44
7.2: Material Setup:
From the setup menu, select ‘Materials’ to view the material setup screen. From this screen, the
operator can configure materials used within the plant – aggregates, cements, admixture and
water.
Simply arrow up and down through the material types on the left of the screen to display all
materials defined under that category. Press ‘tab’ to highlight the list of defined materials. Use the
up/down arrows to select a particular material. Pressing ‘tab again allows the different material properties to be altered, such as ‘Name’, ‘Short Name’, ‘Weigh Units’, ‘Delivery Units’ and ‘Density’.
A new material can be added to the list by pressing ‘F1’. A name and short name should be
entered for the new material. If the material is an admixture, the other properties should also be
given values. Press ‘F1’ to save or ‘F2’ to undo the changes. Highlighting any material using ‘tab’
and arrow keys and pressing ‘F2’ can delete a material. The user will be asked for confirmation before the deletion takes place.
All changes made to Materials are recorded and these reports will appear in the usual format by
pressing ‘F9’.
Issue 1.3 45
7.3: Supplier Setup:
From the setup menu, select ‘Supplier Setup’ to view the bin setup screen. From this screen, the
operator can assign a material to a bin for – aggregates, cements, admixture and water.
The course materials used within a 600C plant are aggregate and cement. It also has at least 1
admix flow meter and a water flow meter. A list of the materials and flow meters will be visible on
the left hand side of the screen. Use the arrow keys to select the material group to be configured. Then press ‘tab’ to highlight the large central area to set the material used. Use the up/down
arrows to select the material for that bin you wish to change. Press the ‘Tab’ key to move to the
next field. The ‘Enabled?’ check box indicates if the bin is available to use.
When all required changes are made, press ‘F1’ to save or ‘F2’ to undo the changes.
All changes made to Materials are recorded and these reports will appear in the usual format by
pressing ‘F9’ and may be printed.
Issue 1.3 46
7.4: Moisture Setup:
From the plant configurations menu, select ‘Moisture Setup’ to access the moisture screen. This
screen allows the engineer to configure how aggregate moisture readings are taken.
To change the values in the text boxes use the 'tab' key to high-light the value to be changed. Type
in the new value and press enter. On leaving the screen you will be asked to confirm your changes
if you have made any. If the value is a check-box use the space bar to check/uncheck it.
Descriptions: Channel - changing probe channels should only be done by the commissioning engineer or under
supervision of the engineer. It allows you to select the bins which have the moisture probes
installed. Auto On - this allows you to select either automatic or manual moisture. You can only set auto
moisture on a particular bin if a probe channel has been assigned to that bin. Minimum - (auto minimum value) sets the lower moisture limits which the computer will adopt if
the probe reads below this value, i.e., probe failure. This will only affect the auto moisture
reading. Maximum - (auto maximum value) sets the highest moisture limits which the computer will adopt
if the probe reads above this value, i.e., probe failure. SSD – This is a Saturated-surface-dry (SSD) value which a moisture probe can not read as it is
absorbed within the particles of the material. This value will be subtracted from the moisture value being produced by the moisture probe. Manual - (manual moisture value) enables you to change the manual moisture figures.
Issue 1.3 47
Calibrate:
The ‘Calibrate’ tab beside each moisture value allows the calibration values for the moisture probe
to be altered. If you click on ‘Calibrate’ a new window will appear.
At the top of the screen there is a ‘Current Raw Value’ which the system is receiving from the
probe. Below the ‘Current Raw Value’ are the calibration points. Up to 12 different calibration
points can be entered to make the calibration more accurate. Only the calibration points which have the check box beside it enabled will be used. When more than two calibration points are
entered and enabled press ‘F2’ to view the line of the graph. When more than two points are being
used the best line of fit will be used. Press ‘F1’ when you are happy with the calibration values or
‘ESC’ to cancel and return to the moisture setup screen. The calibration values will only take
affect once ‘F1’ is pressed to save the changes.
NOTE: For more information on how to calibrate the moisture probes, please see section 15.9.
Issue 1.3 48
7.5: Printer Setup:
From the setup menu, select ‘Printer Setup’ to access the printer settings screen. This screen
allows the operator to choose which printers to use for batch printing and report printing. It also
allows the operator to choose what details to print and what to ignore.
Again these details should only be altered or adjusted under the instruction.
Issue 1.3 49
The paper this printer uses is 36mm diameter thermal paper (approximately 13m long). The
paper should be installed as the picture below demonstrates with the paper unrolling from the
bottom side of the printer. If in any doubt there are additional installation graphics inside the actual printer itself when the print lid has been lifted.
