RICE LAKE Master Bulkslide Flow Measurement User Manual

RICE LAKE Master Bulkslide Flow Measurement

An ISO 9001 registered company
© Rice Lake Weighing Systems. All rights reserved.
Rice Lake Weighing Systems® is a registered trademark of Rice Lake Weighing Systems.
All other brand or product names within this publication are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

All information contained within this publication is, to the best of our knowledge, complete and accurate at the time of publication. Rice Lake Weighing Systems reserves the right to make changes to the technology, features, specifications and design of the equipment without notice.

The most current version of this publication, software, firmware and all other product updates can be found on our website: www.ricelake.com

Technical training seminars are available through Rice Lake Weighing Systems. Course descriptions and dates can be viewed at www.ricelake.com/training or obtained by calling 715-234-9171 and asking for the training department.

Rice Lake continually offers web-based video training on a growing selection of product-related topics at no cost. Visit www.ricelake.com/webinars

Introduction

The Bulkslide flow meter measures the flow rate of gravimetrically fed bulk solids and should only be used for free-flowing, non-adhesive bulk solids. The Bulkslide flow meter can be used for mixing, blending or ratio control applications in petrochemical, agricultural, aggregate, food and pharmaceutical industries.
This manual describes the safe and correct use in all phases of operation.

Manuals and additional resources are available from the Rice Lake Weighing Systems website at www.ricelake.com
Warranty information can be found on the website at www.ricelake.com/warranties

Safety

Safety Signal Definitions:

Indicates an imminently hazardous situation that, if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury. Includes hazards that are exposed when guards are removed.
Indicates a potentially hazardous situation that, if not avoided, could result in serious injury or death. Includes hazards that are exposed when guards are removed.
Indicates a potentially hazardous situation that, if not avoided, could result in minor or moderate injury.
Indicates information about procedures that, if not observed, could result in damage to equipment or corruption to and loss of data.

General Safety
Do not operate or work on this equipment unless this manual has been read and all instructions are understood. Failure to follow the instructions or heed the warnings could result in injury or death. Contact any Rice Lake Weighing Systems dealer for replacement manuals.

WARNING Failure to heed could result in serious injury or death.
Some procedures described in this manual require work inside the enclosure. These procedures are to be performed by qualified service personnel only.

• Take all necessary safety precautions when installing the scale carriage including wearing safety shoes, protective eye wear and using the proper tools.
• Keep hands, feet and loose clothing away from moving parts.
• Do not allow minors (children) or inexperienced persons to operate this unit.
• Do not operate without all shields and guards in place.
• Do not jump on the scale.
• Do not use for purposes other then weight taking.
• Do not place fingers into slots or possible pinch points.
• Do not use any load bearing component that is worn beyond 5 percent of the original dimension.
• Do not use this product if any of the components are cracked.
• Do not exceed the rated load limit of the unit.
• Do not make alterations or modifications to the unit.
• Do not remove or obscure warning labels.
• Install and operate this product only if it is technically in serviceable condition and in the correct manner.
• Read manual completely before use and keep this manual and all other relevant documents complete and accessible to personnel at all times.

Installation

Installation procedures generally should be a combination of the end user’s best engineering practices in compliance with local codes and the manufacturer’s recommendations. To achieve maximum performance, the following precautions should be observed.

WARNING

• Failure to heed the following statements could result in severe injury or death.
• Take all necessary safety precautions when installing the scale carriage including wearing safety shoes, protective eye wear and using the proper tools.
• Always turn off the power supply before any connection is made or removed.
• Before welding, the power supply must be off and the connectors removed.

IMPORTANT Failure to heed the following statements could result equipment damage and void the warranty.

Unpacking
Immediately after unpacking, visually inspect the bulkslide to ensure all components are included and undamaged. The shipping crate should contain the unit and an installation manual. If any parts were damaged in shipments, notify Rice Lake Weighing Systems and the shipper immediately.

Lifting
Care must be taken when lifting the bulkslide to its location. Use the following tips to safely lift the unit.

DANGER Death or crushed limbs caused by goods falling while being transported.

• Transport the Bulkslide at designated lifting points (Figure 2-1)
• Select the correct lifting gear for the weight being transported
• Do not stand under suspended loads
• Secure the transport route

WARNING Improper transport can cause damage to the load cell.

• Transport the Bulkslide without vibration if possible
• Set down the Bulkslide as gently as possible

Storage
When not in use, store the Bulkslide in it’s original packaging, making sure that the area where the unit is kept is;

• Dry
• Frost free
• Vibration free

Table 2-1. Bulkslide Parts

Checking the Operating Conditions
The following tips should be checked when operating the Bulkslide unit.

• The surface must be level within degree
• Install option customer feeder if necessary
• Must be sufficient clearance to open the housing doors toward the inside of the meter
• Must be sufficient clearance to be able to open the rear sensor cover for maintenance

Installing the Bulkslide
Use the following steps to install the Bulkslide feeder.

1. Fix the discharge flange to the material feeder.
2. Establish the material supply using the Master feeder or the customer feeder.
3. Make sure that the support structure is free from vibration.

NOTE Welding currents can damage the load cell so weld with extreme caution making sure that no welding current flows through the flow volume meter.
Strong vibrations can influence measured values so provide a sufficient mechancial support structure and secure the mounting structure if necessary.

Connecting Electronics
Several things must be done when wiring up the electronics.

