To use AccuFlow, you must set up the information listed and described in Table 1, " AccuFlow Setup Items " .
Table 1. AccuFlow Setup Items
ACCUFLOW SETUP ITEM | DESCRIPTION |
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Miscellaneous Parameters | |
Mode Selection Source Default for Standard I/O: Pendant Default for Enhanced I/O: Cell Input |
This item determines the source of Mode selections. Only one source can determine if the mode is open loop or adaptive. See the "Selected mode" parameter for more information. This parameter is one of: Cell Input, Pendant, Network, or Other. These settings are selected from a "CHOICE" function key. These settings have the following meanings:
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Selected Mode Default: Adaptive |
This item determines whether AccuFlow is selected to operate in adaptive or open loop mode. This parameter can only be changed if the "Mode selection source" is set to "Pendant." If the "Mode selection source" is at some value other than "Pendant" this item displays the current status of the selected mode. Two modes are available:
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Percent Tolerance Band(%) Default: 1.8% Range: 0 - 99.9 |
This item is the +/- percentage deviation allowable from the setpoint to enable the setpoint reached output. This value is applied to all flow rates where the percent tolerance value is greater than the minimum tolerance band. See the following figure. |
Minimum Tolerance Band(cc/min) Default: 5 Range: .2 - 10 |
This item is the fixed +/- deviation allowable from the setpoint to enable the setpoint reached output. This value is applied to all flow rates where the minimum tolerance band value is greater than the percentage tolerance. See the following figure. |
![]() AccuFlow automatically uses the higher of the two tolerance bands. The tolerance band used is determined by flow rate. The percent tolerance band is used at higher flow rates. The Minimum Tolerance Band is used for lower flow rates. This is done to monitor the actual flow rates to see if they are within tolerance. For example, if the percent tolerance band is 2%, and the minimum tolerance band is 10 cc/min, then the transition point = 10/.02 or 500 cc/min. Therefore, all flow rates below 500 cc/min will use the minimum tolerance band of +/- 10 cc/min. All flow rates above 500 cc/min will use the percent tolerance band multiplied by the flow rate. |
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Sample Amount Default: 2 Range: 1 - 5 |
This item is used as a digital filter to average a number of flow meter pulses used when calculating the running average flow rate. The algorithm is as follows:
Average Rate New = ([{sample amount-1} * Average Rate Old] +
Instantaneous Rate New) / Sample Amount
If the sample amount is changed the equipment learn done should be set to REDO. |
Normal Gain Modifier Default: 90% Range: 1% - 95% |
This item determines how quickly AccuFlow will attempt to correct for an error in the flow rate. Setting this item too high might cause instability, and if it is too low, it will result in a slow response in correcting the flowrate to be within tolerance. For shorter gun on time durations set this item to a higher optimized value. |
Pulsing Pump Gain Modifier Default: 70% Range: 1% - 75.5% |
This item determines how quickly AccuFlow will attempt to correct for an error in the flow rate. This item is selected by color from the AccuFlow color data menu and will be used instead of the Normal gain modifier when Pulsing Pump Supply is set to YES. Set this item lower than the Normal Gain Modifier to slow the response for correcting the flowrate when the paint supply causes flow spikes to occur. See Normal Gain Modifier description for more details. Available range for this parameter is 1% to 75.5%. The normal range for this parameter is 60% to 75%. |
Meter Input Type Default: AID32 Module |
This item selects one of two different meter input interfaces available.
