Product category:
Loadcells, Force Sensors and Torque Sensors
News Release from: Vishay Nobel | Subject: Phoenix Chemicals
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 18 March 2002
Load cells weigh in for Phoenix
Phoenix Chemicals specialises in the safe handling of hazardous reactions using purpose-built continuous and semicontinuous reaction systems, and it uses load cells for measurement.
Phoenix Chemicals specialises in the safe handling of hazardous reactions using purpose-built continuous and semicontinuous reaction systems Operating under GMP (good manufacturing practice), the company offers a custom manufacturing and process development service, supplying specialist organic intermediates to the fine chemical and pharmaceutical industry
Phoenix chose to use load cells for measurement as the company has multiple solvents in use and need a very accurate system for additions in the process.
These additions may be large or small as required by the formulation.
The weighing equipment has to have the flexibility of a large measuring range and high accuracy.
Phoenix has previous experience of Thermo Nobel and has found both its equipment and services to be extremely reliable.
Thus, Thermo Nobel has been chosen to supply weighing systems that will enable Phoenix Chemicals to manufacture its products to this high specification.
As a company that designs and manufacturers both load cells and associated instrumentation, Thermo Nobel has been able to offer a choice of load cell specifications and weight indicator/transmitter/controllers.
For its reactor weighing applications, Phoenix Chemicals has chosen to use the KIS-8 series of load cells.
(The KIS-8 is an economically packaged KIS load cell that offers performance benefits over conventional load cells).
The cells have been selected based on the 'proven' performance in dynamic loading conditions that are particularly evident in reactor weighing applications.
These reactors are subject to both heating and agitation, which generates forces, such as side load, that are unwanted by the load cells when measuring weight.
When subjected to temperature cycling, the reactor expands and contracts.
In addition, the reactor agitator can be running and this creates a wave motion moving around the reactor.
The wave motion is transferred to the load cell as a side load.
The severity of side load increases with speed and specific gravity of the product.
Selecting the KIS load cell overcomes these fundamental conditions.
The KIS load cell provides a stable and repeatable output even during these conditions.
Weighing additions can be made during both the heating and agitation phases without degradation of system accuracy.
Phoenix has chosen the TAD-3 intelligent weight indicator fitted with batching option.
The TAD-3 provides a panel mounted display of weight and batch status together with manual batching capability.
The instrument provides two RS485 Modbus outputs, one of which is used to operate a remote relay interface module for process control and the other is used to communicate with the host computer/PLC.
A GATE-3 fieldbus convertor is used to convert the standard RS485 Modbus output to the company's preferred Profibus DP fieldbus.
For optimum batching accuracy, the TAD-3 is being used for batching control.
A recipe is sent serially to each TAD instrument.
After the receipt of a remote start command, the selected TAD will initiate each ingredient as required.
When the infeed of each ingredient has been completed, the TAD will carry out a tolerance check to ensure that the completed batch is within the required accuracy.
The batch information is then transmitted back to the host computer/PLC.
The TAD-3 controller provides good connectivity and the instruments were connected to the Phoenix.
Scada system without any interfacing problems.
Phoenix Chemicals has taken advantage of the KIS-8 series of the load cells' unique characteristics coupled with the high specification TAD-3 weight indicator to offer a cost effective reliable weighing solution to its production requirements. Request a free brochure from Vishay Nobel ...
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