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Thread: Dust collection automation - PLC controlled pneumatic dust collection blast gates

  1. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Kris Cook View Post
    Just saw this while researching DC automation.

    Very nice work.

    I am still in the pondering stage while still building my shop. I like the "air" idea just not sure I want to invest the time. I will probably start with manual operation to get up and running. I do intend to automate my system at some point, whether I buy or make...

    Thanks for sharing.
    Kris, thank you. The system works well. It is truly transparent. I can say I have not used a tool without dust collection since putting this in service. I have it integrated with my cnc router as well. No issues. This is well worth the effort. As far as time goes. It’s not that time consuming once you have the layout sorted.

    Quote Originally Posted by Martin Wasner View Post
    The ivac stuff is really reasonably priced. How well it holds up, I do not know.
    When I started down this path ivac didn’t offer 6 inch gates. I see they do now. I think the big advantage of my system is it’s built from off the shelf items and is easy to maintain and much more importantly I have control of how it works.

    I am very happy I automated my dust collection. I use my table routers a lot. One day I logged almost a hundred tool starts. I had full dust collection lined up for every one.

  2. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Steven Wayne View Post
    One day I logged almost a hundred tool starts. I had full dust collection lined up for every one.
    Might want to just leave the dust collector on in those scenarios.

  3. #18
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    Nice work Steven.

    How does your PLC know that the router is running, did you put a current sensor on the power wire?

    Thanks, Rod.

  4. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Martin Wasner View Post
    Might want to just leave the dust collector on in those scenarios.
    It can be done using a VFD.
    Chris

    Everything I like is either illegal, immoral or fattening

  5. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Martin Wasner View Post
    Might want to just leave the dust collector on in those scenarios.
    Dust collector is turned on automatically when a tool is turned on. It is turned off manually via a remote control push button.

    Quote Originally Posted by Rod Sheridan View Post
    Nice work Steven.

    How does your PLC know that the router is running, did you put a current sensor on the power wire?

    Thanks, Rod.
    Rod, the routers in the black table are on two pole switches. One pole switches the 120v hot, the other is the plc input for that router. Everything else has a small current switch that senses the associated tool start/stop and that is wired to the appropriate plc input.

    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Parks View Post
    It can be done using a VFD.
    I’m not sure what you are referring to. There’s no vfd in the dust system.

  6. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by Steven Wayne View Post
    Dust collector is turned on automatically when a tool is turned on. It is turned off manually via a remote control push button.
    I understand that, but motors don't like to be stopped as started repeatedly. 4-5 times an hour is excessive.

    If you get into bigger amperage draws, the power company will punish you for it.

  7. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by Martin Wasner View Post
    I understand that, but motors don't like to be stopped as started repeatedly. 4-5 times an hour is excessive.

    If you get into bigger amperage draws, the power company will punish you for it.
    It’s a 5hp motor. My utility doesn’t care about me starting the motor. The motor doesn’t care about me starting it. No where did I say it’s being started 4-5 per hour. Motors are designed to be started and stopped. Often. (I do this sort of thing for a living.)

    I typically run the cyclone continuous once I start. In a typical day it’s started 3-5 times if I had to guess. It works well.

  8. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steven Wayne View Post
    Dust collector is turned on automatically when a tool is turned on. It is turned off manually via a remote control push button.



    Rod, the routers in the black table are on two pole switches. One pole switches the 120v hot, the other is the plc input for that router. Everything else has a small current switch that senses the associated tool start/stop and that is wired to the appropriate plc input.



    I’m not sure what you are referring to. There’s no vfd in the dust system.
    Rod, I was pointing out the advantage of using a VFD and a three phase motor, this removes the start limitations per hour. If I was ordering an Oneida or Clearvue in the US I would order a three phase motor and drive it with a VFD as the advantages out weigh the slightly higher costs to do so. I can't understand why it has not become the normal thing to do to tell the truth if the single phase power supply is suitable.

    I installed a CV in a commercial operation over the last few days and the motor had a plate on it specifying the number of full amp starts per hour. This will be ignored because the maximum draw is about 16 amps for a few seconds on start up using a VFD and it could be lower with a longer ramp up time.
    Last edited by Chris Parks; 12-05-2018 at 9:11 PM.
    Chris

    Everything I like is either illegal, immoral or fattening

  9. #24
    Chris, I haven’t found an economically priced single phase input 5hp vfd. Do you have a link? I only have single phase mains.

  10. #25
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    99% of Clearvues installed in Oz gets a Powtran......

    http://www.powtran.com/en-us/index.aspx
    Chris

    Everything I like is either illegal, immoral or fattening

  11. #26
    I went the route Chris mentioned, haven’t got it running yet. Model is P19130A 004G-1. It was about $170US with shipping about $70 (might be more now) and took 2 weeks to get. The Australian ClearVue site has programming information.

    I went this route to slow it down for lighter duty jobs like the drill press and over speed it to 65hertz for heavy duty needs like the lathe.
    Last edited by Peter Christensen; 12-06-2018 at 1:16 AM.

  12. #27
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    Thanks Steven, I was wondering if you used a contact or a sensor, now I know that the answer is both depending upon the machine.........Regards, Rod.

  13. #28
    Rod - the two pole switch on the router was easy. These were also the first put in service. Once I got to the 240v machines that already have motor starters, it isn't easy anymore. So, I used the current switches. The current switches are great. My goal was a dust collection system that was as near transparent to the tool user as possible and practical. I feel I've achieved that. I have never manually operated a blast gate for tool operation since installing this system.

    My dust bin photo eye did not work.. I caught it before it filled the Clearvue completely. I'm not super happy with my CV cyclone right now. All of the silicone feels very clunky and has left me wishing I bought an Oneida.

    I'm looking at Oneida's filter stack silencer as an option to reduce some of the noise also..

  14. #29
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    In the cyclone installation I mentioned above every blast gate controls the cyclone via two core speaker wire into the VFD. Open a gate or close it and the cyclone starts and stops, we used micro switches bought off Ebay and ran it along the ducting fixing it with hot glue. The whole installation of the blast gate controls took a few hours and cost under a hundred dollars.
    Chris

    Everything I like is either illegal, immoral or fattening

  15. #30
    Chris, that sounds great! I wanted fully automated dust collection that was as transparent to the machine user as possible. I don’t touch gates, ever. Often I’ll have many operations on many parts on multiple table router setups. I wanted full suction on the tool(s) being used so I’m not breathing dust. This system has worked well. The only manual function is turning the cyclone off with the remote key fob.

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