MOOG PARISON PROGRAMMING SYSTEMS BMC CONTROLS LTD ‘SILK MILL LANE WINCHCOMBE GLOS. GL54 5HZ TEL: 01242 604040 FAX: 01242 603987YSTEMS ~ WHAT IS PARISON PROGRAMMING AND WHY DO WE NEED IT’ How does the programmer work? 2 Limitations of parison programming. 2 CLOSED LOOP SERVO CONTROL THEORY .. The difference between open and closed loop contral systems. COMPONENTS OF A PARISON PROGRAMMING SYSTEM. HybrauLic SuPPLy Filtration Hydraulic Accumulator. Hydraulic System Pressure, Hydraulic Power Pack Design. Maintenance Tips HYDRAULIC CYLINDER. Piston rod seals Forces acting on the cylinder and head tooling. Setting the minimum die gap mechanically. POSITION TRANSDUCER (LVDT) DCLVDTs Limitations of LVDTs. Testing a LYDT SERVOVALVE What isa servovalve?, Servovalve faults PARISON PROGRAMMING CONTROLLER. Weight, Range and Slider controls. Other Front Panel Controls The Four Main Interpolation Methods. PARISON LENGTH CONTROL! Principle of operation. se 2 Parison Length Variation 2 Settings nnn 2 ‘Manually adjusting the parison length sen sone 22 FAST FAULT FINDING Binary chop method. Using the Servovalve Test Box (BM310) Understanding test card readings Dangers of swapping cards from other machines Bloxw Moulding Controls ‘Moog Parison Programming Systems Page 1What is Parison Programming and why do we need it? ‘The name given to the process of varying the wall thickness of the parison as it extrudes from the die gap. Benefits: To save material thus cost by eliminating needlessly thick sections To shorten cycle time by reducing thick sections which take longer to cool To maintain minimum wall thickness at critical points To enable the moulding to meet test specifications To enable easy product weight adjustments How does the programmer work? Key points: a) A hydraulic cylinder varies the die gap opening as the parison extrudes. Note: The cylinder has to be sufficiently powerful to overcome the forces exerted by the plastic upon the die b) The movement of the cylinder is controlled by a servovalve c) The cylinder’s position is measured by a linear variable displacement transducer (LVDT) d) The servovalve and LVDT are connected to the parison programmer ©) The number of points of the programmer, usually twenty five, are spread over the length of the parison. The points may not be spread equally over the length because the speed of parison extrusion varies according to the die gap opening; the extrusion velocity increases as the die gap is reduced. Understanding this point is fundamental to effective slider set-up. On continuous extrusion machines the program points are sequenced over the time between knife cuts. On accumulator head and reciprocating screw machines the program points are spread equally over the movement of the hydraulic ram that pushes out the plasti Limitations of parison programming Wall thickness can only be controlled over a limited range determined by physical factors. Very thin parisons are subject to materials limitations so can suffer severe rippling and shark skinning effects. Maximum wall thickness is fixed by the design of the head. Blow Moulding Controls Moog Parison Programming Systems Page?Closed Loop Servo Control Theory The difference between open and closed loop control systems Any control system which feeds back an output signal to correct the performance characteristics of the system can be called closed loop. In comparison, in an open loop system there is no link between the desired output and the actual output. Consider the following simple examples: a) Open loop In this open loop system, the temperature of the oven can only be controlled by manually varying the power supply to the heating element. Simple control could be obtained by associating power supply levels to oven temperatures, but if ambient temperature changed, or the heater characteristics shifted due to age, for example, the temperature would no longer be correct, Variable y Oven Power —» Supply Heating Element b) Closed loop In the following closed loop system, the temperature sensor senses the actual oven temperature and compares it with the set temperature, thus switching off the power to the heating element when the desired temperature is reached: Heating Power Element Supply \ Controller \ HF fs a S Oven Temperature Vv | Temperature Sensor Blow Moulding Controls ‘Moog Parison Programming SysiemsComponents of a Parison Programming System. This section describes the elements in a parison programming system: their purpose, method of operation, installation and common faults. Hydraulic Supply The schematic below shows the key components in a parison programming system and their location within the system. A clean, reliable and correct capacity hydraulic supply is fundamental to the successful running of the entire system, therefore each component is covered in some detail. ‘It.hydraulic accumulator f 25 um filter —> ; J — om it } Lvor Check valve \ = Machine's Pressure Line Servo valve ha 4 so c ‘The circuit arrangement includes a 25pm filter to prevent dirt particles entering the valve. The 1 litre accumulator ensures that fast cylinder movement is possible even when hydraulic supply is limited. Placement of the accumulator upstream of the filter has the benefits of providing peak flows without stressing the filter element, and the filter used only needs to be rated for the pump flow, not the maximum accumulator discharge flow which is many times greater. ‘The check valve is required to prevent the accumulator discharging back through the filter when the machine is switched off. It