Issue
Please find herein the signals that make the Profold Bin Sorter work
Description
The Profold bin sorter has a photocell at its entry. When a card passes through it, it is followed inside the bins by means of photocells (not really tracked).
Also, beware that there are 2 operation modes for the bins that can be set in the Profold main panel: Auto reorder that defines bin 4 as a reject bin, or normal that leaves bin 4 as a common bin. With the EditorGT and CPS3050 card systems, you want to select the first because cards are rejected and reordered.
In auto reorder, if you press the reset button at the bins, the beginning bin will be number 3. Number 4 will be the reject bin.
Now, the point is that right before the card enters the bins, the EditorGT has 2 signals that may be set:
· Change bin (Output 15, or output 3 on 4th box)
· Reject bin (Output 16, or output 4th on 4th box)
The Change bin signal from the EditorGT commands the bin PLC to put the next product into the next bin.
The reject bin signal from the EditorGT commands the bin PLC to put the nect product into the reject (or reorder) bin.
What if they come together ? You should set the Change bin signal first and the reject bin second. That way, the next product goes to the reject bin, and the 2nd goes to the next bin because the PLC remembers that there was a change bin signal with the first product.
Entry Photocell ______-1-_______-2-_________-3-_________-4-_________-5-_________
Change Bin ___________-2-_______________________________-5-_______________
Reject bin _____________________-3-______________________________________
In the example above, the product 2 goes into the next bin after product 1. The product 5 goes into the next bin. Product 3 goes to the reject bin.
Entry Photocell ______-1-_______-2-_________-3-_________-4-_________-5-_________
Change Bin __________-2-_______________________________-5-_______________
Reject bin _____________-3-_____________________________________________
In the example above, the product 2 goes into the reject bin. The product 3 goes into the next bin after product 1. Product 5 goes to the next bin.
Caution: please make sure that the signal is not set by any means when the card is already entering the system, otherwise the timing has a jitter and you’ll screw up the bins PLC. So, do not do the following:
Entry Photocell ______-1-_______-2-_________-3-_________-4-_________-5-_________
Change Bin _______________-2-________________________________-5-_________
Reject bin ___________________________-3-_______________________________
The problem here, is that the PLC will not know for certain whether the change bin signal for product 2 is meant for 3 or 2. The signal must be set and reset well before the entry photocell !!! The best right in the middle between 2 products. You can set the signals on the EditorGT by clicking on the stacker/bin icon and changing them even online.
The best is to measure the signal with an oscilloscope while installing the system, then write down the settings. Alternatively, you can pass slowly a change bin card and make sure that the signal is set and taken back before the card enters the bins, that is the leading edge of the card breaks the bin entry photocell.