Sterling BF3-600 User Manual

SDD Digital Dosing Units

Part Number: 882.00276.00
Bulletin Number: BF3-600

Effective: 12/01/05

Write Down Your Serial Numbers Here For Future Reference:

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We are committed to a continuing program of product improvement.
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Please reference this page for updated contact information.

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Table of Contents

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION …………….……………………….………...3

1.1 Controller. ..............................................................................................................4

1.2 Keys and Symbols..................................................................................................6

SECTION 2: QUICK START-UP……………………………………………...8

SECTION 3: INITIAL INSTALLATION AND
OPERATION….………….……………………………………………………..11

3.1 Initial Installation..................................................................................................11

3.2 Initial Operation....................................................................................................13

3.3 Injection Molding..................................................................................................14

3.4 Extrusion Constant................................................................................................19

3.5 Extrusion Proportional..........................................................................................22

3.6 Calibration.............................................................................................................26

SECTION 4: ADVANCED OPERATIONS/CONTROL FUNCTIONS...…29

4.1 Recipe Storage/Recall...........................................................................................29

4.2 Clearing the Totalizer ...........................................................................................31

4.3 Acknowledging Alarms ........................................................................................31

4.4 Optional Equipment..............................................................................................31

SECTION 5: MAINTENANCE……………...……………………………….34

5.1 Maintenance Intervals...........................................................................................34

5.2 Removing the Scraper...........................................................................................34

5.3 Cleaning the DD Dosing Station...........................................................................35

5.4 Changing the Dosing Disc in the DT Dosing Station...........................................37

5.5 Removing/Replacing the Scraper in the DT Dosing Station ................................38

5.6 Cleaning the DT Dosing Station...........................................................................39

5.7 Exchangeable Stations ..........................................................................................40

5.8 Exchanging Fuses .................................................................................................40

APPENDIX A: TROUBLESHOOTING…………………………...…………42

A.1 General Troubleshooting......................................................................................42

A.2 Malfunctions or Errors—Error Codes..................................................................42

A.3 Determining the Software Setup Factor...............................................................44

A.4 Recipe Formulas ..................................................................................................44

APPENDIX B: BASIC PARAMETER SETTINGS…………………………46

APPENDIX C: DISC DOSING FACTORS AND EQUIPMENT
DRAWINGS AND PARTS NUMBERS……………………………………….53

APPENDIX D: SPARE PARTS LIST…...……………………………………62

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Section 1: Introduction

This User’s Manual is intended for use with the Digital Dosing Additive Feeder. The feeder

precisely meters and controls the addition of master batches, chemical additives, and regrinds to

primary plastics. The Digital Dosing unit can meter both powder and granular material of

various sizes. It can be used on both extrusion and injection molding machines. Depending on

the application and throughput, two models are available: 1 Station Digital Dosing Unit or 2

Station Digital Dosing Unit. See Figures 1 and 2. This manual covers the operation of both

units.

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Figure 1. 1 Station Digital Dosing Unit

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Figure 2. 2 Station Digital Dosing Unit

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1.1 Controller

The Digital Dosing additive feeder consists of a controller, dosing motor, and feeder(s). The
controller is used to

• Enter, recall, and run recipes

• To run, monitor, and stop the dosing process

• To calibrate

• To troubleshoot problems via error codes

• To configure the unit to the desired process.

A touch keypad (see Figure 3) is used to enter or change data.

• The Control system is switched on by means of the On/Off switch (switch set in

position “1"). (A)

• The control system is operated via the keyboard. (B)

• The individual operating modes are indicated by Symbols. (C)

• Messages appear on a 5-digit display. Up to ten recipes can be saved and read on

request. Recipes can be assigned respective numbers. (D)

Figure 3: Touch Keypad

Figure 4. Touch Keypad and Display

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1.2 Keys and Symbols

Recipe Storage/Recall: For saving, recalling or modifying recipes.

Stop: Stops the continuous operation of the feeder. Will reset the totalizer showing

metered amount of additive to zero if depressed for two seconds.

Up-arrow: For increasing the set value in decimal increments.

Down-arrow: For decreasing the set value in decimal increments.

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Arrow Key: For fast increasing/decreasing of the set value in larger increments.

Must be pressed simultaneously with the up- or down-arrow.

Run: Starts the continuous operation (LED is lit up) or calibration mode (the LED

flashes)

Calibration Key: Switches from operation to calibration mode. LED flashes

when calibration process has started.

Input: Selects the next screen for the input of program parameters.

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Symbols

Lights when the run signal from the process machine is received by the Digital

Dosing controller.