• Use a shielded connecting line between the Bulkslide and the load cell, the power output 0 (4) – 20 mA and between relay contacts
• The shielding connection and the connector lines is connected to protective earth conductor connected to the terminal strip
• A proper, low impedance protective earth conductor is installed
• Lines in the clamp area should be laid as far as possible without any crossover

Compressed Air Cleaning System Connections (Optional)
If compressed air is present on site, it can also be hooked up. This is the customer’s responsibility. Connect compressed air and solenoid valve in accordance to wiring diagrams (customer supplied).

Operation (Feeder Types)

There are various arrangements for planning the material supply to be fed to the feeder. The arrangement depends on the application that product is being used for. The following sections show different arrangements.
NOTE There must be optimum conditions for measuring product.

• Bulk material must be dry and cannot solidify or stick
• Bulk material flows with steady throughput and at a low speed
• Bulk material flows in a purely vertical direction without impact
• No air flow must be present

Spiral Conveyor

Conveying Speed
Low Speed < 40 rpm

Arrangement

Conveying Speed
High Speed > 40 rpm

Arrangement

Conveying Speed
Low Speed <20 rpm

Arrangement

Conveying Speed
High Speed > 20 rpm

Arrangement

Conveying Speed
Slow, constant movement up to 1 m/s

Arrangement

Conveying Speed
Slow, variable movement

Arrangement

Conveying Speed
High speed from 1 to 4 m/s

Arrangement

Direct Drop From a Silo/Container

The opening on the feeder gate must be no wider than half the straight unimpeded inflow section (Figure 3-1, #A) on a direct drop from a silo or container. A larger opening can result in overload and damage to the meter. Make sure that material does not hit the feeder slide and make sure that there is never a backlog as these forces can result in overload and damage to the meter.

Customer Feeders
The feeders shown in Figure 3-2 are also appropriate measure that can be used to feed the product stream evenly.

Maintenance

Inspection
Inspect the Bulkslide every six months for contamination and clean if necessary. Depending on the application, inspection might be sooner or later, depending on plant maintenance procedures.
Calibrate the unit every six months. Depending on the application, calibration might be sooner or later, depending on plant maintenance procedures.

Cleaning
Use the following recommendations when cleaning the Bulkslide unit.

• Clean the outer service using a dry brush
• Carefully clean the inside of the unit
• Remove all dust deposits with a vacuum cleaner if possible
• When cleaning with water, make sure that the measuring slide is completely dried after cleaning.

Note Improper cleaning can cause damage.

Table 4-1 shows recommended cleaning intervals for various Bulkslide parts.

Module| Component| Activity| Interval| Check it (X)/Clean it (O)
---|---|---|---|---
Inlet Funnel| Inlet Sheet Baffle Plate Friction Plate| In case of sticking material, clean the plate carefully with water| Yearly| X / O
Door| Door with Plexiglass| Check for cracks; if faulty, replace.

In case of sticking material, carefully clean with water

| Regularly| X
Sensors/Electronics| Slide| Check and replace as necessary| Regularly| X / O
Sensor| Check sensor signal. Normal range should be 0-2 mV/V If >20 mV, contact RLWS| Regularly| X
Sensor Cable| In case of an insulation fault, repair sensor cable or replace sensor| Regularly| X
Connector| Check connector for solid connection (vibration cause)| Regularly| X

Dismantle and Transport
If the Bulkslide unit is to be moved to another location, use the following steps to dismantle the unit.

1. Disconnect all electronics.
2. Disconnect the secondary feeder material feeder.
3. Dismantle the material feeder.
4. Transport the Bulkslide without vibration is possible.

Disposal
Any excess materials should be disposed of in accordance to state and local regulations and if possible, recycle.

Technical Data

Type

| Min. Throughput [m3/h]| MaxThroughput [m3/h]| Particle Size [mm]| ****

Load Cell [kg]

| Weight Including Intake Funnel [kg]
---|---|---|---|---|---
BF006| 1| 6| 25| 10| 13
BF012| 5| 12| 30| 10| 20
BF024| 9| 24| 30| 10| 30
BF050| 20| 50| 40| 2 x 10| 50
BF100| 40| 100| 50| 2 x 20| 70
BF200| 80| 200| 50| 2 x 20| 75
BF400| 160| 400| 50| 2 x 20| 85
BF600| 250| 600| 60| 2 x 30| 95

Specifications

up to 160C
Accuracy| 0.5% for approved product feed, otherwise 2% of measuring range end value for tested application
Housing Material| Carbon steel ST52, powder-coated with RAL 1028 Stainless Steel 1.4301 (AISI 304) or 1.4401 (AISI 316) is optional
Gasket| Silicone rubber, standard, suitable for food processing application (EC) No. 1935/2004
Window| Plexiglass, optional safety glass or stainless steel plates for sanitary applications
Measuring Slide| Stainless Steel 1.4301, optional 1.4401, 1.4517 various anti- wear coatings; HARDOX 400, Ceramic
Approval| CE compliant

Load Cell

-18 to +65 C compensated

Optional high temperature version for up to 160 C

Approval| Optional ATEX Zone 22, 21, 20 / FM/CSA on request

Table 4-4. Load Cell Specifications

© Rice Lake Weighing Systems Specifications subject to change without notice.
Rice Lake Weighing Systems is an ISO 9001 registered company.
230 W. Coleman St. • Rice Lake, WI 54868 • USA
U.S. 800-472-6703 • Canada/Mexico 800-321-6703 • International 715-234-9171 • Europe +31 (0)26 472 1319

References

• Rice Lake Weighing Systems
• Training | Rice Lake Weighing Systems
• Warranties
• Videos and Webinars | Rice Lake Weighing Systems
• Rice Lake Weighing Systems
• Rice Lake Weighing Systems
• Rice Lake Weighing Systems

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