System control and interface
The robotic extruder system consist of different sub components. For one, the extruder which is controlled by Siemens PLC systems. Secondly there is a control unit with materials storage. The control unit contains electronics, side channel blower for material transportation and a water chiller/radiator. All systems work together for a fully integrated system. The operator will interact with the siemens control panel. The control cabinet can be connected to the robot or other system, the robot will be controlling the extruder. CEAD is available for advice and help getting the extruder and your system connected.
Extruder temperature
All different heat zones are controllable trough the touchscreen. Motor and screw RPM are also shown. The extruder includes several safety features for reliable and safe operation.
Complete control
In the settings menu the user has complete control over the system. Limits can be programmed as well as controlling both funnel temperature and material transport.
Logging and process
A variety of sensors keep track of the temperature along the different heating zones during set intervals. The Extruder set point and real rime speed are monitored as well. All this information will be displayed real time and consequently logged to storage. The operator then can save the logged files on a USB stick. This allows for quality control, troubleshooting, optimization, and streamlining the process.
Recipes, Storing different settings
Printing with a variety of materials, locations and weather, involve different settings for different materials. So called ''recipes'' are savable presets of settings for the system. This allows for a quick set up when starting the machine with the known material. All recipes can be both exported ans imported trough the USB connection which also allows for easy sharing.