Feed station control MH5

ProTec Polymer Processing GmbH

Stubenwald-Allee 9 / D 64625 Bensheim, Germany
Postfach 1606 / D 64606 Bensheim, Germany

After-Sales Service:
Telephone:

0049 6251 77061 251

Fax:

++49 6251 77061 570

E-mail:

service@sp-protec.com

www:

www.sp-protec.com

MH5 operator guidance in feed stations and hopper loaders

Contents
MH 5 feed control station ........................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction

................................................................................................................................................ 3

Meaning of the function buttons .......................................................................................................................... 3

A pictogram is assigned to each function. ......................................................................................................... 3
The display is structured as follows: ....................................................................................................... 4
Display during operation ....................................................................................................................................... 4
Normal menu display: description of the display areas: .................................................................................. 4
ERR display

................................................................................................................................................ 4

Display

................................................................................................................................................ 5

ERROR CODE LIST ...................................................................................................................................... 6

Pictograms during the program sequence.............................................................................................. 7
Start

................................................................................................................................................ 7
................................................................................................................................... 7

Supply waiting time

Filter cleaning time prior to conveying

Conveying time
Purge time

......................................................................................................................................... 8
................................................................................................................................................ 8
........................................................................................................ 8

Filter cleaning time after conveying

Flow time

.................................................................................................... 7

................................................................................................................................................ 9

Proportion of material B (%)

...................................................................................................................... 9
............................................................................................................ 9

Switching between material A / B

Mixing time on MFS (operator level!)
Code for the master level

...................................................................................................... 9

.................................................................................................................. 11

Blower run-on time (for external blowers only, optional)

................................................................... 11

Number of conveying cycles without material until ERR message

.................................................. 12

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Automatic start when power is connected

Error output withdrawn

........................................................................................... 13

............................................................................................................................ 13

Conveying cycle time until cleaning

...................................................................................................... 13

Automatic display changeover time

...................................................................................................... 13

Changing the password

= ..................................................................................................................... 14

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MH 5 feed control station

Introduction
The following documentation describes how to operate the MH5 feed station control
manufactured by ProTec Polymer Processing GmbH, Bensheim, Germany. Please
remember that adjusting settings will have an influence on your process result. We would
therefore recommend that you proceed with caution when altering values.

Meaning of the function buttons

Press

to display the version number of the software installed.

If you decide to discard any settings you have already made, press

Press

, the displayed value flashes. Press the arrow keys to change the value

and
to confirm the modified values.
Pressing both buttons simultaneously resets the error

+
/

Press either

or

to navigate within the menu or modify numerical values.

Press

simultaneously to display the blower run-on time.

Press

simultaneously to interrupt the conveying process. The feed station

continues conveying until empty and pressing

returns the station
components to their starting position.
Press both buttons simultaneously to start and stop the system. Stop is selected
when the symbol flashes.

A pictogram is assigned to each function.

Depending on the machine and optional equipment selected, it may not be possible to adjust
some functions.
Please refer to the descriptions below for more details and the overview sheet for information
on menu navigation.

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The display is structured as follows:

Display during operation
The following display appears during operation.

With option MFS

Material A
Symbol
(menu
item)

Material B

xxx
Unit
Parameter
value

The symbol of the level or processed menu item that you are currently viewing is
displayed on the left.
The two dots on the right indicate material A and / or material B. One of the dots lights
up when the relevant material is being conveyed.

Normal menu display: description of the display areas:

The display ERR appears in the error field

xxx
Symbol
(menu item)

Unit (e.g.)
Parameter value

ERR display
If an error occurs during system operation, the abbreviated text "ERR" appears on the
display together with the error number. Please refer to the table on page 6 for the error
descriptions (3: error code list).

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Display
Status display: Pictograms guide the operator through the control.

If
is selected, the control starts automatically when the feed station is switched on
(plug inserted, main switch ON). (pictogram 14, master level)

When the system is switched on, the following symbol appears on the display:

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ERROR CODE LIST

When a machine or system error occurs, a three-digit figure with
code designation appears on the display, e.g. error 100.

NO.
123

Description and solution

The proportion of material B is too small (switching operation would be too short):
Increase the material quantity for each cycle (= supply more material).

311

350
490

500

Warning: motor carbon brushes are worn

Switch off your feed station and disconnect from the power and compressed air supply.
Allow the blower to cool. When error 311 occurs, you must replace the motor carbon
brushes immediately!
Material deficiency: make sure that the material supply is adequate. If a material line
is blocked or defective, or a material storage container is empty etc., the material supply
may be inadequate.
Communication error: Slave does not respond. Check whether all cables and plugs
are connected correctly or have sustained damage. If all cables and plugs are connected
correctly and undamaged, switch the control off and on again. If the same error occurs
again, contact ProTec-Service.

