Plastics processors can now monitor the operation of their blenders, loaders, dryers, mold temperature control units and robots, and make changes to primary process set points, all from a central location, using the new ControlWorks™ system from Conair. This remarkable “portal to the process” starts at less than $6000, yet it can increase productivity dramatically.
“Just as a universal remote control at home allows you to operate many of the settings of your entertainment system,” explains Doug Scott, commercial manager, “ControlWorks allows you to interface with the controls on auxiliaries and monitor their operation from a central location. And, just as your TV remote allows you to adjust your television settings without getting off the couch, ControlWorks lets you check and change the control settings on blenders or dryers or mold temps without racing across the plant floor. ControlWorks gives processors a huge boost in convenience and productivity in a very affordable package.”
In addition to providing a central connection to auxiliary equipment, ControlWorks can also include remote interface panels, linked via Ethernet cable, at multiple locations around the plant. Thus, a maintenance supervisor working on a blender at one end of the shop floor can investigate the reason for a dryer alarm on the other side of the plant without actually running over to it. In addition, because the system is web-enabled, users can view process data, alarm and diagnostic messages, and control screens from any computer with internet access — even a wireless PDA. The system can also generate emails or text messages based on alarm or machine events and deliver them to cell phones or pagers. To ensure operator safety, auxiliaries can’t be turned on and off remotely.
The ControlWorks interface is simple and easy to use. The touch screen panel allows users to navigate quickly to screens that provide a portal to information generated by and stored in auxiliary equipment including:
Control settings and machine status
Blender recipe storage and retrieval
Material usage data
Diagnostics
Process data trending
Alarms
Data can easily be exported to company-wide MIS computer systems.
For more information, call the New Product Hotline at 1-888-486-6601
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