Bespoke Panel Building to Overcome Undetected Shortage of Ink

Inefficiencies within a leading packaging company’s current printing system meant that the system could not detect when the solvent based ink had run out. Every time the ink ran out, the ink containers had to be switched over manually and consequently the speed and reliability of the whole process was reduced.

Bespoke Panel Systems for ink applications

Bell Flow Systems was set a challenge of creating a bespoke panel system that would detect and switch over the flow of the solvent based ink from one industrial bulk container to another, whilst keeping in mind the flammability of the ink. A system that could allow the whole process to be automated, reduce the risk of dangerous spills and ultimately speed up the process.

Bell Flow Systems Bespoke panel components

This required a number of different components to be selected in order to create a bespoke panel capable of solving the company’s current printing transfer complications.

Bell Flow Systems developed a control panel that featured three panel mount XDF Cortex controllers specified for this delivery, a series of galvanic isolators to ensure a safe switch over and signal detection, LED lamps for visual monitoring and various pilot solenoid valves to control pneumatic pumps and actuators. A number of high accuracy Macnaught S025 oval gear meters and ATEX pressure switches were also features of this bespoke package.

The Cortex XDF Display

One of the key products to this system was the Cortex XDF display; with its DIN panel mount design it features a four-line backlit colour display that is capable of mass calculations, batch control and more importantly for this application ‘intelligent digital filtering’ (IDF) to respond rapidly to dynamically changing flow rates. This allowed the Macnaught positive displacement flow meters to have consistency and accuracy when coupled with double diaphragm pneumatic pumps.

Installation & Configuration of Bespoke Control Panels

Once the panel had been built and tested in house at Bell Flow Systems, the next stage was for the installation and commissioning to take place. This then lead to further refinement of the programming and configuration to enable the products to work together as a complete system and ultimately a solution for the client.

Bell Flow Systems pride themselves on product knowledge, which is essential when developing and configuring bespoke control panel solutions. To learn more about Bell Flow Systems, visit their PIF Profile.