Georgia Pacific-Madera, CA-Pneumatic/Electric Control System

System Report:

The Georgia Pacific facility in Madera, CA has 13 card board processing machines that together produce 1,000,000 card board boxes per year. The waxed and plain cardboard trim is collected, separated, and baled by a two cyclone pneumatic material handling collection system that was installed in September of 1995. The collection system equipped each machine with a blower and pneumatically actuated two position diverter that directed waxed or plain cardboard to their respective cyclone separator.

Robertson Air Systems provided the pneumatic/electric control system responsible for the diverter actuation and motor control. The items provided were as follows:
  • Diverter and blower motor control stations mounted at each machine location.
  • Control station mounted "Waxed" and "Plain" pilot lights indicating the diverter actuator position.
  • A roof mounted centrally located pneumatic panel with a valve manifold and air filter.
  • A floor mounted electric panel with a programmable controller.

The system also includes cyclone mounted Sonac Sensor high level detectors that detect cardboard back-ups into the cyclones.

Cardboard back-ups cause cyclone plugging in pneumatic material handling systems and can be a devastating problem resulting in lost production time and extra labor costs. Back-ups and subsequent plugging at the cyclone bottom discharge opening occurs for reasons as follows:
  • Irregular baler shut downs..
  • Large objects bridging the opening.
  • The cardboard trim input exceeds the baler output.
 
The keys to preventing cyclone plugging or dramatically reducing its effect is as follows:
  • Reliable early detection.
  • Effective "Cyclone Plugged" alert systems.
  • An automated diverter and/or blower response that reduces or stops continued material build-up in a plugged cyclone.

The Georgia Pacific pneumatic/electric control system successfully utilized the above items to provide user friendly diverter/motor control and stop cyclone plugging--saving many hours of production down time and wasted labor costs.

For a first hand report we urge you to contact the following:

Mr. Steve Mindt
Georgia Pacific
24600 Avenue 13
Madera, CA 93637
(559) 673-5111

Robertson Air Systems looks forward to utilizing our skills and expertise to designing and furnishing a pneumatic/electric control system that will maximize your production efficiency. Please do not hesitate to contact us for information or if there are any questions.

  Contact:
ROBERTSON AIR SYSTEMS
33381 Coral Reach, Dana Point, CA  92629
Phone:  (714) 420-1450   Fax:  (866) 906-1450
E-Mail: jim@robertsonairsystems.com

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