Feeders are objects that generate loads in your scene. You can add feeders in two different ways:
In the catalog, expand the subnode , select the object and drag it to the view.
As a result, the feeder is shown as a small yellow square in the view and is added to the view as a new subnode of the node in the selected . You can resize and re-orientate this square and move it within the view.
Right-click a conveyor that is available as an assembly in you scene. Execute the command from the contextual menu.
As a result, the feeder is shown at the beginning of the conveyor as a yellow triangle.
The properties described in the following sections apply to feeders that were added from the catalog. Feeders that are subnodes of a conveyor do not provide all the properties.
Select a feeder in the view or in the view and display the associated parameters in the view on the right-hand side of the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Twin screen. The properties of a feeder consist of different sections providing the parameters described in this chapter. These parameters also define the loads that are generated by the feeder.
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Parameter |
Description |
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Indicates the type of the feeder as defined in the catalog. |
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Indicates the category of the feeder. |
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Indicates the default name of the feeder. Click the field to edit the name and adapt it to your requirements. |
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Parameter |
Description |
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Indicates the section in which the selected feeder is placed. To shift the feeder to another section, open the list and select . Result: In the view, the belt or conveyor is displayed as a subnode of . |
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By default, feeders are not assigned to a control panel. To assign the selected feeder to controls, open the list and select a control panel. |
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Parameter |
Description |
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Select and configure a time for generating loads. Select and configure a (in mm) defining the distance a load must have been moved away from the feeder before a new load is generated. |
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Select the check box to start generating loads according to the configuration. |
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When you selected , configure a feeding interval by configuring the following parameters:
NOTE: To modify these parameters, ensure that the check box is not selected.
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When you selected , configure a distance (in mm) a load must have been moved away from the feeder before a new load is generated. |
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Enter a maximum number of loads to be generated. |
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Select the check box to start the feeder automatically, for example, depending on a motor configured with the parameter . |
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Select the check box to pause generating loads. |
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With the check box selected, select a motor from the list: When the selected motor is running, the feeder starts generating loads.
NOTE: To modify this parameter, ensure that the check box is not selected.
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Parameter |
Description |
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By default, the loads generated by the feeder are not equipped with a barcode. To add a barcode to each load, select this check box. |
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If the check box is selected, each load is assigned a barcode, starting from 1. You have the following options:
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Parameter |
Description |
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From the list, select a type of load that suits your needs, for example, or . |
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From the list, define the size of the load:
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Load management can be controlled by controller outputs:
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Parameter |
Description |
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Configure a Boolean controller output signal that starts the feeding process of this feeder upon a rising edge. |
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Configure a Boolean controller output signal that initiates deleting the loads that were created by this feeder from the view upon a rising edge. |
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Parameter |
Description |
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By default, the check box is selected and the feeder is enabled. To disable the feeder, deselect this check box. |
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Parameter |
Description |
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Select one of the following : Click the button of the event to open a view where you can enter the programming code to execute when the selected event is detected. The view provides the same functions as described in the EcoStruxure Machine Expert Twin Getting Started User Guide. |
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Parameter |
Description |
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Select this check box to add the selected feeder to the view: It displays the number of loads generated by this feeder in the scene. |
Eaters are objects that remove loads from the scene. You can add an eater by selecting the object from the section of the catalog and dragging it to the view.
In addition to the properties already described for the feeder or other assemblies, it provides the following specific :
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Parameter |
Description |
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Configure a Boolean input signal sending the status information that a load has been eaten upon a rising edge. |