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Chapter 6:  Troubleshooting 

6-1  Introduction 

The utmost in safety precautions should be observed at all times when working on or around 
the machine and the electrical components. All normal trouble-shooting must be 
accomplished with the power off, line fuses removed, and with the machine tagged as out of 
service.  

The use of good quality test equipment cannot be over-emphasized when troubleshooting is 
indicated. Use a good ammeter that can measure at least twice the AC and DC current that 
can be encountered for the machine. Be sure that the voltmeter has at least minimum 
impedance of 5,000 OHMS-per-volt on AC and 20,000 OHMS-per-volt on DC scales. 
Popular combination meters, VOM and VTVM can be selected to provide the necessary 
functions. 

Before making haphazard substitutions and repairs when defective electrical components are 
malfunctioning, we recommend that you check the associated circuitry and assemblies for 
other defective devices. It is common to replace the obviously damaged component without 
actually locating the real cause of the trouble. Such hasty substitutions will only destroy the 
new component. Refer to wiring diagrams and schematics. 

Locating mechanical problems, should they occur, is relatively straightforward. When 
necessary, refer to the parts catalog section. 

Figure 51: Typical Troubleshooting Problems and Suggested Corrective Actions

 

Problem  

Corrective action 

Check to make sure that air is hooked up and the regulator gauge 
reads at precisely 60 PSI. 

Check that the access door to the mixer is shut properly. 

Nothing happens when I push 
“Start Blender” 

Look on the Recipe Screen.  If you see “Mixer Full”, then check 
the mixer.  If the mixer is not full, then check that the mixer prox 
is adjusted properly (small screw on back). 

“E-STOP has been Activated” 
is shown 

Check the E-Stop located on the front of the blender panel. 

“Interface has been Locked” is 
shown 

Click “Unlock” and enter in your User Password. 

I’ve forgotten my User 
Password 

Contact the Service Department. 

POWER INTERRUPTION 
ALARM 

Power was lost during a batch.  Check your power source unless 
you intentionally killed the power during the batch. 

PLC Battery Low 

Change out the PLC with your spare and reprogram new unit.  
Send old PLC back to manufacturer for repair. 

 

BF1-615.3 

Chapter 6: 5BTroubleshooting 

67 of 101 

 

Summary of Contents for 882.00273.00

Page 1: ...nce _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ We are committed to a continuing program...

Page 2: ...request The original Bill of Lading is attached to our original invoice If the shipment was prepaid write us for a receipted transportation bill Advise customer service regarding your wish for assist...

Page 3: ...t within the manufacturer s warranty period and or in new and unused condition suitable for resale Warranty Returns Prior to the return of any material authorization must be given by the manufacturer...

Page 4: ...ers 16 Slide Gates 17 Weigh Hopper 18 Mix Chamber 20 Operator Control Panel Display 20 2 4 Optional Components 25 Pneumatic Slide Gate below Mixer 25 Low Level Sensors 25 Mezzanine and Floor Stands 25...

Page 5: ...48 Quickset Mode Most common in injection molding 50 Percentage Mode Most common in extrusion and blow molding 52 Parts Mode Often used in Compounding Applications 52 Recipe Setup 52 Mixer and Dump Se...

Page 6: ...l 83 Control Panel Layout 84 7 3 Spare Parts Kits 85 7 4 Addendum Service Supervisor Information 86 Programmable Settings 86 Factory Setup Menu 87 Customer Setup Menu 90 Factory Default Setup Paramete...

Page 7: ...ontrols in addition to information for operating the blender safely and efficiently The Maintenance chapter is intended to serve as a source of detailed assembly and disassembly instructions for those...

Page 8: ...on Tag Description Pinch Point Slide Gate Read Operation Installation Manual Shear Point Rotating Mixer Earth Ground High Voltage Inside Enclosure PE Protected Earth Ground Shear Hazard Rotating Auger...