During operation, lights when the disc is dosing material. During calibration and

recipe input/viewing, lights when a calibration weight is input or viewed.

(EXTRUSION ONLY) Lights when a screw speed signal is received from the

extruder during proportional extrusion

Lights when an alarm occurs.

Percent additive

Kilograms

Grams

Pounds

Minutes

Seconds

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Section 2: Quick Start-up

Quick Start is intended to help you in starting up your Digital Dosing feeder quickly and

easily. Please refer to the manual to go into greater detail.

Unpacking:

1. Unpack box, making sure all parts indicated on packing list are included.

2. Check all parts and equipment for any damage sustained during shipment.

3. If any damage is noted, contact manufacturer for replacement or service.

4. Make sure the following are present before proceeding:

; Power source 110V/220V

; Proper mounting flange adapter for the feed throat

; Dry (ZERO VOLTAGE) contact that closes during screw recovery of IMM

; Gram scale to measure weight of additive material

Mounting:

2. Mount the complete unit, including dosing hopper full of material, on the feed throat

(may need an adapter for feed throat).

3. Identify the motor drive connector (Amp connector-black) and connect to motor.

4. Identify the communication cable (DB9 plug-silver) and connect to DB9 connector

under motor drive assembly.

5. Identify power cord (110V) and plug into outlet.

6. INJECTION MOLDING: Identify the cycle/run cable (2-conductor cable-gray) for

connection to a dry (ZERO VOLTAGE) contact that closes during screw recovery cycle

of IMM.

7. EXTRUSION: Identify the input cable (2-conductor cable-gray) for connection to 0-

10Vdc or 0-20mA signal that indicates rpm of extruder.

Recipe Setup For Injection Molding:

1. Turn power switch to ON position.

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2. Press Input to display #1, “Additive %”. Using arrow keys, set additive

ratio.

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3. Press Input to display #2, “Shot size of current mold”. Using arrow keys,

set the total shot size (parts and runners) of the current mold capacity in grams.

4. Press Input to display #3, “Screw recovery time”. Using arrow keys, set

the screw recovery time (in seconds). For Extrusion Constant operation, skip this step!

5. Press Input to display #4, “Calibration weight for additive”. Enter ’0’ and proceed to

calibration mode below for calibration of additive material.

Recipe Setup For Extrusion:

1. Turn power switch to ON position.

2. Press Input to display #1, “Additive %”. Using arrow keys, set additive

ratio.

3. Press Input to display #2, “Throughput of extruder”. Using arrow keys,

set the total extruder throughput in g/min or lb/min.

4. Press Input to display #3, “Extruder screw speed”. Using arrow keys,

set the extruder screw speed RPM expected during production.

NOTE: for Extrusion Constant operation, this step will be skipped.

5. Press Input to display #4, “Calibration weight for additive”. Enter ’0’ and proceed to

calibration mode below for calibration of additive material.

Calibration:

1. Press “Calibration” button to start this procedure. Display will show - -

- -

2. Place the plastic calibration cup on the scale and tare so that the weight of the cup

(approx. 24gr.) is not calculated in the calibration procedure.

3. Remove cover of the calibration box, secured by two 5mm Allen screws, under the

dosing disc assembly and insert plastic cup provided in top of dosing hopper.

4. Press “Run” and the dosing disc turns 1/4 turn. This fills all pockets of

dosing disc. Dump the dosed material back into the dosing hopper without weighing

and replace plastic cup in calibration box.

5. Press “Run” and the dosing disc turns 1 complete revolution. Remove

the calibration cup with the material and place on the gram scale. Enter the weight on

the scale into the controller using the arrow keys. Empty and replace

calibration cup.

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6. Repeat step #19 four more times, each time entering the new weight from the scale into

the controller using the arrow keys. Sometimes the values won’t change, or sometimes

they may only change by a few tenths of a gram. The controller keeps a running average

of all calibration weights entered.

7. After all five samples have been completed; press “calibration” once more and this will

save the calibration weight of the material to the recipe. The calibration light will go out

and the screen will now show the total amount of additive dosed. The Digital Dosing

feeder is now ready to begin operation.

8. Please refer to “Operation Manual” for all supplementary information regarding general

operation, cleaning/maintenance, and troubleshooting.

9. Make sure that there is a virgin material supply setup to begin processing. If you do not

have a loader or hopper for the virgin material, or if any of the above procedures did not

work properly, please contact the manufacturer in Wood Dale, IL for sales and

technical support @ [phone] (8am-5pm) CST.