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Equipment Characteristics | |
KFT Factor ((cc's/pulse)*10,000) Default: 2366 Range: |
A gear meter's KFT factor relates to the volume of fluid displaced for every gear tooth that passes the sensor. KFT is used for the flow total. It is determined by beakering and comparing the beakered amount with the flow total read by AccuFlow. A KFR is used for the flow rate and is calculated automatically by multiplying the KFT by 0.6. If desired, the default value can be verified and corrected automatically by pressing F2, KFT CAL, after at least one color has been calibrated. |
Equipment Learn Done Default: Not done Choices: Redo, Disabled |
This item controls the calibration method that automatically determines the characteristics of the fluid equipment on the robot. When set to redo, this automatic process determines additional parameters during the next calibration. This choice will be automatically set to Done after a successful calibration. The additional equipment characteristic parameters that are automatically determined are: trigger delay, flow delay, time up and time down. |
The Equipment Learn Done parameter is used during: Initial equipment setup Double check of current parameters Double check that current equipment is operating normal A major change in the type of equipment or range of operation (see below) | |
When Equipment Learn Done = Not Done The system will not operate and a successful calibration will have to be performed. Be sure to fill with the best color available for this calibration. This is typically the color with the highest viscosity on a turbine pump system. | |
When Equipment Learn Done = Redo The system will operate normally, but the next successful calibration performed will redetermine equipment characteristic parameters. Be sure to fill with the best color available for this calibration. This is typically the color with the highest viscosity on a turbine pump system. | |
When Equipment Learn Done = Done The system will operate normally. The next calibration performed will only generate a new calibration table. | |
When Equipment Learn Done = Disabled The system will operate normally. The next calibration performed will only generate a new calibration table. Set learn mode to disabled when the values determined by equipment learn are not optimal. This alerts anyone using the system to setup the parameters manually at the teach pendant. Changing this to Redo will generally cause incorrect values to be determined by learn mode on some poor circulation systems. | |
Changing Equipment The equipment change that does not require setting this choice to REDO is: Installation of new or repaired equipment of the same type or part number. However, it is suggested to choose REDO to obtain the parameters for the new equipment and then compare these values to the old values in order to make sure the new equipment is operating normally. | |
The equipment changes that do require setting this choice to REDO are: When a REDO was performed on bad equipment that has now been replaced The restrictor size is changed The type or range of the I/P transducer is changed The type or range of fluid regulator is changed The air pilot line lengths for trigger or fluid regulator are changed The location of the flow meter is changed A quick exhaust valve is added or removed | |
Trigger Delay (ms) Default: 800 ms |
This item is the length of time expected from the electrical trigger on signal to the detection of flow that is within 10% of the target. This is designed to compensate for pneumatic trigger signal lag. This does not need to account for the flow to stabilize; sample amount serves this purpose. This parameter is determined automatically. See sample amount. |
Flow Delay (ms) Default: 400 ms |
This item is the fixed portion of delay for any flow changes that occur without a trigger transition after execution of a preset instruction. This will compensate for the reaction time of the I/P transducer and any other delays that are independent of flow rate. This parameter is automatically determined. |
Time Up (ms/1000 counts) Default: 400 ms/1000 cnts |
This item is the amount of time for the system to react to a request for a 100% increase of the flow rate range. This has been standardized to per 1000 counts for comparison between robots with different flow rate ranges. |
Time Down (ms/1000 counts) Default: 800 ms/1000 cnts |
This item is the amount of time for the system to react to a request for a 100% decrease of the flow rate range. This has been standardized to per 1000 counts for comparison between robots with different flow rate ranges. |
Calibration Parameters | |
Hysteresis Checks(boolean) Default: Yes |
This item identifies whether AccuFlow will automatically determine the Hysteresis value at the end of every calibration sequence. |
Leveling Tries Default: 3 Range: 1 - 5 |
This item is only used while building the calibration table. It is the number of samples that must be within tolerance of the setpoint after cal delay before the flow rate is considered to be a true reading for that regulator pressure. |
Calibration Time Out(sec) Default: 15 sec Range: 10 to 60 seconds |
