Company: Piab

Website: www.piab.com

Equipment Snapshot: Offering their customers the option of using microcomputer-based electrical controls for the popular piFLOW vacuum conveyors, Piab is introducing the first version of a new electrical control unit ECU-10. The electrical control unit simplifies the addition of extra control functions in conveying systems. Apart from supporting basic conveying functionality, the new electrical control unit enables, for instance, pipe emptying, and allows for additional level detectors to be used at feed as well as discharge points.

”As electrical controls are easier to implement than pneumatic controls, the new unit enables our customers to increase the number of functions they control in their conveying systems. For instance, more advanced filter maintenance can be introduced, enabling multiple filter cleaning cycles to be used in order to make sure filters are kept clean and unrestricted at all time,” explains Tomas Dahl, OEM support manager.

The new electrical control unit can also be used to enable slow speed conveying of fragile materials. This means that when fragile materials are to be conveyed, electrical piGENTLE functionality is integrated in the valve unit that goes with the electrical control unit. In addition, it can be connected to an overarching programmable logic controller (PLC) system that is utilized to control the entire manufacturing process in customer facilities.

Piab's piFLOW vacuum conveyors can be tailor-made to maximize the productivity for a broad range of applications, and the new electrical control unit further increases the conveyors' configurability. Several different languages can be selected from the control unit's full menu. The control unit has a user-friendly touch screen, where users choose the settings for functions such as emptying times, suction times, fluidization and more.