Contact S. G. Morris for Press Retrofit
An Ohio manufacturer of fiberglass reinforced compounds, custom compression and injection molded parts, contacted S.G. Morris prior to starting an extensive multi-year press upgrade project.
The customer had two 300 ton compression molding presses with hydraulic “bang-bang” control circuits and relay logic controls. The customer asked their S. G. Morris Sales Engineer to provide an updated hydraulic and electrical control package. They wanted accurate velocity control of the press close and open profiles, as well as precise control over press tonnage.
In addition to these requirements for the press control scheme, the customer also required:
- Proportional pressure control over the auxiliary hydraulic functions of the press (Ejector, Holdover Ejector, Sidecore 1, Sidecore 2, and Punch)
- Accurate control
- A user-friendly hydraulic and electrical package
- Easy to maintain
- Ability to store and retrieve all press setup parameters with an alphanumeric name
- A control system that could be interfaced with their existing network for future data acquisition
After reviewing the system requirements, the Sales Engineer and one of several in-house Controls Engineers at S.G. Morris, proposed a modular solution that could be field installed by the customer. At the heart of the system are two custom-designed, drilled steel hydraulic manifolds.
The first manifold consisted of the main servo valve along with associated valves to achieve rapid travel and admission of high pressure to the main cylinder. The servo valve on this manifold serves the dual purpose of providing accurate velocity control during slow close (pressing) and slow open (stripping), as well as closed loop force (tonnage) control.
The second manifold provided all the auxiliary hydraulic functions using Eaton/Vickers “screw-in “cartridge valves, directional control valves, proportional directional, and proportional pressure control valves. S.G. Morris is one of the top Eaton/Vickers stocking distributor in the country.
On the electrical control side of the equation, S.G. Morris did not have to look any further than the RMC100 Motion Controller from Delta Computer Systems. S.G. Morris is a distributor for the Delta family of products and has a lot of experience using the RMC100 on a variety of equipment. It was the perfect fit for the press. The RMC can perform closed loop position, velocity, or pressure control. It also has the ability to “mode switch” on the fly from position to pressure control. This is the feature that sealed the deal for the customer.
The RMC controller was custom ordered with the communication option that fit the application. The customer has a preference for Allen-Bradley PLC’s and selected SLC 5/05 controller with Ethernet communications and also specified Ethernet communications for the RMC. Finally, we selected an Allen-Bradley PanelView 1000 Color Touch Screen with Ethernet. This common communication protocol allows all the devices to easily communicate with each other over the Ethernet network. The three main system components (RMC, PLC, and PanelView) essentially function as one seamless control system to the user. Any parameters that are edited on the PanelView are immediately updated in both the PLC and the RMC.
As part of the custom electrical controls package, S.G. Morris provided:
- Separate control and operator enclosures
- Pressure transducers
- Temposonics linear displacement transducer
- Interconnect cables for the transducers and valves
- Set of complete AutoCAD drawings
- Customized designed screens for the operator interface
- Start up assistance of the press
This is the type of system integration that S.G. Morris provides to customers. Two of the keys to this successful system installation were proper valve sizing and correct tuning of the RMC100 Motion Controller for pressure control. S. G. Morris’ extensive experience in these areas allows us to provide our customers with the proper solution.
Please contact S. G. Morris for more information at 866- 746-6774.
