Lifter Reel Calibration

LIFTER REEL CALIBRATION

Lifter reels on piece dyeing machines require occasional verification and adjustment to ensure that the desired running speed is being achieved. Gaston County recommends that this be performed when machine PM (periodic maintenance) is performed, or every three months, whichever is sooner.

CAUTION

The procedures described here require working within enclosures that contain hazardous and potentially deadly voltages. Do not attempt to perform any of these described procedures unless you are a qualified electrical technician and are fully familiar with the equipment and dangers associated with testing and adjustment of live electrical equipment.

TOOLS REQUIRED

	Multimeter capable of measuring AC/DC voltage and current
	Tachometer (non-contact preferred)

PREREQUISITES

	Reflective tape spots should be placed on all lifter reel shafts in order to be able to read RPM's with photo-tachometer
	The circumference of the lifter reel should be measured. A flexible tape measure may be wrapped around the reel to obtain this measurement. Divide this measurement by yards or meters (as applicable) to obtain a "multiplier" factor to convert RPM of the lifter reel to YPM (yards per minute) or MPM (meters per minute). Example: lifter reel circumference = 28"; 1 yard = 36"; therefore multiplier = 28 / 36, or .77. The measured RPM of the lifter is multiplied by .77 to obtain YPM.
	Machine should be empty of cloth. Cloth will cause the lifter speeds to vary due to loading and make calibration impossible.

1. DC Drives

1.1. Manual speed control (speed potentiometer on operator panel)

1.1.1. Machine should be filled with water and placed in a running step such as a hold or circulate to allow the drives to run. Start the drives and turn the speed pot to the maximum speed position (fully clockwise).

1.1.2. Set multimeter for VDC (volts DC). Measure the armature voltage at each drives armature terminals and adjust the "MAX" trimpot on the drive for 180 VDC output.

1.1.3. Using tachometer, measure the RPM of the #1 lifter reel (left side of machine). Multiply this by the multiplier factor determined above in Prerequisites section. This is the maximum lifter speed allowed on your machine. Place this number in the parameter table of the controller in the "Max. lifter speed" setting. This will cause the controller to display the correct speed.

1.1.4. Adjust remaining drives on the machine by adjusting the "MAX" trimpot until the RPM of each lifter matches the speed of the #1 reel. The armature output voltage may vary slightly from the measured voltage on the #1 drive.

1.2. Automatic speed control (speed programmed in procedure)

1.2.1. Before proceeding, check the machines parameter table and note the setting for "Max. lifter reel speed." Create a test procedure that contains the following steps;

RSPS - Reel speed = [Max speed]; Pump speed = [typical setting]
CIRC - Circulate = 15 minutes
RSPS - Reel speed = [Min. speed, typically 1]; Pump speed = [typical setting]
CIRC - Circulate = 15 minutes

The first part of the procedure should include a fill step so the drives will be enabled to run.

1.2.2. With the drives running at MAX speed, adjust the MAX trimpot on each KBSI 240D isolator module so it outputs 6.2 VDC to the drive. This output is on terminals 11 & 12 of the KBSI board. Jump the controller to the next RSPS to run the drive at MIN speed. Adjust the output of the KBSI board for 0 VDC using the MIN trimpot on the board. Repeat these steps several times by jumping the controller back and forth. After a few repetitions, no further adjustment will be necessary.

1.2.3. Set multimeter for VDC. Measure the armature voltage at each drives armature terminals. With the drive running at MAX speed, adjust the "MAX" trimpot on each drive for 180 VDC output.

1.2.4. Tach the RPM's of the #1 reel. Adjust the MAX trimpot on other lifter drives until the RPM's of each lifter match the speed of the #1 reel. Multiply the RPM's by the factor determined in "Prerequisites". This number will be placed in the machine's parameter table under "Max lifter reel speed."