‘Auto DC’ improves static neutraliser’s efficiency
Auto DC (Patent Pending) technology has now been incorporated into all Ionstream Fusion micro-controlled static neutralising bars from Hildebrand Technology with outstanding neutralising performance results.
The original Ionstream Fusion equipment utilised 100Hz ‘Pulsed DC’ technology with a fixed 50% positive and 50% negative ionising output.
The new Ionstream Fusion bars now incorporate ‘Auto DC’ technology. The system senses the polarity of charge on the target substrate surface and automatically corrects the pulse/pause output relationship in order to achieve maximum static neutralising effect.
When operating in Auto DC mode the system has a 90% pulse output of the correct polarity ions to neutralise the substrate and a short 10% pulse output of the same polarity ions. The neutralising effect is said to be ‘outstanding’ even when operating at high process speed and high static charge levels.
%%IMAGE%%Ionstream Fusion’s intelligent static neutralising system continuously monitors its own performance and neutralising characteristics which are then indicated by an LED located on the end of the neutralising bar.
The LED colour changes when the operating status changes. When in normal operating mode the LED is green. After a 40% reduction in ionising efficiency the LED flashes yellow/green to indicate a clean bar warning. After a 60% reduction in ionising efficiency the LED turns yellow to indicate that the bar must be cleaned immediately.
For customers who require more detailed real time information this neutralising data can be displayed on the Ionmaster 10” industrial PC operator interface system.
When an individual neutraliser is selected on the home page a second screen is opened which provides specific neutralising data for that individual bar.
This neutralising data can also be communicated via the Iongate ‘Anybus’ gateway onto the customer’s digital network.
With the optional Total Quality Management package, ‘residual charge’ on the substrate surface can be measured and recorded. This ability to sample and record neutralising data on every reel processed, and be able to refer back to this data for any reel on any day at any time (subject to the sampling frequency set), provides the customer with the ability to include residual charge data on his own quality assurance documentation or provide this data following a customer complaint.
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Turret rewind capability
A further recent development has been the successful installation and performance monitoring of Ionstream Fusion bars within a new coating machine turret rewind.
The coating machine static neutralising system consisted of 10 Ionstream Fusion bars at various locations throughout the machine, all controlled through Iongate ‘Anybus’ gateways.
The machine builders main operator control screen interface incorporated a static neutralising system home page where the individual neutralising bars were displayed and real time neutralising status shown, therefore making the Hildebrand static neutralising equipment a fully integrated system.
%%IMAGE%%The neutralising bars, located within the turret rewind, used dedicated slip rings to provide the 24 volt DC power supply, the switching on and off of the bars from the control screen and the neutralising data to flow back to the main machine control system.
The neutralising bars were located inside the turret rewind on the central beam and aimed out towards each rewind position. The neutralising effect achieved was excellent and not affected by changes in reel diameter, winding position, the passage over turret guide rollers or the use of layon rollers.
The machine builder and the end user customer were both said to be ‘extremely impressed’ by the static neutralising equipment’s performance and its ability to achieve a virtual baseline residual charge on film previously susceptible to high residual static charge.