Sterling 600 User Manual

Page of 63
Continuous Loss-in-Weight Blenders Chapter 2:  Functional Description 
18 
PLC Control Panel 
The PLC control panel may be mounted on the side of the blender frame, or remote mounted  
near the blender.  It uses an Allen-Bradley SLC 5/04 programmable controller with  standard 
24 vdc input output cards.  This design provides excellent blender performance along with 
easily replaceable off-the-shelf parts in case of any electronic component failure. 
 
Touch Screen Interface 
The PanelView 600 color touch screen display can be mounted up to 50 feet (15 m) from the 
PLC control panel. It is very user friendly after installation and setup, simply enter in the 
proper recipe and start the blender.   
If it is desired to have a local display and control of the blender at the operator station, an 
optional PanelView 600 can be installed. 
 
Motor Drive Panel 
The auger motor drive panel is mounted on the blender frame adjacent to the PLC control 
panel in most applications.  The motor drive panel is permanently wired on the blender.  The 
standard panel contains Yaskawa GPD 205 variable frequency motor drives, a power supply 
and manual volumetric backup system wiring components. 
The motor drives on the blender are standard, off the shelf drives and are readily available 
from Yaskawa distributors and the manufacturer. 
Power cords to each drive motor are equipped with plugs to facilitate auger removal and 
motor replacement, if necessary. 
 
Optional “Quick Color Change” Kit 
The optional “QCC” quick color changeover kit allows the virgin material to be gravity fed 
so the processing machine can be operated, while a color change is being done. 
The virgin material auger metering assembly is equipped with a lower slide gate and 
discharge tube.  A flexible hose connects the discharge tube with a cast aluminum flange 
below the blender that is equipped with an angled inlet tube stub.  When the slide gate is 
opened, virgin pellets will gravity feed to the bottom of the blender and bypass the blender 
augers and the lower mass flow weigh hopper, allowing the extruder to be operated. 
The blender augers can then be removed and the colors changed without the processing 
machine having to be “re-strung”, and the product having to be re-gauged.