also allows the filter to be changed without dumping the accumulator. Blow Moulding Controls ‘Moog Parison Programming Systems Page 4ration Maintaining a clean oil supply is extremely important in all hydraulic systems; it also can be difficult. Good filtration is obviously key, but there are a number of myths that need to be quashed in order to understand the problems: Myth 1: Fitting a very fine filter will ensure that your servovalves will not clog up or fail prematurely. Servovalves need to be supplied with very clean oil. This is not due to any failure attributed to the design of the valve. Beware of claims by any servovalve manufacturer or agent that their valve is more resistant to dirt than any other. Reputable manufacturers are honest and quote realistic filtration requirements. Myth 2: A filter ‘absolute’ micron rating is the largest possible particle size that can get through. Filter manufacturers rate their filters by a standard ISO test. The test involves feeding the filter with a known level of dirt and measuring what gets past, ‘The ratio of in to out is called the Beta Ratio. Particles bigger than the absolute rating do get through but the filter becomes more efficient. Beta ratio notation: Bio = 75: 1 in 75 particles of size 10m will get through the filter Myth 3: Particles are approximately spherical ‘The dirt present in a hydraulic system can consist of long crystalline metal slivers, sandy granules, paint flakes, fibres (sometimes from filters) and so are anything but spherical. Consequently, describing a particle as ‘10 micron’ or claiming oil is ‘clean to 10 microns’ is misleading. In addition to the above, the situation is worsened by the presence of other contaminants such as water and solvents, and pressure pulses and flows higher than the filter was originally rated for. ~ Moog Parison Programming Systems Page 5 Blow Moulding ControlsAlthough filtration is never perfect, there are a number of things that can be done to ensure the system is as clean as is practicable. a) Ensure the existing filters are working. The electrical or pop-up dirt switches will not operate if the filter is ruptured. b) Beware of integral bypass valves fitted to some filters; these make it too easy to ignore a blocked filter element. ©) Check oil temperature. Hot oil hardens ‘O! rings prematurely and cold oil causes excessive condensation in the tank. d) Consider adding extra filtration to the system. As altering existing piping can be messy, fit an offline filter to the tank. This will re-circulate the oil smoothly through an efficient filter. A supplementary oil cooler can also be added in the re-circulation line. e) Have the oil analysed. Filter manufacturers usually have a contamination analysis service. Oil that has been filtered to a very fine level eventually gets loaded with sub-micronic particles and should be changed. f) Obviously tank lids should be well fitted and sealed. Filter breathers should also be fitted. It is hoped that this advice is of use and is practical. If you have persistent problems, please contact us. Blow Moulding Controls ‘Moog Parison Programming SystemsHydraulic Accumulators There are many hydraulic power applications in which high flow is demanded for a short period of time during a long cycle. Hydraulic accumulators are used to supplement the output of the pump to provide those peak flows. Most accumulators are of the gas bladder type where the bladder is pre-charged to a pressure with nitrogen to a pressure typically '/, to/; of the hydraulic working pressure. During operation the hydraulic oil, which is at a pressure higher than the nitrogen, squashes the nitrogen filled bag until the oil and gas pressures balance, Although the gas charge pressure in the accumulator is not critical, itis useful to have an understanding of the range of pressures which give the best results. Overcharging: If the hydraulic system’s relief valve is set to 100 bar, and the accumulator pre-charge pressure is set to 100 bar, then no oil will enter the accumulator and therefore there will be no gas spring effect. Similarly, if the accumulator is charged to 99 bar, the amount of oil able to enter will be so small as to render the accumulator useless. Undercharging: If there is only atmospheric pressure (1 bar) in the bladder and oil pressure of 100 bar, the bladder would be virtually crushed and would have almost no spring power to push out the oil. The oil pressure would have to drop to mBar level for the oil to be evacuated from the chamber. Correct charge: The correct charge is a compromise between wanting to store volumes of oil at a low charge, and having a strong spring (which requires a high charge). As previously mentioned, this compromise is somewhere in the range of '/, to7/; system pressure. WARNING: CHARGED ACCUMULATORS ARE DANGEROUS. BEFORE WORKING ON A HYDRAULIC SYSTEM ENSURE THE HYDRAULIC PRESSURE Is DUMPED Hydraulic System Pressure The hydraulic pressure set on the system should be high enough to efficiently overcome the load force. This will vary considerably from one machine type to another and also increases with die size. To minimise wasted power pack energy, the hydraulic pressure should be kept as low as possible. Obviously if frequent die changes are made, and remembering that the accumulator charge pressure has to be set relative to the system pressure, it is not practical to keep resetting the pressure. In these Blow Moulding Controls Moog Parison Programming Systems Page?circumstances, the system pressure will have to be set higher