Answer
There are no "standard" filler settings as each application is different. There are some basic questions that need to be answered before you can determine your filler settings, such as:
1. Will this be dual speed simultaneous or sequential feed? Are there two feeders or just a point where the one feeder reduces it's speed?
2. What is the fast cut off weight? (fast fill) This is used to predict when to shift to slow or dribble speed so as to make the slow speed as short as possible and never over fill with the fast fill.
3. What is the slow cut off weight? (slow fill) This is where the last little amount of product is ran to top off the batch.
4. Will it use a jog? (for under filled batches) If the fill stops before the target amount and below an acceptable batch, if enabled the jog starts and stops the slow fill process.
5. How many cycles? Selectable from 1 to 999 or continuous if a 0 is placed in the number of cycles field.
6. What are the tolerances? (Targets) Will these be by weight or percentage? This is selectable for your system. If the batch sizes vary then percentages may be the better choice.
7. How long will it take to fill? (timer) If there is an established length to fill it is good to have an alarm notify you that the batch is taking too long.
8. How long will it take to settle for the final check? (Motion and in flight material) You can select a settle time to allow that last little bit to be counted. This setting should be as short as possible to increase throughput, but account for all production. Setting this parameter for a long time and them start reducing that time in half until you weight readings are showing short. then increase to allow for the true in flight material settle time.
9. Will you be using any proof switches? (checks for positive action) If a gate did not close or open, it is helpful to have an error to point you in the correct direction to troubleshoot the problem.
10. Do you need an OK to fill signal? (Is there a place for the product to go? Box, empty hopper, etc.) This helps with timing in production. Instead of setting a timer waiting for an action, you can start as soon as the condition is set and out of motion, increasing production.
11. Will it discharge automatically or need a discharge command? (Mapping and relay after a good fill or dispense) Automatic discharge does not wait and will dump as fast as batches are completed. Discharge command can verify everything downstream is good and ready to receive that batch.
12. Will you be using relays to control anything? These are solid state relays and work with mapped commands to make the system a standalone or work with an automated system and PLC control.
13. Will you be using digital inputs to signal anything? These are the inputs for OK to fill and OK to discharge and all the other inputs that can be mapped to make the system operate safely.
The mapping will be based on some of these answers. As you can see, there are many different possibilities for a filling application. There are no "standard" or default settings. Mapping can only be accessed using the Ethernet TCP/IP port and a computer running Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or similar web browser programs.