Page 9: ...E THE POWER IS ON Wear SAFETY GLASSES and WORK GLOVES Work only with approved tools and devices Disconnect and or lock out power and compressed air before servicing or maintaining the equipment Use ca...

Page 10: ...that accidents can affect your production Loss of a skilled operator temporarily or permanently Breakdown of shop morale Costly damage to equipment Downtime An effective safety program is responsible...

Page 11: ...properly Note Keep all safety guards in place and in good repair NEVER attempt to bypass modify or remove safety guards Such alteration is not only unsafe but will void the warranty on your equipment...

Page 12: ...uipment or cause it to become unstable Carefully test the condition of lifting cables chains ropes slings and hooks before using them to lift a load Be sure that all non current carrying parts are cor...

Page 13: ...lend plastic pellets and regrind and supply the blended material to the processing machine Standard equipment is not designed to blend powder or any other materials Accessories The manufacturer offers...

Page 14: ...lume Capacity reduced when loaded automatically 5 Measurements describe standard unit without feeder or R A M hoppers Approximate Dimensions in mm 57 5 1461 57 0 1448 1 Blender models with 7th and 8th...

Page 15: ...nless steel on 150 Precision 1 10 span accurate cantilever load cell weighing system Interlocked safety system shuts off compressed air and electricity if mixer is opened Compressed air hose with nozz...

Page 16: ...various components of the blending system Supply Hoppers The material supply hoppers are located on top of the blender frame These hoppers store a supply of material for the individual metering device...

Page 17: ...s This stroke limiter may be necessary to accurately meter low percentage ingredients The air cylinders operating the slide gate are rugged stainless steel cylinders designed for industrial use DIAMON...

Page 18: ...the level sensor in the lower mix section is uncovered the valve will open and discharge the batch into the mixer with the existing blended material The discharge valve is also provided with a quick...

Page 19: ...g it to open The air cylinder on the weigh hopper includes a spring return to allow the cylinder to retract in the absence of air pressure on the cylinder This will cause the dump valve to open Cautio...

Page 20: ...lender The panel can be unplugged and removed if necessary A programmable logic controller PLC controls the blender operation This design provides excellent blender performance along with an easily re...

Page 21: ...Off Turns power off to the blender controller Found on the back of the controller Stops blender restarts controller Press to move back one screen level in controller function Move forward one screen...

Page 22: ...Figure 11 Typical Operator Screens BF1 615 3 Chapter 2 1BFunctional Description 22 of 101...

Page 23: ...Figure 12 Typical Setup Screens BF1 615 3 Chapter 2 1BFunctional Description 23 of 101...

Page 24: ...BF1 615 3 Chapter 2 1BFunctional Description 24 of 101...

Page 25: ...ibed below and is determined by the position of the knife gate switch located on the side of the back control panel WARNING Slide gates create a pinch point hazard Figure 13 Mixer Slide Gate Switch Po...

Page 26: ...r Configuration Additive Feeder Hopper Used for feeding pelletized additive typically used on blenders with more than six components Figure 16 Typical Additive Feeder Configuration Take off Compartmen...

Page 27: ...he personnel operating and maintaining the equipment to familiarize themselves with the safety procedures and the proper use of any safety devices Fail Safe Operation If a safety device or circuit sho...

Page 28: ...t be turned counter clockwise to loosen and the female end of the cord removed from the motor plug This disables the motor from turning while the auger unit is being serviced or cleaned The motor cord...

Page 29: ...Figure 19 Electrical Safety Interlock Switch Located on mixer door WARNING Always disconnect and lockout all electrical power and pneumatic i e compressed air sources prior to servicing or cleaning t...

Page 30: ...Lifting Lugs 1 on each side 3 2 Mechanical Installation It is the intent of this section to familiarize the reader with the proper site requirements and installation procedures of the Slide Gate Auger...