This item is the length of time AccuFlow allows for each calibration section before it aborts calibration. The sections are: Determining cracking pressure. Determining low flow rate. Determining maximum flow rate. Flow step down. Completing tests for hysteresis, time up and time down. |
Calibration Step Delay(ms) Default: 800 ms Range: 200 to 2000 ms |
During calibration, AccuFlow decreases the air pressure on the fluid regulator in even increments, waits this length of time, and records the flow rate. This value should be long enough for the fluid system to react to the change and stabilize, but not so long as to unnecessarily waste fluids. |
Table Point No. 2 (cc/min) Default: 200 cc/min |
This item is the value in engineering units that will be used as the command value (flow rate) for point no. 2 of the calibration table. This defines the lowest setpoint which will be used for updating the calibration table. Closed loop corrections will still be made below this value. The calibration table point number 2 will be within 10% of this value. The recommended range is 100 to 300 cc/min. |
Table Adjustment Parameters | |
Flow In-tol Tries Default: 5 |
This item is the number of samples that are consecutively within tolerance before the current output data is used to update the dynamic calibration table. Available range for this parameter is 1 to 8. See Percent Tolerance Band, and Minimum Tolerance Band. |
Independent Point Shift Band (IPSB) (%) Default: 30 Range: 5% to 99.9% |
When AccuFlow determines that its initial table pick value for fluid pressure yields an incorrect flow rate due to changes in fluid supply pressure or viscosity, it compensates by changing the air pressure on the fluid regulator. After the correct fluid pressure is found for that flow rate, AccuFlow must decide if it should update only the closest point in the table, or update the entire table. If the amount that it changed from the initial table pick value (expressed as a percentage of the change to the span between defined calibration points) is less than IPSB (30% in the following example), the nearest calibration point is updated; if the amount it changed is greater than IPSB, the entire table is rotated by that percentage about the Calibration Origin. ![]() This function allows for slope adaptation before points begin to overlap on adjacent points. It is most useful when the yield-to-command ratio is too high (steep slopes), in which case the IPSB would be reduced (150 or 15% in the example). |
Alarm Parameters | |
Adaptive Tolerance(counts) Default: 100 or 10% Range: 5% to 99.9% |
This item, expressed as a percentage, is used to compare how far the Dynamic Calibration table has rotated during production away from the Reference Calibration table. When the percentage difference (compared with Cal Origin) exceeds this tolerance, the Adapted Out of Tolerance error is posted as a digital output from the robot controller to alert the operator of a dramatic change from the initial (calibrated) fluid viscosity or supply pressure. |
Max Error from Setpoint(%) Default: 6% Range: 5% to 99.9% |
This item is the allowable flow rate error (the difference between setpoint and actual flow) averaged over an entire production job at 1 second intervals. If the actual flow rate error is greater than this parameter, the alarm "Flow Rate Average Error High" will be displayed. Available range for this parameter is 5% to 99.9%. Setting this valve to zero disables the alarm and updates to Average dyn. yield. |
Max Control Out (ms) Default: 200 Range: 0 to 9,999 ms |
This item specifies the longest time that AccuFlow can allow the control output to be at either extreme (4 or 20 milliamps) and still not reach setpoint flow rate before entering open loop mode for the rest of the job. The alarms "Min. output has flow > setpoint" or "Max. output has flow < setpoint" will be displayed. Setting this value to zero (0) will disable this alarm. |
Minimum Set Point Reached(ms) Default: 3000 Range: 0 to 9,999 ms |
This item is the maximum amount of time allowed for AccuFlow to regain the setpoint reached output. If AccuFlow cannot regain setpoint within this time, the Failed to Reach Setpoint alarm will be displayed. Available range for this parameter is 0 to 9,999 milliseconds. Setting this to 0 disables the alarm. |
Zero Flow Timeout(ms) Default: 500 ms Range: 0 to 9,999 ms |
This item is the number of consecutive milliseconds that the fluid flow must be measured as zero before the "0 fluid flow timeout" alarm is displayed. When this alarm is displayed, control is temporarily forced into open loop mode until the completion of the current job. A value of zero disables this alarm. NOTE If you change this value, you must turn off the controller and then turn it on again for this change to take effect. |
Grace Period(ms) Default: 4000 ms Range: 0 to 9,999 ms |
This item is a fixed period of gun on time at the beginning of a job during which flow rate errors will not be posted. This is used to prohibit AccuFlow from posting errors caused from improper or incomplete color changes. This applies specifically to the alarms due to Max Control Out (ms) and Min Setpoint Reached (ms). |