The Requirements

The end user was requiring a new scale that would weigh down to the hundredth of a pound to ensure each bottle was filled accurately.  Their current scales were setup to weigh the larger bottles and were not accurate enough for the needs of these new smaller bottles.

They wanted to have an ergonomic solution for their operators as well, so the needed to be able to adjust the height of the bottle from the ground.

They also did not need to do this operation every day, they wanted to be able to set it up and then run the small bottles they needed to fill an order and then remove the scale from the filling area and put it into storage.

Building the Solution

We were able to provide a hydraulic cart that allowed the operator to move the height of the scale from near ground level up to about 36 inches from the ground.

This allowed the operators to raise and lower the scale height to ensure that the fill neck of the bottle was at a comfortable height for any operator with any bottle.

We built a custom mount for the scale platter that would hold the bottles upright to support the weight of the hose when attached to the bottle.

They also required a 25 pound NIST certified and traceable test weight that they would use during their shift to ensure that the scale was performing within tolerance.

The controller selected was the Rinstrum R427 panel mount which has a single ingredient filling application that is configurable for most applications.  This reduced the cost of the project as there was no custom programming time that was required to implement the functionality.

This also allowed the customer to setup different tank sizes with target weights and descriptions to make changing from one to the next as simple as a few button presses.

The scale instrument was mounted into an enclosure to provide the power supplies, industrial push buttons and relays required to run the system including an emergency stop.

All of the wiring, relays and controls was built by Peninsula Scale automation technicians and tested using scale simulators at our shop.

The outside of the enclosure, the button functionality was labelled using plastic button tags

The scale connection was made with an industrial Amphenol half turn quick disconnect to ensure a solid yet removable connection for when they want to move the cart back into the storage area and fill the larger tanks.

Once the scale filling system and controller was put together we selected an industrial valve that opens and closes using a solenoid that could handle the temperatures and pressures.

Installation, Testing & Training

Once the system was built, it was brought onsite and the technicians were taught how to start and stop batches and flip between the two filling hoses that utilize separate solenoid valves.

The scale was calibrated and tested to be accurate across the full capacity and we were ready to go.

The customer now can connect their Co2 tank to the fill hose

press the "start" button

the scale tares the weight of the tank out so that the fill starts from 0 pounds

the solenoid opens and allows the Co2 to fill the tank

as the weight on the scale increases from the liquid Co2 filling the tank the scale reaches the desired target weight and shuts the valve off which stops the flow of the Co2

The operator closes the tank valve, removes the tank and starts the process over

This ensures that the bottles are filled correctly every time and that no overfilled tanks or safety issues arise from the operator forgetting to shut the filling valve off at the desired weight.

We now have these filling solutions in stock and can provide this same controller solution for nearly any bag, box, bottle, bucket, barrel you need to fill at your facility.  Give us a call today to get a free onsite visit to discuss your automation needs.