Issue 1.3 50
7.6: IO Status:
From the setup menu, select ‘I/O Status’ to view the I/O list. This screen is used to show the
plant inputs and outputs which the controller uses to run the plant. Below is a picture of the
Micrologix SLC used in the Rapidmix C600 machines, I have labelled the items of interest:
The I/O Screen is shown in the graphic below:
The I/O screen and the information displayed is useful for plant engineers should a fault arise.
Active inputs and outputs are highlighted green. Each input/output displays the name complete
and wire number, so fault finding can be conducted easily.
Main SLC Inputs Slot 1 (Inputs) Slot 2 (Output) Slot 3 (Analogs)
SLC Display
Screen
Main SLC Outputs Slot 4 (Inputs)
SLC Display
Screen
Issue 1.3 51
7.7: Users:
From the setup menu, select ‘Users’ to view and edit users on the system.
Only authorised users are allowed to access the system. Once logged on, different areas of the
system support different levels of security access.
Password protection for different areas of the system.
3 different levels of security – full/modify/read only.
Only users with an authorised user name and password can log on to the system.
To add a new user press ‘F1’. Enter in a user name and password for the new user to log on with.
Tick the ‘Enabled’ check box to activate the new user. Set the user control as either ‘Admin’,
‘Mangers’, ‘Batchers’, ‘Guests’, or ‘None’. Each user has different default rights. These rights can
also be modified by selecting each check box for different areas.
Then, press ‘F1’ to save or ‘F2’ to undo your changes.
Issue 1.3 52
8: CHARTS: From the main menu, select ‘Charts’ to view the setup menu screen.
This gives us the following options:
Historical
Real-Time
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8.1: Historical Chart: From the main menu, select ‘Historical Chart’ to access the first charting screen. This screen
allows the operator to view historical data of loads previously completed.
The historical chart displays a chart showing x and y axis and a smooth line showing various pieces of information which can be selected by the user.
By pressing F1, the user can choose to show any number of items (up to a maximum of 6) on the
graph as shown below:
Issue 1.3 54
As shown on the pop up above, the user can select the start and end times of the graph and also
some additional axis options. Finally the graph can be exported into csv file format by clicking
Export (F2).
Issue 1.3 55
8.2: Real Time Flows Chart:
From the main menu, select ‘Real Time’ to access live charting of the current plant flows.
When the plant is running in automatic or manual, the user can look at this screen to view the actual live real time trending of the various materials. This screen is helpful when setting up the
machine and also for checking the blend is within required parameters.
By pressing F1, the user can choose to show any number of items (up to a maximum of 6) on the
graph as shown below:
Issue 1.3 56
As shown on the pop up above, the user can select the start and end times of the graph and also
some additional axis options. Finally the graph can be exported into csv file format by clicking
Export (F2) as before.
Issue 1.3 57
9: MANUALS:
From the main menu, select ‘Manuals’ to view all plant manuals.
After selecting the Manuals button, Windows Explorer will launch a new window where the user
will be able to browse and view all manuals relating to the plant and plant operation as well as all
components:
Issue 1.3 58
10: BACKUP DATABASE:
From the main menu, select ‘Backup Database’ to backup plant databases onto USB memory stick:
After the Backup Database option has been selected, the following pop up box will appear:
The user must navigate using the standard Windows navigator as shown above, where to save the
databases. You must ensure a USB memory stick has been plugged into the HMI, then navigate to this USB memory stick, normally this is displayed is shown above as ‘Removable Disk’. After
the correct location has been selected, press OK for the system to go ahead and backup the
databases to this location.
Issue 1.3 59
11: REMOTE LAPTOP The remote laptop is a standard feature. This remote laptop will provide backup should the main
HMI PC become faulty. The software is designed such that should the main HMI become faulty, databases can be copied on to the remote laptop, and this laptop can control the plant wirelessly
(using the Wi-Fi installed on top of the cement silo).
The laptop also provides users with the ability to remote view and control the plant within the Wi-
Fi range. When the laptop is turned on, it will automatically log in to the desktop as shown below:
Sometimes if the laptop is not used for a long period of time it can automatically lock itself or go
into sleep mode. On using the laptop you will then be asked for a username and password. The
username is pil, the password is also pil.
You will need to ensure the Wi-Fi is active and that the laptop has connected onto the Wi-Fi
network. If connected the icon highlighted in red above will appear white. If you need to connect
to the Wi-Fi network, the network identification name is Rapidmobile, the password to connect
onto the local Wi-Fi network is Rapid1234.