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Section 3: Initial Installation And Operation

3.1 Initial Installation

Hopper Piece

Direction of Material Flow

Processing
Machine

Figure 4. Digital Dosing Unit Assembly

1. The Digital Dosing additive feeder is not affected by machine vibration, therefore best

performance is achieved by mounting the unit directly to the feed throat of the molding

machine or extruder (see Figure 4). The inlet into the process machine must be greater

than 2” diameter; otherwise, an adapter might be necessary. If an adapter is necessary, it

must be designed so that there are no edges where material can be trapped. The adapter

must be smooth to promote even material flow. Consult Sterling for any special

requirements.

2. Optimum mounting of the Digital Dosing feeder is shown in Figure 5, with the additive

being dosed on the first screw flights.

3. The controller can be mounted on either side of the blender base to optimize operator

interface. An optional remote mounting kit for the controller is available from the

manufacturer to relocate the controller closer to the operator. The control unit must not

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be exposed to extreme heat (maximum temperature 45°C or 115°F) or excessive

moisture.

4. Electrical connection to process machine:

• Injection Molding: Connect the cycle/run slave cable (thin two-conductor cable)

to a set of DRY (NO VOLTAGE) contacts that CLOSE for the duration of screw

recovery. See Figure 5, electrical diagram.

J12-3

J12-2

Relay contact
Injection molding Digital Dosing controller
Machine

(Electrical diagram of connections)

Figure 5. Electrical Diagram

• Extrusion-Constant: Wire the cycle/run slave cable (thin two- conductor cable) to a

set of DRY (NO VOLTAGE) contacts that CLOSE when the screw rotates. See

Figure 6 for electrical diagram.

• Extrusion-Proportional

: Wire the cycle/run slave cable to the extruder signal

output that is proportional to the extruder speed. The signal output can be one of the

following: 0-10VDC or 0-20mA. Please refer to the labels on the cycle/run slave

cable for the correct input to avoid damaging the controller. Digital Dosing

Additive Feeder is configured from the factory for each specific input. See Figure 5

for the electrical diagram for voltage inputs. See Figure 6 for frequency inputs.

NOTE: Voltage from Drive needs to be isolated. Consult factory for other signal

requirements. External converter signal may be required.

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NOTE: Zero input corresponds to zero screw speed and no additive dosing. Maximum input
corresponds to maximum screw speed.

NOTE: If a 0-10kHz frequency input is used, it must be a square wave with an amplitude of
12VDC. The shape of the signal is important, especially above 7,000Hz.

J12-4 _

J12-3 +

0-10vdc or 0-20ma

Extruder output Digital Dosing controller

(diagram of frequency inputs)

Figure 6. Frequency Inputs

5. Make sure the unit is turned OFF before plugging it in. The switch toward the rear of

the controller unit should be in the OFF, or “O” position. Standard operation voltage is

110 or 220 VAC, 50/60 Hz, single-phase power. Special voltages are available, refer to

voltage label on the feeder to determine the correct operating voltage.

3.2 Initial Operation

The control system is factory-programmed. Nevertheless, specific values need to be predefined

or checked prior to operation (basic parameter settings). The input values will be saved and will

still be available if the unit is switched off, or a power failure occurs. Please refer to Appendix

B for these values. Extrusion operations require a “span factor” to be entered into the basic

settings. Please refer to Appendix B.

Prior to putting your new Digital Dosing Additive Feeder on-line:

• You must enter a recipe and calibrate the feeder.

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• Recipe parameters are different for Injection Molding, Extrusion-Constant, and

Extrusion-Proportional operation. See each individual section for details.

• The calibration method is the same for all processes.

• Once the unit is online, the user may want to save recipes for later recall (10

maximum).

• This section will show how to calibrate the unit, bring the unit on line, enter a

recipe, and store and recall recipes.

3.3 Injection Molding

During each molding cycle the Digital Dosing unit doses the correct amount of additive evenly

throughout the screw recovery cycle. The Digital Dosing unit determines the correct amount of

additive from the recipe and automatically adjusts the duration and speed of dosing by

measuring the molding machine screw recovery time each cycle.

Recipe Input - Injection Molding

To enter a recipe for injection molding, the following process data is required:

Step 1:

• Percentage of additive

• Total shot weight in grams (includes parts and runner system)

• Screw recovery time of the machine in seconds

• Calibration weight in grams

• Press Input

once.

• The LED symbol flashes.

• “1” will quickly flash on the display, before a number in the format xxx.xx

comes up on the display.

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Step 2:

• Enter the additive percentage by using the Arrow Keys . (The

range of values that can be entered is 0.01% to 50.00%. The arrow keys are used

to change all process variables. The double arrow key allows the user to ramp up

or down by larger increments.)

