Hello All,
I would like to make a 2 head can filler that would use brucontrol to run it, I have looked at a few different ways to acomplish this using air actuators, conductive sensors and solenoid valves. What I lack is scripting, does anyone want to team up with me to make this happen? I would be willing to share all fabrication plans and such. Does anyone know a better way to control the fluid levels other than conductive sensors?
Cheers,
Todd
I'd help. I have a Oktober seamer already and was thinking about it.
Likewise we are happy to help!
Hey Guys,
Here is a update so far, I have ordered the linear rails, Arduino Mega, Shield, 12v power supply, 8 place relay, 3 different types of fill sensors, solenoid valves, and more terminal blocks.
The concept will be a 2 purge and 2 fill head filler that has a pneumatic carriage for the gas and liquid solenoids on it so it will go up and down to fill and purge. I am looking a 2 ways to move the cans under the filling and purge tubes. First is a simple pneumatic push and the second is using a table top conveyor with small pneumatic cylinders to stop and start the cans from going down the conveyor.
First things I am going to work on is the electronics (sensors, Relay board,solenoids, and pneumatics)and I will need to program all of these elements into Brucontrol.
I am still wondering if I should put a proximity sensor for each filling/purge tube so that it would sense a can before turning on a valve or if i should stay simple and omit these sensors.
The script that i am hoping to write would have the following actions:
- push start button
- if purge proximity senses cans
- pneumatic relay will bring carriage down
- wait a sec or 2
- purge solenoid on for 10 sec
- wait a sec
- does the fill proximity see a can
- if fill proximity sees can fill solenoid on until fill sensor is triggered
- if fill prox does not see can no fill
- move carrige up
- pneumatic push to move 2 cans
- if auto is selected loop the process
- if auto is not selected wait for start to be pushed
What ya guys think?
Cheers,
Todd
I thought I would run a independent Arduino interface for this build, and I just relized that I have a basic license with Brucontrol. I assume I will need to upgrade to run 2 different interfaces.
What would be the best way to conect the filler interface to my pc? Would a lonf USB cable be alright or should I be looking at another option?
If the flow can be controlled in terms of orifice size and pressure, then you can use the 1-shot mode of the outputs to get a repeatable fill amount. You could use flow meters, weight sensors, or fill sensors (a sensor could easily be a pair of wires that measure conductivity across them - low conductivity = no liquid and high conductivity = liquid.)
The rest of the logic is easy and straightforward.
USB cables should be limited to not more than 2m (6 ft).
What is the one shot mode?
Yep that is pretty much what I will be building, his is Arduino bases as well but programed in Arduino and he is using a blue tooth conection which he states is very problematic. I did order the same optomax sensorsas he is using as well as these https://www.dfrobot.com/product-1564.html and https://www.dfrobot.com/product-1470.html
He stated that he needed to blow the sensors off each time after a filling session due to the residual beer. I am hoping that the simple conductive switch will work. I was going to put 1 lead on the fill tube and the other lead on a adjustable probe like this https://www.omega.ca/pptst/LVC500.html?pn=LVC-E52
I am also looking at these for the proximty sensors https://www.dfrobot.com/product-114.html
If you guys have any suggestions let me know.
Todd
This project is fascinating. Got any updates?