Below I have explained the 2 main laptop uses in a little more detail.
Issue 1.3 60
11.1: Remote Viewing on Laptop:
The laptop provides the ability for users to remotely connect onto the HMI PC and be able to
control the plant from laptop within the range of the Wi-Fi system. Remote viewing software
called VNC is installed and configured on the laptop, there is an icon for VNC on the desktop.
To connect onto the HMI, simply click on the icon on the desktop called ‘Tight VNC Viewer’, the
following dialogue box will appear:
The IP address shown in the Remote Host box should be OK as it will always be pre-configured
before going to site. Lest the IP address has been lost, you should type in 192.168.2.102. The user should then press ‘Connect’ – assuming the laptop has connected to the Wi-Fi, a connection
will be made to the HMI.
The full screen will automatically be taken up with the connection onto the HMI. To toggle full
screen on and off, press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F together on the laptop keyboard. You will see the following:
Issue 1.3 61
From this point the user has the ability to close VNC or go back to full screen if required.
11.2: Laptop Assuming Main Control of Plant: Should the HMI fail, the laptop has the capability to assume full control of the plant. If the HMI
fails, it is imperative that the first thing the user does is unplug the network cable from the back
of the HMI. It is crucial to the machines running that there are not 2 different PC’s trying to
control the plant.
The next step is to back up the databases from the HMI, it is recommended this be done once a
week as a minimum to ensure minimum information is lost. The USB memory stick containing
the most recent databases should be inserted into the laptop. An explorer window should be
opened by clicking on the icon below circled in red:
Issue 1.3 62
When the explorer icon has been clicked on, a new window will open as shown below:
The user should navigate to the (C:) drive, then enter the ‘PilV3’ folder. The contents of the PilV3
folder are as above.
The user should double click on the ‘BatchingSystem.RestorePdb’ file as is highlighted above. The
following dialogue box will appear:
The user is provided with the ability to navigate to the USB memory stick using the standard
Windows navigations system as described above, and select the most recent backup of the
databases.
Issue 1.3 63
After ‘Open’ has been selected, the system will automatically begin the process of restoring the
databases from the USB memory stick onto the laptop. After this has completed, the following
dialogue box will appear:
After the databases have been successfully restored, the user should then click on the ‘Start
Dynamix’ icon as shown below:
After this icon has been double clicked, the laptop will automatically launch the PIL Dynamix
control system. Full control of the plant is now available through the laptop. It is imperative that
before any batching commences – all recipes, calibrations and plant settings must be checked.
When the HMI is fully operational again, you must restart the laptop completely, this will close
the software running on the laptop. The user is then free to plug back in the HMI and continue using the plant.
WARNING – The process described above should only be carried when in an emergency situation,
the system is not designed to switch between operation modes regularly.
Issue 1.3 64
12: DIAGNOSTICS/ALARMS:
12.1: Alarms Screen:
The system has various diagnostic tools in order to simplify fault detection. All information in the
system can be saved to disk as back up. Only Pneutrol engineers should modify how the system backup works. Plant IO states and full diagnostics are available.
Alarms occur to inform or warn the operator of certain system states. Any problems can be
immediately diagnosed. The alarms screen is accessible from any point in the system by selecting
1 Alarms, along the top of any screen.
The alarms screen provides the following features:
Alarms are immediately viewable.
Alarm screen gives full alarm details with exact dates and times.
Simple quick fault detection.
From here, the operator can accept any non-critical alarms (F1), View an alarms report between given dates (F2), or an events report between given dates (F3). As for all reports, you will be given
the options to print them or export them to alternate media such as a text file. The events report
also gives the user indication of who was logged in when any plant setup or recipes were changed.
Issue 1.3 65
Below is an example of the printer log report – as you can see, every action the plant has completed is logged and time stamped. This is very useful for fault diagnosis:
Dealing with Alarms:
An alarm is dealt with as follows:
From the HMI;
1. Press ‘1 Alarms’ to display the Alarm screen. This will show a list of all the active alarms.
2. If the alarm is an out of tolerance alarm or similar, check the screen to see which item was out
of tolerance and by how much. If it is not serious then the weight may be accepted by pressing
‘F1’. If there is a serious weight discrepancy then the system may need to be switched into MANUAL and all existing materials put through the system until the system is clear. Investigate
the cause of the discrepancy and when the cause has been eradicated, abort the process and
restart the system in auto.
3. If you are confident that you know the cause of the alarm then pressing the 'F1' key on the
keyboard will accept the alarm.