than is really necessary. Hydraulic Power Pack Design The design of a power pack requires some thought if it is to perform satisfactorily under demanding conditions without risking unnecessary machine down time - implying the need for continuous running with very little or no maintenance. Considerations which have to be taken into account in the design: a) The flow rating should be high enough to cope with peak demands and still have ample reserve to cope with the increase in leakage due to wear. b) It should be capable of developing more pressure than needed ©) W's cooling system should be over-rated to allow for worst case conditions when cooling water is warmer or running at a low flow rate. d) It should be able to run idle for prolonged periods without overheating, that is the cooling system specification should not take into account any heat dissipation through the pipes or load that would occur when the machine is in production. ) It should be reasonably quiet. f) It should be maintenance free, but if maintenance is required it should be easy to strip down. g) The power pack should not leak. It is possible to design a leak proof hydraulic system by following good engineering design principles and by choosing the correct fittings. h) It should be designed with thought to the application logistics; for example the filler and level gauge should be easily accessible when the power pack is pushed up against the blow moulding machine. i) As most blow moulding machine manufacturers seem to give little thought as to how engineers will climb onto the machine, the power pack and any other ancillary equipment should be robust enough to be stood upon. j) Itis recommended that an oil overtemperature alarm is fitted; this can be configured to automatically shut down the power pack. A comparable number of servovalves are damaged by excessive heat as are damaged by dirt. Blow Moulding Controls ‘Moog Parison Programming Systems Page 8The BMC 2.5 GPM (gallons/min) power pack is specifically designed for parison control on extrusion blow moulding machines. ‘The power pack component parts and their description or specification are as follows: a) Hydraulic tank The fabricated steel tank has an oil capacity of 40 litres (8 gallons) when filled to midway on the level gauge b) Motor and pump assembly A geat pump (Bosch / Dowty) is close coupled to a 1450rpm three-phase moter. c) Relief valve The fluid control pressure relief valve is a pilot operated cartridge type, fitted in an aluminium block. This block is modified by BMC and therefore should not be sourced direct from the UK fluid control agent. The cartridge assembly itself can be easily stripped and serviced d) Oil cooler The oil cooler is of the water / oil type. The direction of water flow is not particularly important, neither is it usual to need to bleed the cooling system. The temperature of the oil returning to the tank is monitored by a switch sensor. ) Pressure line filter Usually a 10 or 25 micron filter element, The filter is fitted with a differential pressure switch to detect partial blockage, but this will not detect a ruptured element. f) Suction strainer This is purposely over-rated so that even when partially blocked, cleaning is not required, g) Oil temperature / Blocked filter alarm h) Hydraulic accumulator i) Pipe fittings Blow Moulding Controls ‘Moog Parison Programming Systems Page 9Maintenance Tips 1) Change the high pressure filter element at least every six months, even if the warning signal is not activated, 2) IF it becomes necessary to remove the pressure and return pipes from the servovalve, either plug the open pipes or cover the ends with polythene bags to prevent contaminants entering the system. 3) The power pack must not be operated with no cooling water flowing. More valves and cylinder seals.are damaged by heat than by dirt. 4) Only use new clean oil. Reprocessed or reclaimed oil is not recommended. 5) Do not attempt to clean the pressure filter element. Discard old elements immediately to avoid any temptation to re-use them. Blow Moulding Controls “Moog Parison Programming Systems Page 10Position Transducer (LVDT) Measures the position of the cylinder and therefore the die gap. The LVDT consists of a rod (or core) which moves within the body of the transducer containing a primary and two secondary coils. The rod is attached to the body of the hydraulic cylinder and it’s position is magnetically detected by it’s location between the coils. LVDTS are split into two types, AC and DC. The AC type is the most simple: Prima rey eer’ PAG aa Secondaries An external AC supply is fed to the primary winding. If the core is in the centre, equal AC voltages will be seen across the two secondaries. Movement of the core towards one end results in a greater voltage induced in that secondary coil and thus gives a proportional voltage relative to position. The AC output from the secondaries can be rectified to give a DC signal. Blow Moulding Controls ‘Moog Parison Programming Sysiems Page 12Hydraulic Cylinder Vertical movement of the hydraulic cylinder varies the die gap therefore the wall thickness of the extruding parison, This section focuses on areas where failures can potentially occur and production problems can result. Piston rod seals These frequently fail due to heat concentrated around the head from the extruding plastic melt. Fitting a cooling circuit in this area will very effectively draw heat away from the head and will increase the longevity of the seals. In contrast, the piston head seals are