TECHNOLOGY | MATERIALS PREPARATION
ture Controllers. The DC-B controller is an option with Conair’s simpler, more basic Microwheel dehumidifying dryers and Slimline com- pressed air dryers. The common DC-B
control is available in two different versions. Dryers from 15 to 400 lb/hr, which includes the Carousel Plus D series and dX series dryers, can use a DC-B Plus
or DC-B Premium control. The Plus version is a 4-inch colour touch-screen
Above: Conair has extended its DC-B common control across its portfolio of dryers and drying
equipment
control, geared to operators who like to keep things simple by using push buttons, LCD control- lers and toggle switches. With the Plus version, start/stop, dew-point setting and temperature can be accessed from the main screen, where almost no other capabilities are visible. Real-text alarms and alerts can be accessed on a secondary screen, while another page shows current data and equipment status in chart form. The Premium DC-B control, standard on larger
Carousel D series dryers with throughput from 600 to 5,000 lbs/hr, adds more feature content and additional navigation features, as well as a larger 7-inch colour touch screen. Dryer-set-up and status information appear graphically on a diagram with the Premium control.
Right: Conair’s Moisture Minder measures material moisture
continually to provide a real-time confirmation that the dryer has done its job
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Optimiser package An energy-saving Optimiser package has been developed for the D series model with DC-B Premium control when PET is being processed. Optimiser is an algorithm-based drying control that automatically reduces energy usage based on the drying needs of the resin. The optimiser hardware package includes a variable frequency blower drive, drying monitor probe, return-air dew-point monitor, volatile trap, and process-filter monitor. Conair also announced that dryers with the common control platform have three new features added. A new automatic Airflow Monitor electronically measures the total airflow quantity in all drying equipment, comple- menting the automatic dewpoint monitoring, to ensure that the quality and quantity of drying airflow is correct. A new Setback on Input
INJECTION WORLD | March 2023
feature is an update to normal temperature setback, which is automatically triggered over a period of hours by an elevated temperature reading that occurs when a process slows or shuts down. The Setback on Input feature allows the system to
reduce to a standby temperature based on machine downtime. This provides the user with an additional level of control, automatic material over-dry protection and energy savings, such as when production must pause for a mould change. A self-adapting smart recipe function allows the DC-B control to offer 20 standard recipes and storage of up to 3,000 production recipes. The recipes take into account the basic drying parameters of temperature and dew point, but also loading criteria and alarm setpoints. Additional parameters can be captured in the recipe, such as Variable Frequency Drive, level control, and drying monitor. “This enables the entire dryer setup to change with the push of a button, which is a far cry from the lami- nated recipe sheets of the past,” says Conair. Conair has also developed a Moisture Minder device that measures material moisture continually to provide a real-time confirmation that the dryer has done its job. Designed for plastic processors concerned about quality problems due to incom- pletely dried polymer material, the Moisture Minder employs a sensor to detect residual moisture levels as low as 10 ppm in a broad range of polymers at throughput rates from 20 to 5,000 lb/hr. The device is installed at the outlet of a drying
hopper. A colour touchscreen control enables set-up where setpoints can be configured so that an alert is issued when the specified moisture level drifts outside of prescribed limits. All readings are stored as historical records, which can be used for process validation and to confirm that parts were manufactured under acceptable conditions, or for historical trending. Users can communicate with the Moisture Minder or pull data into a plant-super- visory system using ModBus, TCP/IP communications or optionally with OPC/UA protocol. Conair offers Moisture Minder in two models, both of which can monitor up to eight drying hoppers. The M5 unit detects moisture levels in the range between 10 and 100 ppm, while the M10 tracks moisture in a 300 to 3,000 ppm band. Both versions are 100% electric, with no moving parts to maintain or change.
Operation is passive with no impact on
www.injectionworld.com
IMAGE: CONAIR
IMAGE: CONAIR
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