PLEASE REVIEW APPENDIX 3 AT THE BACK OF THIS DOCUMENT FOR FULL ALARMS LIST
13: REMOTE ACCESS:
There has been a remote access Wi-Fi receiver installed at the top of the cement silo. The
customer must provide a suitable SIM card which should be installed in the Wi-Fi unit, allowing
remote access for management, PIL technical staff, your distributor or your agent:
Technicians can interrogate the system and assist in fault finding/fixing from their headquarters
PIL Technicians can download new software updates
Management/accounts staff can view/receive production reports
from their own offices as required
System can be started from a remote interface
Issue 1.3 66
The Wi-Fi unit is installed at the top of the cement silo as the picture below shows:
To install the SIM card you must open the white outer box, inside you will see the Wi-Fi unit
itself. At the top of the unit, beside where the aerials connect in, there are 2 screws holding a protective cover in place, this cover should be removed and a SIM installed as the picture below
shows:
The Wi-Fi unit comes pre-setup and configured, but should any additional configuration be
required, to change the setup of the Wi-Fi unit the username is admin, the password is RILMobile.
The remote laptop, which is covered in more detail in section 11 will already be configured to
automatically connect to the Wi-Fi, the network identification name is Rapidmobile, the password
to connect onto the local Wi-Fi network is Rapid1234.
Issue 1.3 67
13.1: Modifying Network Providers’ APN Settings:
Any device connecting to the internet using a mobile network must have the correct Access Point
Name (APN) setting configured which your SIM card provider will supply you with. After the SIM
card has been inserted into the Wi-Fi unit as described above, you must then configure the APN
setting in the unit to be suitable for your SIM card supplier.
1. Using either the Touch Screen HMI or the remote laptop, open Internet Explorer and type
192.168.2.1 into the address bar as shown below:
2. The screen above should appear. Now enter the login details:
Username: admin
Password: RILMobile
The following screen should appear:
Issue 1.3 68
3. Along the top of the web page click on ‘Network’, then select ‘3G’ as shown below:
4. Now enter the APN setting and password (if required) as provided by your network SIM
card provider:
5. After all details have been entered, please click ‘Save’ in the bottom left of the screen to save and confirm your changes.
Issue 1.3 69
14: SHUTDOWN SYSTEM:
At the end of a day or to simply switch off the computer go to the Main Menu and select ‘Shut Down’. The HMI will display a message box asking you to confirm the shutdown. Press ‘y’ if it is
ok to shut down, otherwise press ‘’n’ to cancel the shutdown. Always allow the computer time to
shut down properly.
15: USEFUL INFORMATION:
15.1: Pausing The System: Should it be necessary to pause the system for any reason, choose the HOLD/RUN option on the
running screen. All screws, motors etc will be stopped and the plant will stay in its present state.
To resume again from the running screen choose the HOLD/RUN option again. Below is a
screenshot of the plant on HOLD:
Note: Do NOT press the ABORT option as this will completely reset the Controller to the start
position and the load will be aborted. The system will then have to be completely cleared before
you can start any more batches.
Note: This in no way removes power from the equipment and should not be used to enable
someone to work at a piece of equipment. If work must be done then the system should be
"Cleared", all the mix passed through the system in the normal way, placed in RESET and the
equipment then ELECTRICALLY ISOLATED, both on the CONTROL PANEL (Key Switch) and the
STARTER Panel (Mains Isolator).
Issue 1.3 70
15.2: Emergency Stop:
When it is imperative that the system be shut down immediately, i.e. as in the case of an accident
then the "Red" EMERGENCY STOP button on the front of the HMI panel should be pressed. There
are also “Emergency Stop” buttons on the left and right sides of the plant ahead of the aggregate
bin. An example of an emergency stop is shown in the picture below:
When any emergency stop is pressed, this will stop the plant batching operation completely i.e.
stop belts, mixer, screws etc. If an emergency stop has been pressed, the ‘Em Stop Reset’ button
on the front of the main HMI panel will become illuminated solid blue. This highlights to the user
that an emergency stop is active. All emergency stops should be checked to ensure none are pressed, when satisfied the plant is safe, the user should press the ‘Em Stop Reset’ button to
reset all emergency stops.
If the blue ‘Em Stop Reset’ button on the front of the main HMI panel is flashing, this alerts the
user that it is not an emergency stop that is active, rather it is the mixer Castell lock. Section 15.4 explains the Mixer Castell system in more detail.
Further isolation can be carried out by turning the Isolator handle on the starter panel to the OFF
position. Should this facility be used, then it is necessary, on starting up again, to clear the
system manually.