Incorrect password in the setup level

Enter the password again. If you enter the correct password and the control fails to
function, contact ProTec-Service.

501
800

Write incorrect selection to default values

Blower alarm

900
996

Switch off your feed station and disconnect from the power and compressed air supply.
Allow the blower to cool. Check the blower for mechanical damage such as a broken
cable, faulty cable connection etc. Continuing to operate the blower before it is fully
repaired or maintained is not permitted.
Short circuit in an output: check all outputs and cables.
EEProm faulty: replace the EEProm (contact ProTec Service)

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Pictograms during the program sequence

Start
No.

Pictograph Description
Connect the feed station to the mains power supply. The program
starts and the "Start" pictogram appears.

Supply waiting time

No.

Pictograph

Description
Conveying wait time in seconds (s)
Here you set the delay time that must elapse between the initial
requirement message and the start of conveying.
Setting an insufficient waiting time may cause difficulties.
Setting an excessive waiting time may reduce the conveying
capacity.
Adapt the time to your process and material requirements.

Variable

Default
setting

Customer-specific setting

2600 (s)

Filter cleaning time prior to conveying

No.

Pictograph Description

Filter cleaning time prior to conveying in seconds (s)

The filter must be cleaned prior to conveying. Set the duration of the
cleaning cycle in (s) here.
Setting an insufficient filter cleaning time may reduce the
effectiveness of the filter cleaning cycle.
Setting an excessive filter cleaning time may result in a
disproportionately high compressed air consumption.
Setting an excessive filter cleaning time may reduce the conveying
capacity.
Adapt the time to your process and material requirements.

Variable

Default
setting

Customer-specific setting

0-30 (s)

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Conveying time
No.

Pictograph Description

Conveying time in seconds (s)

Set the duration of an individual feed cycle. This conveying time
depends on your machining process.
An insufficient conveying time will wear the signal carbon brushes
prematurely and result in an insufficient supply of material for your
process. On machines with level indicators, the conveying time +
purge time + flow time + cleaning time are used to evaluate an error.
It is impossible to overfill machines with level indicators.
An excessive conveying wait time will overfill the conveyor.
Furthermore, it may cause the conveying line to clog or a blockage to
develop.
Adapt the time to your process and material requirements.

Variable

Default
setting

5-120 (s)

15

Customer-specific setting

Purge time
No.

Pictograph Description

Purge time in seconds (s)

If the conveying line is not emptied completely, a blockage may
develop in the line. For this reason, you must preset a time for
purging the conveying line.
The duration of the purge time depends on the material and your
machining process. Observe your process and preset the purge time
accordingly.
An insufficient purge time may cause a blockage in the conveying line
because the material is not extracted completely from the tank.
Setting an excessive purge time may reduce the conveying capacity.
Adapt the time to your process and material requirements.

Note: setting the purge time to 0 deactivates purging!

Variable

Default
setting

Customer-specific setting

0-120 (s)

Filter cleaning time after conveying

No.
6

Pictograph Description
Filter cleaning time after conveying (s).
The filter must be cleaned after conveying. Set the duration of the
cleaning cycle in (s).
If the filter cleaning time is too short, the filters are not cleaned
sufficiently and clog more quickly.
Setting an excessive filter cleaning time will reduce the delivery rate
and result in disproportionately high compressed air consumption.
Adapt the time to your process and material requirements.

Variable

Default
setting

Customer-specific setting
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0-30

Flow time
No.

Pictograph Description

Flow time (s)

The material in the material hopper exits via the outlet flap. The outlet
flap must remain open for a certain time so that the correct quantity of
material is removed. The flow time is set here.
The flow time depends on the material and your machining process.
Observe your machining process and preset the flow time
accordingly.
Selecting an insufficient flow time prevents the material from emptying
completely or the desired quantity of material from being removed.
Setting an excessive flow time may reduce the conveying capacity
due to insufficient material. Furthermore, it may cause the system to
stop because there is insufficient material in the supply container.

Variable

Default
setting

0-30

10

Customer-specific setting

Proportion of material B (%)

No.
8

Pictograph Description
Proportion of material B (%) Mix two materials, specify the
mixture ratio here. Selecting one percentage value is sufficient, in this
case material B. Set the percentage (%) of material B in relation to
the entire material quantity required in each conveying cycle. This
setting is only available on mixing feed stations. An incorrect setting
will result in an incorrect ratio between material A and material B.

Variable

Default
setting

0-100

Customer-specific setting

Switching between material A / B

No.