not subject to thermal stresses and thus rarely fail Forces acting on the cylinder and head tooling Extruding plastic exerts such large pressures on the head such that if the die gap were closed completely, serious damage to the die and the pin could result. In order to avoid this happening, the die gap is set to never shut off completely. This minimum die gap is in the order of 0.15 - 2.0 mm. Setting the minimum die gap mechanically A typical setup procedure would be: 1. Slacken locking nuts, then manually wind down mandrel(s) to give a large die gap Slacken die centring bolts Ensure oil pump is on for programmer . Set both range and slider 25 to maximum . Reduce weight control to zero Slowly reduce slider 25 to zero, whilst a colleague monitors the die gap . Manually wind the mandrel(s) upwards until it closes against the die . Manually wind the mandrel(s) back open 1/4 to 1/2 a turn. If required to do so by company policy, measure and set a specific gap 9. Increase weight controller to between 500 and 800 on dial 10. Return slider 25 to maximum eNOUAYR Such a procedure ensures that whatever the machine settings, such as the unlikely event that both weight and range are set to zero, a parison will still be produced. It is unlikely that this will be usable unless the die gap has been set excessively large but will safeguard against accidental damage to the die. Biow Moulding Controls ‘Moog Parison Programming Systems Page TTDC LVDTs The principle of transducer operation is identical to that of the AC types, but the AC drive signal for the primary winding is generated from the DC supply by a transistorised oscillator encapsulated within the transducer body. The output is then diode rectified to DC, again within the unit. j Output Signal DC transducers are the most common type in use. The power supply is taken from the programmer: -15V in the case of Moog systems, +24V for Bekum models, and +18V for some other makes of programmers. The connections are: SUPPLY, sed | Blac Gamaired be) LVDT White — SIGNAL Green Blow Moulding Controls ‘Moog Parison Programming Systems Page 13Limitations of LVDTs a) Temperature The electronic components in a DC transducer are susceptible to damage by the temperature most heads operate at. In comparison AC LVDTs are not affected by plastic melt temperatures. b) Stroke range The LVDT manufacturer gives a rated stroke over which the transducer’s output is linear. Shortly beyond the rated stroke the signal becomes so non- linear as to be useless. It is therefore good design practice to use a transducer whose linear stroke exceeds the maximum physical stroke of the parison programming cylinder. Typically a 30 mm stroke transducer is fitted to a 12 mm. stroke cylinder. Accuracy, resolution, repeatability and drift All commercially available LVDTs exhibit performance characteristics that exceed the requirements of the blow moulding industry so manufacturer's specifications are generally academic. Due to the manner in which a LVDT operates i.e. non-contact inductively, there are no parts to wear out so they rarely fail. LVDTs are not particularly robust however and are thus subject to physical damage. Damage can generally be attributed to the following: Incorrectly set and overstroked Excessive temperature Mechanical damage - hit by fork lift trucks etc, Pressurised with oil (only where transducer is fitted inside a cylinder) Testing a LVDT AC Type: Using a DVM check the resistance of the primary and secondary coils. Compare the readings to that of an identical LVDT; if they are similar itis, likely the transducer is operational. For example: 602 4002 602 Blow Moulding Controls Moog Parison Programming Systems Page 14DC Type: - Connect the supply leads (red+, blue/black-) to a 9V (PP3) battery 2. Connect the signal leads (green, white) to a DVM and watch the voltage change from +5V to -5V through the stroke of the transducer. ‘The actual voltages are not necessarily important, but if there is no output or the signal polarity does not change, the LVDT is faulty. Although the transducer is probably scrap in this case, the fault may be a break in the leads. If so, it may be possible to restore the unit by careful stripping of the wires and making a new connection. Final Tip: If the thin core extension rod is broken do not replace it with anything other than a non-magnetic material. Core ‘should be iron, in , emergency can be steel Core extension must be non-magnetic If the core extension is made of steel (e.g, bicycle spoke, welding rod), it will be impossible to set the programmer correctly. Ifa replacement core is fitted ensure the partis the same dimensionally, particularly the length of the iron part of the core. Blow Moulding Controls ‘Moog Parison Programming Systems Page 13Servovalve Although servovalves have a wide range of applications, it’s purpose in a parison programming system is to control the hydraulic movement of the cylinder thus the die gap. What is a servovalve? It is a flow control valve that regulates the flow rate proportionally to the level of input signal. For most Moog valves, a signal of 0 - 100mA gives zero to full opening. The valve is a two stage design: a pilot stage controls the position of the spool. Typically a valve is supplied with oil at a pressure of 1500psi (100 bar), although it will operate from 500psi (35 bar) to 3000psi (210 bar). The valve translates the electrical signal from the parison programmer to the equivalent flow. The performance of the valve is crucial for accurate die gap positioning, Servovalve