Issue 1.3 71
15.3: Safety Pull Switches
In addition to emergency stops, there are also a number of safety pulls switches installed on
moving belts around the plant, an example of which is shown below:
The safety pull above demonstrates what the safety pull should look like when in normal running
mode. If the safety pull has been activated, it will look like the picture shown below:
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The safety pull is reset by pushing the blue switch from the zero/off graphic to the 1/on graphic.
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15.4: Mixer Castell Interlocking System The mixer has its own interlocking system to protect users from entering or accessing the mixer.
The Castell key is taken from the electrical lock which is found on the front of the main panel door
(the main panel is located immediately to the left of the HMI panel), as shown below:
The key is then taken to unlock the Castell lock mounted on top of the mixer lid door.
The picture below shows the Mechan guard switches which provide feedback to the control
system that the mixer lid doors are definitely closed. These switches are automatic reset and it is imperative that when the mixer lids have been opened, that the user ensures the mixer lid is
closed properly and that these switches are within 5mm of each other.
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If the mixer Castell has been removed from the electrical lock on the main panel door, and assuming no emergency stops are active, the blue ‘Em Stop Reset’ button on the HMI panel will
flash, to alert the user that no emergency stops are pressed and that only the mixer Castell is
unlocked.
WARNING! – No one should ever stand on top of the mixer or the mixer lids.
WARNING! – Hydraulic power pack and therefore the hydraulic mixer doors are outside the
emergency stop circuit, the hydraulic power pack should be isolated before work commences
inside, on or around the mixer.
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15.5: How To Reset VSD’s If any drive fails within the plant, an alarm will be displayed on the HMI screen alerting users of
the problem. If you need to reset any drive there are 2 options. The user can either press an
emergency stop and leave activated for approximately 1 minute, allowing time for the drives to
power down or the user can choose to open the electrical panel and press the red 0 button on the
front of the drive as the picture below shows:
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15.6: Compressor
The compressor is started from the main HMI panel pushbuttons as the picture below illustrates:
As you can see from the picture above, the main HMI panel has Compressor Start and
Compressor Stop pushbuttons.
In addition to the Compressor Start and Stop buttons on the control panel shown above, there are
also Start and Stop buttons on the actual compressor itself as shown below:
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15.7: Pneumatic Valve Box Lubricators/Air Pressure Setup
The main pneumatic regulator located beside the pneumatic valve panel (as shown below) should
be set and maintained at 6 Bar (90 PSI).
Aeration regulators should not be set at more than 0.7 Bar (10 PSI). All pneumatic valve box
lubricators should be kept topped up with pneumatic oil. The picture below shows your
pneumatic valve box:
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The lubricator is circled red above. The user should make sure the air has been turned off, this can be done by closing the hand valve on the side of the valve box panel. The outer protective
bowl and the inner glass bowl are removed as described below – it is important the glass bowl is
kept approximately three quarters full with pneumatic oil.
15.8: HMI
The HMI comes complete with flush panel and 5 wire touch screen. It can be cleaned using a
damp cloth. Use of strong detergents/cleaning agents is strongly advised against.
In the rare event that the HMI freezes, the operator should plug a keyboard into the USB port of
the front of the main HMI panel. After this has been plugged in the operator should press Control-Alt-Delete on the keyboard. The user should then select Shutdown and then Restart.
Issue 1.3 80
15.9: How to Calibrate Moisture Probes
Pre-Calibration Checks
Before any moisture probe is calibrated, it is important to ensure the ‘floating’ bracket holding the
moisture probe in place is free and able to move up and down with material. Secondly it is
important to ensure the ceramic face of the probe is clean and does not have any material build-up.
Calibration Theory
To determine the calibration line, two points are required, the Raw 1 and Real Moisture % 1 on
the Moisture Setup screen of the PIL computer are default settings and should not be changed.
The values are Raw 1 = 6240, Real Moisture % 1 = 0.01. It is the Raw 2 and Real Moisture % 2 figures we will focus on. These are derived by flowing material over the sensor and noting down
the Current Raw Value on the moisture calibration screen (as shown below), at the same time
taking a sample of material, which will be dried out to find its true moisture content. This gives
us the ‘Raw 2’ and ‘Real Moisture % 2’ figures.
Calibrate:
The ‘Calibrate’ tab beside each moisture value allows the calibration values for the moisture probe
to be altered. If you click on ‘Calibrate’ a new window will appear.