Pictograph Description

Number of switching cycles per feed cycle. The more

switching cycles there are, the lower the conveying capacity. An
insufficient setting can cause blockages to develop.

Variable

Default
setting

0-5

Customer-specific setting

Mixing time on MFS (operator level!)

No.

Pictograph Description
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Mixing time (MFS) (s) (active on mixing feed stations)

10

An insufficient mixing time means that the material will not be mixed
adequately. Setting an excessive mixing time may segregate certain
materials. Furthermore, it may increase energy consumption and
reduce the delivery rate.
Adapt the time to your process and material requirements.

Variable

Default
setting

0-20

Customer-specific setting

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IMPORTANT! MASTER LEVEL!

In the master level, you can configure values that only experienced and
authorised personnel are permitted to modify. The level is password-protected.
The password is preset to 123 by default prior to delivery. Modify the password
to restrict access only to the relevant personnel! See point 4.18 to modify the
password: CODE=

0 is displayed under CODE. Press

buttons.

, 0 starts to flash. Set the value 123 using the arrow

If you see CODE = 0, press

. Set the code value (123) and press
to confirm. You
have accessed the master level and can navigate through the menu in the same way as
the operator level.
Press
to exit this level again. This also happens automatically if you do not enter any
values for a long period. Please set your ideal time under point 4.17: Display time.

Code for the master level

No.
10

Pictograph Description
Code for the master level. Enter the code required to access the
master level here. The default code for accessing the master level is
123. To enter the code press

, the 0 flashes. Select the value of

your choice using the arrow buttons (

) and press
to
confirm. The code is now entered and you can select any of the menu
items stored in the master level using the arrow buttons.
Press
to exit the master level.
The code is entered using the arrow keys and increases or decreases
in increments of one.

Variable

Default
setting

0-999

123

Customer-specific setting

Blower run-on time (for external blowers only, optional)

No.
12

Pictograph Description
Blower run-on time (s)
The blower run-on time is only displayed in the menu if an external
blower is installed. If an external blower is not installed, this menu

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item does NOT appear. The first menu item in the master level is then
menu item 13: Number of conveying cycles.
An insufficient blower run-on time causes the blower to stop and start
too frequently, which increases the power consumption (starting
current) in the long term and places a higher load on the components
(heat, frequent starting).
An excessive blower run-on time causes the blower to operate
unnecessarily for long periods and increases energy consumption.
Adapt the time to your process and material requirements.

Variable

Default
setting

Customer-specific setting

0-600 (s)

We recommend 120

Number of conveying cycles without material until ERR message

No.
13

Pictograph Description
Number of conveying cycles without material until error
350 displayed
Depending on the circumstances, the conveyor may not contain any
material either due to the nature of your process or an error in a
system component. Here, you can define whether you wish to have a
warning issued to indicate that the conveyor is not filled with material
and if so, when. 6 conveying cycles are stored by default. Warning
ERR 350 is issued if the number of conveying cycles is exceeded.

Variable

Default
setting

0-10

Customer-specific setting

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Automatic start when power is connected

No.
14

Pictograph Description
Automatic start when power is connected (0/1)
0: Voltage on, the machine does not start automatically,
1 means that the machine starts automatically when the power is
connected.

Variable

Default
setting

0-1

Customer-specific setting

Error output withdrawn

No.
15

Pictograph Description

Variable

Default
setting

0/1

Error output withdrawn (0/1), i.e. the error is suppressed.

Customer-specific setting

Conveying cycle time until cleaning

No.
16

Pictograph

Description
Conveying cycle time until cleaning
Your filters must be cleaned regularly. It may be necessary to clean
the filters after every conveying cycle or less frequently, depending
on the material and process.
Here, you can specify how many conveying cycles should be
performed before the filters are cleaned. Conveying material is not
possible during the cleaning cycle. The number of conveying cycles
until the filters are cleaned depends on the material and may have
to be adapted if the material type is changed.

Variable

Default
setting

1-20

Customer-specific setting

Automatic display changeover time

No.

Pictograph

Description

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Automatic changeover time of the display after the button is last
pressed. Here you can define how many seconds must pass before

17

the display returns to

(if the feed station is not conveying)
or in the current item in the menu sequence if the feed station is
conveying.
This is important e.g. when entering values

Variable

Default
setting

Customer-specific setting

0 600

Changing the password

No.
18

Pictograph Description

Changing the password.

The default code for accessing the master level is 123. You can
change the code here and can select any number between 0 and
999.
Press

to modify, the 0 flashes. Select the value of your choice

using the arrow buttons and press

now stored.

to confirm. The new code is

Press
to exit this level again.
The code is entered using the arrow keys and increases or decreases
in increments of one.

Variable

Default
setting

Customer-specific setting

0-999

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