faults a) Totally Inoperative ‘The most common example of this is when the main spool is completely at one end of it’s stroke. This will usually be caused by the pilot stage driving it to one end. It is very unusual that the main spool will be jammed. b) Excessive Bias Normally the valve spool will be central for a zero volt input signal. However if the pilot stage nozzles or orifices are blocked, the main spool can be biased off centre. This would mean that the actual speeds of movement may not be the same as the set speeds, ©) Poor repeatability Itis often thought that the Moog valve is the cause of poor repeatability and erratic performance. Although a faulty valve can be responsible, it is uncommon and is probably only true in 5% of cases. The actual fault is more often traced to material or regrind problems, cooling water variation and worn components such as check rings and piston seals. Servovalve Test box- see Fast Fault Finding section, Blow Moulding Controls “Moog Parison Programming Sysiems Page 16Parison Programming Controller Weight, Range and Slider controls Three controls used to set thickness parameters: Weight: This is the basic die gap. It controls one third of the total die movement. It is used to make fine adjustment to the container weight without altering the profile. Range: This controls two thirds of the total die movement. It is used to set the amount of movement required to produce a particular container i.e. the greater the range setting, the greater the effectiveness of a profile section. Sliders: These are used to set the thickness profile of the parison. Generally the higher position of the slider, the thicker the container wall at that point. To effectively demonstrate what this means in practice, consider the following examples: Total cylinder stroke = 12 mm The range controls two thirds of this movement: 7/,(12) = 8mm The weight controls the remaining third: %5(12) = 4mm Normally the machine panel shows two dials: RANGE WEIGAT (000-999) (000-999) If the range is reduced to 500, the amount of die movement would be halved. Similarly, if the range is reduced to zero, the amount of die stroke will be reduced to zero. Therefore the most dynamic of profiles is rendered useless. So why would the range be set to zero? Consider the following scenario: If a container produced were too heavy, the first logical step would be to reduce the die gap via the weight control. Assuming an initial die gap of 12 mm, as in the previous example, reducing the weight control from 999 to 500 changes the basic die gap to “fp x"/5 (12) = 2mm. Blow Moulding Controls ‘Moog Parison Programming Systems Page 17If the container were still overweight, a further reduction could be made. Moving the weight control dial from 500 to zero reduces the basic die gap from 2 mmto zero. If now the container is still too heavy there is no available adjustment remaining on the weight control. The next step would probably involve reducing the range control. But if we recall that the range controls two thirds of the pin movement (°/3(12)= 8 mm) it follows that altering the range has a more significant effect. If the range control were reduced from 999 to 500, using the previous figures, the basic die gap would reduce from 8 mm to 4 mm. This has the following effects: a) The overall container weight is reduced b) The effect the profile has on the container is reduced and may mean critical dimensions are not achieved But let us assume the container were still too heavy: The effect of reducing the range control further, from 500 to zero, would be to reduce the pin stroke from 4 mm to zero. Again the container weight would be reduced but the profile setting would be then ineffective as there would be no amplification factor. However, this scenario is of an extreme case and therefore should not happen. One cause of such a situation occurring would be if the minimum gap setting were far too great. This would therefore require huge weight and range reductions in order to meet the required weight specification. Slide Controls ‘The sliders can also be used to reduce container weight but this is not ideal. Moving down one or more sliders will naturally change the container weight; it will also change the wall thickness distribution and take the container out of specification. [Fall the sliders were moved down exactly the same amount the desired effect would be achieved. However, this is simply not practical and also, if some of the sliders bottom out, further movement is impossible and the effectiveness of the profile is again restricted Blow Molding Controls Moog Parson Progranming Stems Page TSOther Front Panel Controls The programmer may be fitted with a number of optional features. a) Parison Length Control - see next section, b) Extruder Speed Correction (Accumulator head machines only) Production time is lost if the head is still filling when the machine is ready for the next cycle. This optional card automatically adjusts the extruder speed to ensure the head always reaches the ‘shot size’ point at the correct time. ) Die Gap Closure (Accumulator head machines only) The more appropriate name for this should have been ‘Refill Die Gap’. The die gap should normally be shut during the time the accumulator refills. The light next to the control is on when this control is active. Blow Moulding Controls Moog Parison Programming Systems Page 19The Four Main Interpol: mn Methods In order to have another level of control over the wall thickness of the parison, there are number of different ways in which the discrete points set on the slider control are joined up to result in the parison profile. 