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The PSU - FMC Design Team:
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http://www.fmctechnologies.comThe PSU - FMC Design Team:
Matt Bernhard
msb220@psu.eduLana Dautovic
lud107@psu.eduJason Kozicki
jnk126@psu.eduGabe Taylor
gjt112@psu.edu
BACKGROUND
FMC Technologies provides services to customers all over the world in material handling. FMC is comprised of three industry-leading businesses: FMC Energy Systems, FMC FoodTech and FMC Airport Systems. FMC FoodTech manufactures electromagnetic vibratory feeders used in food handling and sorting. They provide a variety of feeders in different sizes and speeds. We are working with the electronics that control the F-212 feeder seen below.
F-212 Electromagnetic Vibrating Feeder
DESIGN PROBLEM AND LIMITATIONS
The existing FMC feeder controller uses a magnetic amplifier to fire a silicon control rectifier (SCR) to vibrate the feeder. The magnetic amplifier circuit takes a small signal AC input and converts the output to a pulsating DC output. Magnetic amplifiers are becoming too expensive and are very outdated. We needed to upgrade the printed circuit board (PCB) used in the feeder controller box, and design a replacement for magnetic amplifiers that is cheaper yet equally effective. The design must meet the following limitations: implement a delayed start, remain within the existing board layout and dimensions, and the project cost must stay within the $600 budget.
SOLUTION
We determined that the best solution to the presented problem will be a complete redesign of the PCB. The new design will use a PIC12F675 microcontroller as the central component. The microcontroller will read an input signal of the vibration speed and calculate the necessary output for vibrating the feeder.
PIC 12F675