Page 31: ...Configurations The Slide Gate System is available in 3 three basic mounting arrangements They are Machine Mount Mezzanine Mount Floor Mount Machine Mount In a machine mounting application of the Slid...

Page 32: ...gins First verify the Slide Gate Auger mounting locations match the mezzanine supports Verify that the mezzanine is capable of supporting the blender with a full load of material and vacuum loading eq...

Page 33: ...o meet state and local safety codes Using proper lifting equipment lift the Slide Gate blender in place Note The blender must be securely fastened to the floor before operating Note Manufacturer assum...

Page 34: ...re routing techniques are used when installing the supply wiring to the control panel Care must be taken to ensure that the supply wiring does not interfere with the low voltage DC wiring The blender...

Page 35: ...blender 3 5 Initial Set up This section will discuss the mechanical setup and control system setup of the Slide Gate blending system After reading this section you should be familiar with the mechanic...

Page 36: ...at a 5 micron air filter is installed along with the proper water trap and lubrication unit if required Verify that 60 psi 4 14 bar of clean dry compressed air is supplied to the blender Note Again ma...

Page 37: ...tup of the Slide Gate blending system control parameters These parameters are operator changeable however these items should only require setup during the initial installation Only authorized personne...

Page 38: ...Batch Size Inventory Shutdown Batch ready mode Auto start mode Recipe Page Start Change Recipe Values by touching the number you wish to change Touch Accept New Recipe button after you ve made the des...

Page 39: ...tion procedure is a known amount of weight for the weigh hopper A calibration weight is provided with all Slide Gate Auger blending systems The calibration weight is stamped with its actual weight on...

Page 40: ...der and press OK to complete the calibration 9 The controller will verify that the calibration was done correctly by showing Calibration Successful 10 Press Done until you have reached the Recipe scre...

Page 41: ...an repeat the process by entering in a new feeder number and touching the Press Here button If the blender does not see enough weight gain during the calibration process or if the weigh hopper reaches...

Page 42: ...baud with an IP address of 01 In order to change the values enter the Setup menu press the Network Setup button and change the values accordingly Baud rates available are 120 240 480 960 192 Blender I...

Page 43: ...mp Delay line for the optional dump delay setting This is the amount of time to start the mixer prior to dumping material into the mixing chamber Set to 0 to disable this feature 7 Press the number ne...

Page 44: ...tart or stop the blender If the operator selects Stop Blender then the current batch in progress is first finished and then the blender will stop making new batches To immediately stop the blender the...

Page 45: ...ed in the mix chamber and flows into the processing machine 5 The optional slide gate below the mixer may control the flow of material to the molding machine or extruder Quick Start Procedure New Reci...

Page 46: ...Recipe 3 Touch Load and then Done This will take you back to the Recipe Screen 4 Touch Accept New Recipe to accept the loaded recipe into the blender To save a running recipe to the Recipe Book 1 Go t...

Page 47: ...pe Start or Stop the blender Access to the Recipe Book Access to the Clean out Screen Access to the Inventory Screen Access to the Controller Setup Screen The menu tree shows the structure for a stand...

Page 48: ...feeder of the recipe It is important to note that the weights are rounded off to the closest pound On minor ingredients several cycles may have to occur to show an inventory number In addition to sho...

Page 49: ...ge or Parts recipe formats or a material type REGRIND NATURAL or ADDITIVE in Quickset Mode recipe format Recipe Format Menu Quickset Recipe Percentage or Parts Metering Order Batch Size Inventory Shut...

Page 50: ...lender and the operator is not required to enter it The ingredient names selected will be displayed on the run mode display so the operator will know what material is being blended Note The 1 hopper N...

Page 51: ...1 Additive 2 Additive 3 70 00 Virgin 5 of virgin 2 of virgin 1 of virgin 70 00 Virgin 5 100 x virgin 2 100 x virgin 1 100 x virgin 70 100 100 virgin 5 virgin 2 virgin 1 virgin 70 108 virgin 70 Virgin...

