Drying: Touch Controller With Industry 4.0 Communications

Dri-Air Industries has introduced its Industry 4.0-compliant SmartTouch Control. The new control gathers data from the dryer and shares it with various pieces of equipment, such as the injection molding machine. It is compatible with all Dri-Air dryers.

“The new control is based on an open platform and consists of a PLC with a thermocouple monitoring system,” says Jason Sears, Dri-Air Industries president. “We want to stay on the leading edge of technology for customers who want to gather data and monitor their processes. The open platform will allow users to add new sensors, communications devices or protocols that may become available in the future.”

The controls come standard on Dri-Air’s HP series dryers, dual-hopper dryers and optional on its twin-bed, Arid-X dryers. The SmartTouch controller features a 7-in. color touch screen with easy-to-use prompts for temperature, time and dewpoint display.

Other features include:

• -49° F dewpoint monitor;
• Seven-day timer for automatic start and stops;
• Diagnostic functions with trending for temperatures and dewpoint;
• Resin library to enable processors to build their own resin library for quick setups;
• OPC-UA open platform for maximum connectivity;
• Available Wifi connectivity to transmit dryer information to a host computer;
• Available ethernet connectivity hub.