1) 8-Step The step between each of the slider settings is split into 8 bits, effectively giving a 25 point programmer 200 steps. This will smooth any large steps on the profile so the moulded container will have a much smoother surface finish. 2) Linear This is literally a crude ‘join the dots’ method. It is of use in applications where a slug of material, such as a fill line, is required on the moulding. JN, 3) Curved Linear- linear with sinusoidal smoothing (Wn, 4) Delayed signal - peculiar to Bekum programmers This is intended to have the same effect as the 8-step and curved linear methods but operates on the principle of ‘sample and holding’ the signal level. tis not particularly effective and reduces system accuracy. Se Blow Moulding Controls ‘Moog Parison Programming Systems Page 20Parison Length Controls Principle of operation Most Parison Length Control systems (PLCs) work by comparing a photocell signal to a point in the machine cycle. For example, the beam broken by the parison can be compared to the ‘mould ready’ signal, given when the mould is ready to close on the parison. If the beam is broken before the ‘mould ready’ signal arrives, the PLC card assumes the parison is overlength and makes a correction to the extruder speed. Conversely, if the ‘mould ready’ signal arrives first, the PLC slows down the extruder. The amount of speed correction is proportional to the amount by which the parison length is incorrect. Parison Length Variation Parison length deviations can usually be attributed to either variations in material consistency, for example due to regrind percentage, or because of changes in ambient temperature. Because the parison hangs momentarily in air, it may stretch more under warmer conditions or if the plastic consistency is different. It is these effects which make the blow moulding process less scientific than other moulding processes. Settings Photocell: The photocell should be positioned so that it’s beam is broken by the parison and not by the mould. This will often mean that the beam will be broken when the parison is about */, it’s full length. ‘Mould Ready’ Signal: Different machine types time the transmission of this signal differently therefore it is not always appropriate for the Moog PLC card. For this reason the Moog card usually derives the ‘mould ready’ signal from another card in the Moog rack, the comparator card, Moog Comparator card: The function of this card is to set the ‘mould ready’ light on at the same time that the photocell (beam broken) light comes on. It has a relay whose normally open contacts are connected to the ‘mould ready’ input of the PLC card. A ‘trimpot’ adjustment on the comparator card enables the output relay to be energised at any time during the machine cycle. Correct adjustment of this trimpot will thus set the ‘mould ready’ light to come on in parallel with the photocell light. Blow Moulding Controls ‘Moog Parison Programming Systems Page 21Manually adjusting the parison length It is ineffective to attempt to alter the length of the parison by manually pressing the machine’s extruder speed control buttons; these should be used to get the extruder up to the correct speed at start-up. To change the parison length the first option is to move the photocell, but not so far that the mould trips the beam. Alternatively, the trimpot on the comparator card can be adjusted. For example, if the ‘mould ready’ light is adjusted to come on before the photocell, the PLC will think the parison has gone short and will increase the extruder speed. The other way to alter the parison length is to adjust the front panel control marked mould dwell time. This control has the effect of delaying the photocell signal to the PLC card. k's effect is thus the same as moving the photocell. Note: Parison length control systems are not intended to cure machine faults, poor screw feeding or large shot-o-shot variations in material characteristics. Their purpose is to ‘fine tune’ extruder speed to maintain parison length. To operate properly, the photocell must be set in the correct position and the machine must be capable of running the job consistently. Blow Moulding Controls ‘Moog Parison Programming Systems Page 22Fast Fault finding The first and most fundamental question to ask when fault finding is: “Was the machine running normally, producing bottles, when the fault occurred?” This will determine whether the fault is genuine or man-made, and in the majority of cases this will be the latter. Taking a logical approach to fault finding is the only way to repeatably solve problems with the minimum machine down time. There are however some tell-tale signs to look for associated with certain situations and modes of failure, also some ‘not-to-dos’ that risk worsening the situation. Binary chop method This isa logical method of splitting the system down step-by-step to narrow down where the fault has occurred. The most demonstrative example of this is the Christmas Tree Lights Imagine you have a string of 1000 lights in series which are not working because a bulb has blown. It would be a monumentus task to check all of the bulbs one by one, and if more than one bulb had blown you may never find the fault. Instead, look at the string in two halves and measure the voltage in the centre. If there is a voltage present then you immediately know that the 500 bulbs between the meter and the supply are good, therefore the faulty bulb is in the