At the top of the screen there is a ‘Current Raw Value’ which the system is receiving from the
probe. Below the ‘Current Raw Value’ are the calibration points. Up to 12 different calibration
points can be entered to make the calibration more accurate. Only the calibration points which have the check box beside it enabled will be used. When more than two calibration points are
entered and enabled press ‘F2’ to view the line of the graph. When more than two points are being
used the best line of fit will be used. Press ‘F1’ when you are happy with the calibration values or
‘ESC’ to cancel and return to the moisture setup screen. The calibration values will only take
affect once ‘F1’ is pressed to save the changes.
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Hints and Safety - Wear safety glasses and protective clothing to guard against expulsion of
material during the drying process
- Do not attempt to calibrate the sensor by packing material on the face. The readings
obtained will not be representative of those from a real application
- Whilst recording the sensor Current Raw Value, always take a sample as close to the sensor as possible
- Ensure a representative sample is taken for moisture testing
Equipment
- Weighing scales – accurate to 0.1g
- Heat source – for drying samples, such as oven or microwave - Container – such as glass bowl, tin for drying samples in
- Safety Equipment – including glasses, heat resistant gloves and protective clothing
Calibration Procedure
(i) Weigh and write down the sample dish weight (ii) On the PIL computer, go to the Moisture Setup as described in Section 7.4 and find the
Current Raw Value
(iii) Weigh up approximately 750kg of material to be calibrated, monitoring the Current Raw
Value as the material is weighed. Take an average of the Current Raw Value when the
weighing is finished. (iv) Collect a sample of material in the dish, and weigh.
(v) Completely dry out material and weigh again.
Calculating the Moisture Content
To summarise then the calculation: wet weight – dry weight
dry weight – weight of dish x 100
Inputting Figures To PIL system
Now the moisture calculation is complete, we can input the calibration figures to the system. The Current Raw Value we wrote down earlier is typed into the Raw 2 column and the moisture we
just calculated is typed into the Real Moisture % 2 column (as shown above). Please note if the
saturated surface dry (SSD) of the material is known, this can be entered on the Moisture Setup
screen. The calibration is complete.
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15.10: Admix Dispenser
If fitted, the admix dispenser installed is similar to the unit shown below with each component
labelled:
Component 4 shown above, the bucket filter, should be checked regularly to ensure there is no
build-up of dirty material. To ensure the admix pump does not need bled, it is crucial that all
pipes in to and out of the admix pump are filled with liquid prior to initial running.
A foot valve and strainer must be fitted to the suction hose if using a barrel of admixture, if connecting to a bulk tank, an in-line non-return valve should be fitted at the tank outlet.
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15.11: Hydraulic Controls
Each Rapid mobile machine has hydraulic controls to facilitate folding up and folding down the
plant. For the hydraulic controls to function, the user must first start the generator. Since the
hydraulic power pack is outside the emergency stop circuit, the hydraulic power pack will
function immediately, by pressing the start button as shown in the picture below:
After the ‘Hydraulic Power On’ button has been pressed, the user can control the manual levers
on the machine as shown below in the picture below. Full description of these levers operation
can be found in the accompanying Rapid International manual.
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WARNING! – Hydraulic power pack and therefore the hydraulic mixer doors are outside the
emergency stop circuit, the hydraulic power pack should be isolated before work commences
inside, on or around the mixer.
15.12: What to Do If You Have a Problem?
In the event of a system failure, immediately take a picture of the running screen on the HMI with
a camera phone or small camera. Also take a picture of the inputs/outputs using the facility
provided in the 'INPUT/OUTPUT' screen. Carry out a visual inspection of the plant and write
down any faults and correct if possible.
If no faults are noted, clear the system completely in manual mode and attempt the next job or
batch in automatic mode. Observe plant functions and record data as necessary. Relay all
findings to Rapid International Limited or your local dealer.
The more comprehensive the information supplied, the easier it will be to provide a solution to the
fault. Also have available all plant control drawings to discuss with Support Engineers.
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16: APPENDIX 1 – Best Practice/Regular Checks There are various key points that we recommend are carried out on the plant regularly to ensure
ease free operation, in conjunction with the various mechanical checks recommended in the mechanical manual.