Page 52: ...set part will be divided by the total of all parts with each part representing the calculated weight for ratio control Figure 37 Example Calculations of a 4 component blend in Parts mode Feeder Tag Pr...

Page 53: ...ing blended will also affect the batch size Note If running a high percentage of lighter density regrind set the batch size so that the mixer does not overfill preventing the weigh hopper from fully d...

Page 54: ...s not turn on the blender if it was previously stopped prior to power loss Mixer and Dump Setup Mixer Options Press the Timed Continuous Mixing key In the top right hand corner when in Mixer and Dump...

Page 55: ...timer refer to the Mixer and Dump Setup menu All current values for Mixing and Remixing Times will be shown on this screen The re mix timer default value is factory preset at zero Weigh Hopper Dump Ti...

Page 56: ...s enter the Setup menu and select the Mixer and Dump Setup screen Press the field next to Mixer Dump Time to set the operation of the Dump Valve The dump timer on the dump valve has a default time of...

Page 57: ...exceeded The blender will automatically tare up to 0 25 lbs of material but if this weight is exceeded then an alarm will appear This alarm is most commonly caused by a build up of sticky material in...

Page 58: ...cause a pop up message or audible alarm Each time the inventory is cleared the time and date are logged to the Alarm Log An alarm will sound and a screen will pop up when Auto Inventory Shutdown has b...

Page 59: ...mpty and the Press to Close Feeder key to close the dump valve Touch the Done key to return to the recipe menu After entering a recipe the operator will restart the blending system putting it back in...

Page 60: ...ed that the mixer is ready for an additional batch of material the controller will begin metering material into the weigh hopper assembly Recipe Book In many applications it is favorable to hold sever...

Page 61: ...by changing the number next to Recipe 3 Touch Save Running Recipe and then Done Load a Saved Recipe from the Book The load from book function allows the operator to retrieve a previously stored recip...

Page 62: ...er in stop mode After the cycle has completed switch OFF the main power switch and unplug the blender power supply 3 Open the upper mixer access door This shuts off air to the blender circuit by deact...

Page 63: ...per bracket 13 Load the blender with new material 14 Restart the unit with the new recipe WARNING Always disconnect and lockout all electrical power and pneumatic i e compressed air sources prior to s...

Page 64: ...ly Date By Date By Date By Date By Date By Date By Date By Date By Date By Date By Date By Date By Date By Inspect blender for any loose parts tighten them immediately Verify quality of compressed air...

Page 65: ...t also with the input and output signals to the Slide Gate Auger blender This section includes the following Internal components of the control panel Input signal to the control panel Output signals f...

Page 66: ...dump valve output functions similar to the mix motor output Please refer back to the wiring diagram The origin of the weigh hopper dump signal is a PLC output The auger motor outputs are driven from a...

Page 67: ...the trouble Such hasty substitutions will only destroy the new component Refer to wiring diagrams and schematics Locating mechanical problems should they occur is relatively straightforward When neces...

Page 68: ...nd weigh hopper mounting for binding etc Check to see that a pellet has not lodged under a load cell Check the ingredient supply hoppers to verify proper ventilation If a vacuum receiver has a leaking...

Page 69: ...ers are set to Retry In addition if the blender is configured for timed batches then this can cause error Blender occasionally dumps an incorrect batch Check supply hopper ventilation to prevent probl...

Page 70: ...to have a new battery holder and battery installed If this is done in the field the controller warranty will be voided Go to the Manual Control Page and check to see if Hop Low equals 1 If it does the...

Page 71: ...rate the scale Blender does not make rate Verify application is not exceeding blender capacity Verify additive percentage is not higher than designed resulting in excessive dispense time Verify all ma...

Page 72: ...n mm 2 0 50 4 0 102 Slide Gate Size Minors in mm 1 5 38 3 0 76 Supply Hopper Capacity Majors cu ft l 4 2 5 70 14 3 400 Supply Hopper Capacity Minors cu ft l 4 1 8 50 10 2 285 Weigh Hopper Capacity cu...

