'Touch and Feel' Auxiliaries

At this months’ PTXPO, Conair will highlight its common control platform, giving attendees a chance to experience it firsthand on the SmartFLX conveying system, dX25 mobile dryer and Thermolator temperature-control unit. Providing users the same look and feel regardless of the equipment involved, the common control places all the buttons in the same place on the HMI, while utilizing the same names and color schemes. Conair says these features not only make the controls easy to operate, but they also minimize the amount of cross-training required for an operator to run different equipment types.

Promising a “hands-on experience,” Conair will allow visitors to operate the controls. For the SmartFLX, attendees can interact with the main control panel, as well as the remote-control panel. Representing Conair’s latest conveying control, the SmartFLX features the new system architecture and a more powerful PLC processor, including an intelligent configurator that simplifies and reduces costs for system design and installation, expansion, and remote diagnostics.

Visitors will also be able to operate Conair’s RFID-equipped resin-selection table. By making connection changes, attendees can see how the table lights direct them to the correct connection and how conveying is disabled until the correct connection is made. A truck-fill line-proofing system, with barcode-based lock-out, will also be available for interactive evaluation.

Finally, show visitors will be able to see SmartServices, Conair’s cloud-based Industry 4.0 solution for connecting, monitoring, and managing auxiliary equipment. A dashboard, which will be connected remotely to operating equipment in Conair facilities in Cranberry Township and Franklin, Penn., will give customers an opportunity to see live demonstrations of all features, including the newest remote machine control, resin reporting, KPI prioritization, equipment grouping and other unique functionalities.