ing 500. By repeating the process of splitting the remaining string in two, the faulty bulb is located in 10 measurements. e.g.: tat 3rd ath nd check Blow Moulding Controls Moog Parison Programming Stems Page2sUsing the Servovalve Test Box (BM310) The valve test box is designed to check the operation of most models of Moog control valve with integrated drive electronics. It provides a signal to the valve similar to that it should be seeing from the control card of whatever application it is installed i For example, to test a valve used in mould opening/closing speed contr 1) Transfer the plug from the Moog valve to the in the output of the BM310 into the Moog valve ut cable of the test box. Plug 2) Switch the BM310 to -10V to + 10V range; this is the most common requirement for Moog valves in the plastics industry, although other valves may require either a 4-20mA or -10mA to + 10mA command signal. Check the specification of the valve and select the appropriate mode. 3) The + and - supply lights should be on. This shows power is being supplied from the machine to the test box and Moog valve. 4) Switch the machine to manual control. 5) Press the manual mould close button 6) Carefully turn the test box control clockwise from the centre position. The spool position indicator will be seen to move. If no mould speed control is achieved, take the control back to the centre position and try turning the control anti-clockwise. It is not possible to say which way the control knob should be turned as it depends on which way round the valve is piped to the cylinder. If the valve is functioning correctly, the mould speed should be variable with the BM310 control. The slowest speed is normally near the centre position. Blow Moulding Controls ‘Moog Parison Programming Systems ~ Page 24Understanding test card readings There are three test points on the servo-amp card where the voltage levels can be looked at to assist fault finding. The first of these is the servovalve signal but this should not normally be looked at as it is constantly varying, even when there is no actual cylinder movement required because of positional drift. The resulting output is an amplified difference signal of required and actual position (below). The comparative drift is minimised by setting the amplifier gain almost to the point of instability; if the gain is set too low, the output signal is too small to move the valve so cannot cancel out the drift. 7 ‘Comparator signal | ~-£ we The second signal is the LVDT output. It should be easy to see if the output voltage is roughly correct, and if the LVDT is set up to operate in it’s linear range. See the LVDT section for more detail The third test point is the command signal. This is the weight, range and slider setting control. Dangers of swapping cards from other machines When it is believed that a PCB component is at fault it is not advisable to simply borrow a card from a similar machine to see if that makes any difference to the fault. The consequences of doing this range in severity: a) Cards with trimpots can be set completely differently. Therefore a correctly set up card will work and it will appear the first card is faulty although in reality it is good. b) Slight changes in revision numbers mean modifications have been made to the design and may mean subtle or quite different behaviours. ) The fault which caused the first card to blow destroys the second. Now there are two machines down... Blow Moulding Controls “Moag Parison Programming Systems Page 25Common Faults with Moog Parison Programming Systems Introduction For over 14 years we have been involved with the installation, repair, and modification of Parison programmers manufactured by Moog®. Moog produce parison programming systems in the USA, UK, Germany, Italy, Japan, Ireland, Brazil, Australia, and other factories in their worldwide organisation. If you search hard enough you can find 10, 16, 20, 25, 32, 50, 64, 100, 101 etc. points systems. The method of entering the profile can be slide potentiometers, LCD screen, CRT display. Despite the amazing range of products there are some design features common to all systems, For example all are intended to drive Moog servovalves, but will work with many other makes of servovalve. The chances are that your machines are fitted with the Moog 25 point system This was originally produced by Moog, Germany and has been adopted by many blow moulding machine manufacturers. Moog inc sold many of its 20 x 20 pin matrix system for U.S. machines. Moog Italy produced the Bloc 16 (16 points), then the Bloc 32 and 64. These LCD systems are microprocessor based, and what they lost in ease of profile setting, they gained in a host of other features. Before proceeding with any fault finding we recommend you ask a crucial question: Was the machine running normally producing containers ? If the answer is a simple ‘yes’ then there is a good chance you have a genuine fault Unfortunately over 80% of the time you won’t get a straight answer, and that will give you a clue that the fault may be fully or partly ‘man made’ Examples of these are: The programmer won't give any die movement following a head change, hose or pump replacement or mould change. There is virtually no limit to this self-inflicted type of problem. From our experience customers that carry out frequent head changes eg. have many more Blow Moulding Controls Moog Parison Programming Systems Page 26problems than companies that have long production runs without any machine changes. Regardless whether the