Page 73: ...ion should be supplied by the user 16 The plug on the power cord serves as the electrical disconnect device 17 Unit is not equipped with three phase motors 18 N A 19 Blender is not equipped with local...

Page 74: ...TB01648 N A 2 Removable Hopper Large CTB02248 N A Slide Gate Assembly Majors A0771661 A0771660 A0771701 3 Slide Gate Assembly Minors N A A0771680 A0771661 A0771708 Valve Stack Assembly 4 Comp A0770375...

Page 75: ...Mixer Sub Assembly BF1 615 3 Chapter 7 6BAppendix 75 of 101...

Page 76: ...H HOPPPER A0770313 12 COVER GUARD LOADCELL A0770322 13 WEIGH HOPPER 872 00103 00 872 00104 00 A0770312 872 00229 00 872 00230 00 14 STOP RAIL MIXER DRAWER 872 00105 00 872 00106 00 A0770314 872 00231...

Page 77: ...0770299 872 00241 00 3 LEXAN DOOR A0770286 4 DOOR LATCH A0770076 5 3 5 SIGHT GLASS A0569154 N A 6 4 5 SIGHT GLASS N A A0770323 OPTIONAL 2 DRAIN W MANUAL GATE NOT SHOWN A0569162 N A 7 OPTIONAL 3 DRAIN...

Page 78: ...4 00 9 AUGER 872 00421 00 HOPPER 2 0 CU FT 872 00417 00 N A 10 HOPPER 7 0 CU FT N A 872 00418 00 11 DOOR A0770286 12 LATCH A0770076 13 SAFETY INTERLOCK SWITCH A0567124 14 BRACKET SAFETY SWITCH 872 004...

Page 79: ...SIGHTGLASS AF A0541206 7 COVER PLATE HOPPER CLEANOUT A0541215 8 COVER PLATE SAMPLE PORT A0541216 9 TRANSFER TUBE 1 AUGER A0541211 10 AUGER ASSEMBLY 1 AUGER A0541294 11 COUPLING MOTOR AUGER A0541282 1...

Page 80: ...IPTION 500 900 2500 4000 6000 1 WEIGH HOPPER 872 00103 00 872 00104 00 A0770312 872 00229 00 872 00230 00 2 AIR CYLINDER 245 00003 00 A0770248 3 CLEVIS AIR CYLINDER 35460 35449 4 FITTING AIR TUBING 35...

Page 81: ...SHOWN 872 00116 00 N A 872 00236 00 2 GATE DIAMOND 5 6 872 00115 00 A0770309 872 00237 00 GUIDE ROD 1 4 A0770311 A0770307 3 GUIDE ROD 5 6 832 00015 00 A0770311 832 00037 00 AIR CYLINDER 1 4 35448 4 A...

Page 82: ...NTING BRACKET AIR CYLINDER 33088 7 AIR CYLINDER 33091 8 9 MOUNTING NUT AIR CYLINDER A0553239 10 CLEVIS AIR CYLINDER 33090 11 BUSHING 1 4 1 8 NPT 35014 12 ELBOW 1 8 NPT 35118 13 SOLENOID 4 WAY 24VDC 33...

Page 83: ...ER 872 00236 00 3 ROD GUIDE 832 00049 00 4 GATE SLIDE BLADE 872 00236 00 5 AIR CYLINDER 245 00016 00 6 CLEVIS AIR CYLINDER A0770296 7 NUT LOCKING A0533826 8 FITTING ELBOW 1 8 NPT X 1 4 TUBE 35086K 9 N...

Page 84: ...mp 115v unit A0542207 6 Glass Fuse 1 5 amp 230v unit A0542200 7 Motor Contactor A0573025 9 amp A0573026 12 amp Motor Overload MCP 115v unit A0558252 1 6 2 5 amp A0558255 6 3 10 0 amp 8 Motor Overload...