• Press Input again.

• The symbols “g,” or “lb”, “min” and the screw symbol flash.

• After the “2”quickly flashes on the display, a number in the format xx.xxx will

come up on the display.

Step 3:

• Enter the shot weight using the arrow keys. The range of values that can be

entered is 001.0 to 6500 grams (0.01 to 14.30 pounds).

• Press Input

a third time.

• The screw and “s” symbols flash.

• After “3” flashes quickly on the display, a number in the format xxx.xx will

come up on the display.

• Enter the screw recovery time in seconds. This time represents the amount of

time the molding machine screw is in recovery. This value is an estimate. The

Digital Dosing unit measures the actual recovery time and automatically updates

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Step 4:

this value during operation. The range of values that can be entered in this field

is 00.50 to 99.99 seconds.

or

• Press Input a fourth time.

• The symbols “g” or “lb”and flash.

Step 5:

• After “4” quickly flashes on the screen, a number in the format xxxx.x will come

up on the display.

• Enter the material calibration weight using the arrow keys.

• If the calibration weight is unknown, reference Section 5 of this manual.

Complete the calibration procedure (section 3.6) to obtain the correct value.

Upon completion of the calibration procedure, the calibration weight will

automatically be updated into the recipe. The range of values that can be entered

in this field is 00.0 to 400.0.

• Press again and the symbol “s” will light up and the number “5” will be

displayed if you have a blending unit and have invoked this option.

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Step 6:

• After “5” flashes on the display, a number in the format xxx.xx will come up on

the display.

• Enter the maintained running time of the blending unit in seconds using the

arrow keys. This is how long the blender will run after each dosing cycle and

should be adjusted for the best possible blend. Too little time may not produce

good dispersion; too much time can cause separation, especially with heavy

concentrates.

Step 7:

• Pressing again, will activate the printing option if it is available.

• After the “6” flashes on the screen, a number in the format xxx.xx will come up

on the display.

• By using the arrow keys, you can choose your printer parameters.

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1. Pressing again will first display the number “18” and then will

display the total throughput in kilograms (totalizer).

Operation-Injection Molding

1. Ensure that the unit is properly installed (Section 3.1), a recipe is entered (section

3.3.1), and the feeder is calibrated (Section 3.6), before attempting to begin

operation.

2. If desired, clear the totalizer by holding the Stop key (

) continuously for

five seconds until the display is reset to “00.00.”

3. Place the Digital Dosing feeder into operation by pressing the Run key (

).

The green LED will light when the unit is ready to dose.

or

Start the molding machine. The Digital Dosing feeder will not dose material until the molding

machine screw recovers. If the unit is installed properly, the process machine symbol will

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light on the controller during screw recovery. The disc symbol will light when the Digital

Dosing unit is dosing material.

• The totalizer will increase after each cycle by the amount of material dosed.

• To stop the dosing process, press .

• While the unit is dosing, the current recipe can be viewed, but not modified by pressing

. The recovery time displayed in the current recipe is the average of the last five shots

measured from the molding machine. To change the recipe, the unit must be taken off line

by pressing the stop key. The run LED will then go out.

NOTE: See Appendix A, Troubleshooting, for information on problems or errors

encountered and their resolution.

3.4 Extrusion Constant

In Extrusion Constant operation, the Digital Dosing unit doses material at a constant rate that

does not change with extruder speed. The dosing process begins at the startup of the extruder.

How close the actual extruder speed is to the input recipe will determine the accuracy of the

blend. If the process requires the additive to be dosed in proportion to the process speed,

then the Digital Dosing unit must be configured for Extrusion Proportional operation (go

to Sec. 3.5 on page 23).

Recipe Input – Extrusion Constant

To enter a recipe for Extrusion Constant, the following process data is required:

• Percentage of additive

• Total throughput rate of the extruder during production

• Calibration weight in grams

Step 1:

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Step 2:

• Press once.

• The symbol will flash.

• After “1” flashes on the screen, a number in the format xxx.xx will come up on

the display.

• Enter the additive percentage by using the Arrow Keys . The

range of values that can be entered is 0.01 to 50.00%. The arrow keys are used

to change all process variables. The double arrow key allows the user to ramp up

or down at a faster rate.

or

•

Press again.

The symbols “g,” or “lb”, “min”, and flash.

•

• After “2” flashes quickly on the display, a number in the format xxx.xx will come up on

the display.

• Enter the total extruder throughput in grams per minute or pounds per minute. The

range of values that can be entered is 001.0 to 6500 grams per minute (00.01 to 14.30

lb/m).

Step 3:

or

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