fault is ‘natural’ eg. like the failure of the LVDT (also known as DCDT), or ‘man made’ wires pulled out of LVDT (DCDT) the fault will look exactly the same in every measurable way. It is however important to consider ifthe fault is man made or natural became ‘man made’. Faults are usually ‘low tech’ problems ie. wires pulled out of servovalves or LVDT (DCDT) plugs. Don’t go pulling the programmer apart if the fault occurred after a head change etc. Hydraulic or Electronic ? a) Hydraulic ‘The first test is to unplug the servovalve and plug in a valve test box. If you don’t have a valve test box a) buy one from us, or b} connect a 9V PP3 battery to one of the valve coils (pins A & B on a Moog valve, A & C on most Rexroth valves) Turing the control knob on the valve test box should open and close the die gap. The same effect should be achieved by reversing the connection of the 9 volt battery. If there is no movement then the chances are that the servovalve is faulty. If itis not the valve then check the hydraulic supply is present, and connected the correct way round. If the cylinder moves normally then the chances are that the fault is electronic. b) Electronic By far the commonest case of faults are wires pulled out of the servovalve or LVDT connectors. Some of these are very fiddly for some maintenance engineers to solder, so poorly soldered joints are quite common. If the programmer is the Moog 25 point system, then the next step is to hinge the slider panel open and connect a digital test meter to the test points on the servoamplifier card. This is the third card from the left hand side, and test points are (bottom to top) common (OV), program, LVDT (DCD), servovalve. Blow Moul Moog, Parison Programming Systems Page 27For peace of mind check the LVDT signal, first it will typically be a voltage somewhere between -7 volts and +7 volts. If the reading is zero, then the LVDT is either faulty or its connection is broken somewhere. The only other times an LVDT signal is zero is if it’s exactly in the middle of its, stroke (which is very unlikely), or the rod is missing. If the voltage is as high as 6 to 7 volts the chances are that the transducer is not set correctly, but this is probably not the cause of the fault. Now, turn the weight control to zero, and pull slider 25 right down. Connect your meter on the 20vDC range and connected between the common and servovalve test points. Tum the minimum die gap trimpot from one end to the other. Somewhere along it's travel the cylinder should move, and you should be able to position the die gap at any intermediate opening. If no movement occurs, check that the servo voltage goes from a minus to a plus voltage. The actual voltage ‘swing’ will depend on the valve type fitted, but typical valves could be -10 to +10v. If the voltage swings through these ranges, then cylinder movement should occur because this voltage is connected (or should bel) to the servovalve, which you have already checked. If the cylinder moves very quickly to one end and stays there until a number of turns are made to the ‘minimum’ trimmer, then you have classical ‘positive’ feedback, The simple cure is to reverse the servovalve connection on the back of the Moog unit (Wires to terminals 1 and 3) As wires don’t reverse themselves you may also want to ask why ? There are various possibilities a) If the servovalve has been replaced with a different type e.g. from Rexroth to Moog b) Hoses between servovalve subplate and cylinder reversed c) Wires at the servovalve plug or LVDT signal reversed d) A servovalve that was repaired incorrectly. The above is just a sample of the typical faults we have seen. Other goodies include: a) ‘Range’ control set right down, but its dial displays a big number (e.g. 950) which makes you think it is almost fully up. b) LVDT totally wrong type fitted. Blow Mouleling Controls ‘Moog Parison Programming Systems Page 28©) The two LED's on the ‘ramp delta’ card (second from left) show that the + and -15 volt power rails are on. If one light is off, it is often caused by the -15 volts supply to the LVDT(DCDT) being shorted on the cable somewhere near the LVDT - often melted on the extruder barrel. d) Gain control turned fully down. In an attempt to cure bounciness, or just accidentally misadjusted, the gain trim pot is often turned fully down. In this setting there may not be enough signal to drive the servovalve. Other common problems: Programmer moving erratically through the lights with more than one light on at atime. This is usually due to three things: a. The programmer needs grounding. The chassis are all grounded, but not the signal ground. Run a wire link from one of the many zero volt terminals e.g. 2,5,26,29 etc. to a nearby ground point. b. Dirty linear pot on accumulator head machines. If you are careful you can wash the conductive track with solvent, but be careful on re-assembly as the wiper contacts are very fragile. c. Blown chips on slider panel. These chips are quite static sensitive. d. Machine won't cycle. Moog Parison Programmers fitted to continuous extrusion machines do not usually have the capacity of interrupting the machine cycle. Programmers fitted to accumulator heads and reciprocating screw machines provide the signals ‘shot size’ and ‘end of push out’. These outputs from the programmer are given in the form of ‘normally open’ relay contacts that close. To protect the contacts on ‘Moog’s interface card a small fuse is fitted next to the output relays. Blow Moulding Controls “Moog Parison Programming Systems