VacTrac Plus This materials-conveying control system from Application Engineering Co. (AEC) can manage vacuum receivers, vacuum pumps, remote proportioning valves, purge valves, knife gates and pump or hopper blowback. It’s appropriate for use in any plastic conveying application, including injection molding, extrusion, blow molding, rotomolding, thermoforming and blown film operations. The system features a high-resolution, 7-inch color touch screen and Allen Bradley PLC. Users can set up automatic email alerts and, with the MiVue manufacturing insight service from AEC’s parent, ACS Group, can take advantage of remote monitoring capabilities.
What’s new? A distributed I/O package (DiO) for plastics processors that need to control operation of growing systems of pumps and receiver stations. With it, they can add DiO panels to the main VacTrac Plus panel via Ethernet panels; when Ethernet runs are longer than 300 feet, they also can add DiO network panels to ensure robust communication.
Benefits The ability for users to control up to 24 pumps, 100 stations and up to 50 purge valves. According to AEC, the customizable units can be upgraded easily by adding the required I/O modules and new software.
Application Engineering Co., New Berlin, Wis., 262-641-8600, www.aecinternet.com
Karen Hanna | Senior Staff Reporter
Senior Staff Reporter Karen Hanna covers injection molding, molds and tooling, processors, workforce and other topics, and writes features including In Other Words and Problem Solved for Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing, Plastics Recycling and The Journal of Blow Molding. She has more than 15 years of experience in daily and magazine journalism.
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