Hourly Checks 1. Check around aggregate gate for material build up and that aggregate is flowing freely
2. Check around cement screw socks for material build up and that cement is flowing freely
3. Check the oversize material grill in the mouth of the mixer for material build up
Daily Checks
1. Check weight of load
2. Check the water spray bar is unrestricted
3. Check for build-up in gob hopper
4. If 24 hour batching pc must be shut down and restarted
Weekly Checks
1. Check calibration of aggregate
2. Check calibration of cement 3. Check pneumatic valve panel filter and lubricator (filter should be clear of water,
lubricator should contain pneumatic oil)
4. Test all safety pulls
5. Test all emergency stops
6. Test cement high level 7. Examine silo filter cartridges
8. Check silo pressure relief valve (PRV)
9. Check silo pressure switch
10. Drain all water out of the compressor
11. Backup HMI databases to USB memory stick
On Start-up
1. Plant must have power turned on a minimum of 20 minutes before start-up
On Plant Relocation
1. All transport bolts must be remove from each weigh hopper/belt
2. Earth spike must be fitted to plant at all times. Maximum earth spike resistance – 5
Ohms 3. Full calibration check must be completed
4. If control panel is unplugged, both ends should be covered to prevent water/dust ingress
5. The cement screw fill butterfly valves must be checked prior to starting up the plant. The
compressor should be turned on and these valves tested to ensure air piping etc has been
reconnected correctly after plant relocation.
After plant has been moved, a full electrical inspection should be carried out, if the plant remains
stationary, a full electrical inspection should be carried in accordance with current country laws,
we would suggest a minimum of once per year.
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17: APPENDIX 2 – Full Alarm List Plant Safety Fail These alarms become active when either an
Safety Switch Tripped Emergency Stop (EMS) or Safety Pull cord is EMS - Panel Active activated.
EMS - Remote 1 Active
EMS - Remote 2 Active
Safety Pull Switch 1 Active
Safety Pull Switch 2 Active
Mixer Castell Switch Off The Castell interlock for the mixer lids has been turned off
Mixer Safety Switch Trip The mixer safety switch has tripped – check safety switch
Mixer Motor Protector Trip
Mixer Motor 1 Protector Trip Mixer Motor 2 Protector Trip
Cem 1 Screw Motor Protector Trip These alarms become active when a
Cem 2 Screw Motor Protector Trip motor protector overload is tripped.
Water Pump 1 Motor Protector Trip Each alarm is clearly marked,
Water Pump 2 Motor Protector Trip appropriate motor protector should Agg Feeder Motor Protector Trip be reset inside the electrical panels.
Agg W/C Motor Protector Trip
Cleanout Conv. Motor Protector Trip
Outload Conv. Motor Protector Trip
Power Pack Motor Protector Trip
Compressor Motor Protector Trip Silo Filter Fan Motor Protector Trip
Air Healthy Failed Air supply to plant has failed – check plant compressor
Agg Feeder Not Reaching Target When running, the plant is not
reaching its preset target rate
Agg Feeder Not Stopped The Feeder or W/C has not stopped -
possible electrical fault
Cement 1 Not Reaching Target
Cement 2 Not Reaching Target
Additive 1 Not Reaching Target When running, the plant is not
Additive 2 Not Reaching Target reaching its preset discharge target
Water Not Reaching Target rate – check for blockages or Agg Start Hz Not Enough to Reach Batch Target restrictions to the flow of material
Cem 1 Start Hz Not Enough to Reach Batch Target
Cem 2 Start Hz Not Enough to Reach Batch Target
Adm 1 Start Hz Not Enough to Reach Batch Target
Adm 2 Start Hz Not Enough to Reach Batch Target
Wtr Start Hz Not Enough to Reach Batch Target
Cement 1 Screw Not Stopped The SLC is still receiving signal to say
Cement 2 Screw Not Stopped the piece of equipment is still running
Additive 1 Pulser Not Stopped check for electrical fault Additive 2 Pulser Not Stopped
Water Pulser Not Stopped
Mixer Not Running The various items of equipment have
Cleanout Conveyor Not Running not started to run after the relevant Outload Conveyor Not Running outputs have come on to run them.