Page 85: ...A0574138 A0574126 A0574141 A0574144 Second Load Cell Assembly without plug 724 00767 00 724 00768 00 724 00770 00 724 00771 00 724 00772 00 Mixer Motor Protector overload Calex Module Other Recommende...

Page 86: ...ion of these or any other programmable features which may or may not be shown in this manual Note Information included in this manual is subject to change without notice Passwords User Password 5413 M...

Page 87: ...ch the measurement on the gram scale If it does not then either the weigh hopper is not balanced correctly or the scale calibration is not correct Refer to the Troubleshooting Section of this manual f...

Page 88: ...y overfilling the hopper during the calibration Select a feeder and then follow instructions An error is shown if the current feeder calibration feed time was too short the feed time was too long or i...

Page 89: ...s Screen Feeder Setup This screen allows you to modify the type of each feeder In most cases the user will want to keep regrind on hopper 3 because that blender has been specifically designed to handl...

Page 90: ...screen allows the blender to be configured for use with the Ethernet Option The blender will automatically configure the Ethernet module s IP Address and Subnet Mask if the configurator is enabled Whe...

Page 91: ...pper To configure each hopper perform the following steps 1 Select a feeder by touching the Select Feeder box 2 The current settings for that hopper will be shown 3 Make the necessary adjustments and...

Page 92: ...op4 Alarm No Alarm on Out of Material Hop5 Alarm No Alarm on Out of Material Hop6 Alarm No Alarm on Out of Material Hop7 Alarm No Alarm on Out of Material Hop8 Alarm No Alarm on Out of Material Ethern...

Page 93: ...01 Hop8 Gate Cycle Time 0 01 Hop1 Settle Time Hop2 Settle Time Hop3 Settle Time Hop4 Settle Time Hop5 Settle Time Hop6 Settle Time Hop7 Settle Time 3 Hop8 Settle Time 3 Loadcells 1 Loadcell Mixer Bum...

Page 94: ...ou to setup Touch the Network Setup button and ensure that communications is enabled If it wasn t then you ll need to change it and then reboot the PLC for it to take effect The Ethernet module takes...

Page 95: ...power during a batch 12 R hop1_low_level M618 this alarm is only available if the hoppers have low level prox switches 13 R hop2_low_level M619 this alarm is only available if the hoppers have low lev...

Page 96: ...portion of the inventory 9 R batch_inventory D1344 LONG VALUE this is the whole portion of the inventory 10 R hop1_fractional_inventory D1306 LONG VALUE this is the fractional part of the inventory x...

Page 97: ...mode 1 parts mode 2 EZ mode 2 R current_batch_size_recipe_value D1168 LONG VALUE xxx x lbs or kgs 3 R current_hop1_recipe_value D1150 LONG VALUE xxx xx recipe value for running recipe 4 R current_hop2...

Page 98: ...tch xxx xxx 4 R hop3_displayed_target_weight D1082 LONG VALUE target meter weight for batch xxx xxx 5 R hop4_displayed_target_weight D1084 LONG VALUE target meter weight for batch xxx xxx 6 R hop5_dis...

Page 99: ...6 Out of Material 6 7 POWER INTERRUPTION while metering a Batch 8 PLC BATTER LOW Check PLC and Configure the Blender 9 MAX HOPPER WEIGHT EXCEEDED CHECK BATCH SIZE 10 CALIBRATION ERROR Clean out weigh...

Page 100: ...you hit accept new recipe Also if you chose to use the raw method then you must add up the totals for your recipe and write that at the exact same time that you write the other raw recipe values You m...

Page 101: ...service Service Department Call toll free 8am 5pm CST 800 423 3183 or call 810 720 7300 Emergencies after 5pm CST call 847 439 5655 We have a qualified service department ready to help Service contra...

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