P r o d u c t s

FC Kiln Control System

The following is a short description of a typical kiln control system.  Our kiln controls are customized to meet the requirements of any kiln.  We customize our software to meet your demands.

 

FC Controller (FCC) - Main Features

¨      Automatic shutdown according to lumber MC not schedule time

¨      Up to 48 Isolated Digital Temperatures per Kiln

¨      Single FCC controls up to 5 kilns

¨      Single PC communicates with up to 4 FCC’s

¨      Triple Processor Computer System

¨      Battery Back Up and Real Time Clock

¨      Power Fail Monitor and Watchdog Timer

¨      Independent from PC - Kiln keeps drying when PC hangs up!

¨      RS232 communication to PC

¨      RS232 communication to Allen Bradley PLC

           -80 inputs, 32 outputs, and 32 analog outputs

Inside the FC Controller Cabinet – Click the picture for details

Each cabinet is customized depending on the customers needs

The FC Controller, using an industrial microprocessor (Z80), provides the main process control. An Allen/Bradley SLC/503 is the basic PLC option to handle the kiln I/O and is installed in its own panel or in the kilns MCC. The customer has the option to upgrade to an A/B PLC5 in place of the A/B SLC. All I/O’s in the FC Kiln Control System are handled by the PLC, except the (DTS) Digital Temperature Sensors.

The DTS is an accurate and reliable temperature source. The DTS has a physical appearance like an RTD probe, but the difference is the digital process. The DTS provides an accurate reading for consistent controlling, compared to an RTD probe, which measures temperature by resistance and often fluctuates due to wire connection faults from the humid kiln environment.

An IBM desktop computer acts as a user command center and offers an easy to use graphical interface. Some features of the control center are trending, report generation and historical databases. The IBM compatible computer is provided with an un-interruptible power supply (Smart UPS) to prevent data loss or file corruption in the event of power failure.

The complete FC Kiln Control System provides a fully automatic dynamic process-drying mode. The discount evening dress operator has an option to dry lumber in a static schedule-mode although optimum-drying quality is achieved when the operator uses and maintains the process-drying mode. In this mode the control will remove the free water from the lumber in the fastest time physically possible without damaging the lumber. The dynamic process-drying mode will increase lumber grade quality, while reducing the amount of energy required for drying.

 

Equipment

ü      Industrial Z80 System.

ü      Allen/Bradley PLC-Kiln I/O.

ü      Pentium PC - Operator Interface.

ü      Kiln Control Software.

ü      Online Internet Remote Service.

ü      Printer - Report Generation.

ü      Digital Dry Bulbs (12/kiln).

ü      Digital Wet Bulbs (Electronic Option).

ü      Electronic Modulating Heat Control.

Self Diagnostic System

ü      Industrial computer monitors circulating fans, heat fan, blower, flame, and steam or wood waste energy systems; all heat types.

ü      Internal monitoring of control system with alarm display to PC.

ü      Phase loss monitoring and automatic staggered re-starts in the case of a power fail.

ü      Context sensitive Help key, for drying and service.