Cement Screw 1 Not Running
Cement Screw 2 Not Running
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Mixer Not Stopped The SLC is still receiving signal to say Cleanout Conveyor Not Stopped the piece of equipment is still running
Outload Conveyor Not Stopped check for electrical fault
Agg Feeder Drive Not Ready
Agg W/C Drive Not Ready The various VSD’s are not ready to run Cement 1 Screw Drive Not Ready Check fault code on front of VSD
Cement 2 Screw Drive Not Ready
Additive 1 Pump Drive Not Ready
Additive 2 Pump Drive Not Ready
Water Pump Drive Not Ready
Water Level Low There is a low level of water in the water tank
Agg Feeder Drive Comms Fail
Agg W/C Drive Comms Fail Ethernet communications have failed
Cement W/H 1 Screw Drive Comms Fail to the VSD – check Ethernet network
Additive Pump Drive Comms Fail Water Pump Drive Comms Fail
Cement W/H 2 Screw Drive Comms Fail
Agg Feeder Drive Not At Speed
Agg W/C Drive Not At Speed The VSD has not reached required Cement 1 Screw Drive Not At Speed speed – check there are no blockages
Cement 2 Screw Drive Not At Speed
Additive 1 Pump Drive Not At Speed
Additive 2 Pump Drive Not At Speed
Water Pump Drive Not At Speed
Invalid Load Targets Recipes, calibration or load setup is incorrect, please re-enter
Silo Extreme High Level Active Silo has reached extreme high level
Silo Extreme Level Active
Silo Extreme High Level Tacho Fail
Silo Extreme Level Tacho Fail Silo component has failed, check
Silo PRV Switch Fail operation of specified component
Silo Air Pressure Fail
Silo Fill Valve Fail
Silo Pressure Switch Fail
Silo Fill Cover Open The Silo fill cover is not open – you cannot fill the silo
Silo Isolator Not On The silo filter isolator is turned off – you cannot fill the silo
Cement Silo Low Level The cement silo has a low level – re-order material
UPS Running on Battery Power has been lost to the UPS, the HMI and SLC are being
kept powered on by the UPS batteries – please shutdown HMI
and UPS or restore power as soon as possible
Redlion Comms Failure Communications have failed to the Red Lion loadcell
amplifier – stop batching and check local Ethernet network
Agg Material Flow Out of Tolerance System is not achieving desired flow
Load Flow Rate Below Tolerance rate – check for blockages
Load Flow Rate Above Tolerance
Load Flow Rate Too Low!
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SLC program loaded from memory module - ALL CALIBRATION AND SETTINGS MUST BE CHECKED BEFORE BATCHING!
An EPROM has been installed in the SLC, meaning that should the SLC lose its program, through
voltage surge, lightning or any other unforeseen act of God, the program will automatically be
reloaded into the SLC.
The alarm shown above comes on if the program has been automatically loaded from the EPROM
to the SLC after the program has been lost. As all calibrations and plant settings are stored
within the SLC, it is imperative calibrations, settings etc are checked before any further batching
is completed.
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Agg Running Hz Will Not Reach Batch Target The system has calculated that the
Cem 1 Running Hz Will Not Reach Batch Target calculated running speed in Hz is
Cem 2 Running Hz Will Not Reach Batch Target outside the minimum and maximum
Adm 1 Running Hz Will Not Reach Batch Target settings configured. Please adjust
Adm 2 Running Hz Will Not Reach Batch Target recipe accordingly Wtr Running Hz Will Not Reach Batch Target
Should the plant be batching and unable to stay within the minimum and maximum Hz settings,
the following alarm will be activated.
This could mean there is a blockage, material is not flowing in a suitable fashion or it could mean
that the tons per hour rate you are trying to produce to is not suitable for the recipe, for example,
if you are constantly below target, then you need to reduce the tons per hour rate. If material is
weighed up and waiting for the cement weigh hopper to switch over, then the tons per hour rate of
the plant can be increased.
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18: APPENDIX 3 – Troubleshooting Guide Below is a list of common problems and the best recommended course of action:
1. Weight of load incorrect Check all weighers for build up
Example of aggregate build up around the end of the feeder belt
2. Agg Kgs/s Flow Out of Tolerance Check material build up around weigher
Check there is no blockage in the aggregate feed bin
Check the transport bolts are loose
Is there a problem with inconsistent aggregates?
If all of the above are ok – repeat calibration of
aggregate weigher
3. Wet and dry patches in load Check aggregate moisture is constant
Check cement is flowing freely
4. Water not reaching target Check water jets are clean + not blocked inside mixer
5. Using small or large qty of cement Not ideal for the plant to be running at the minimum
or the maximum speed of the plant as there is no
room for movement. If you see alarm for this, adjust
tons per hour being batched to control speed of plant
better.
6. Moisture probes giving false readings Check ceramic face for build-up /or damage
7. Cement slow to discharge out of silo Empty silo, check for lumps in bottom of silo
Check aeration is operational and set correctly
(10PSI)
8. Cement discharging out of silo too fast Check aeration is set correctly (10PSI)
Modify slide valve control times to suit the material
Adjust cement jog on time to suit material
9. HMI has frozen Restart – see section 15.8 for description
10. Manual Motor Protector Tripped Before appropriate motor protector is reset, the
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electrical circuit should be inspected and tested to confirm it is electrically sound and there are no
electrical circuit faults.
11. Pneumatic doors slow to operate Check compressor is turned on
Check air pressure is satisfactory (should be 6 Bar at regulator)