In order to change the I-Watch settings, open up the Sorter frame and select I-Watch.
The bottom of the I-Watch screen displays oiler settings for each oiling mode. Double clicking on a row will display the settings for that mode in a side panel on the right side. The four oiling modes are as follows:
• Standard
• Commissioning
• Reduced Oil
• Increased Oil
Both sorter chains are automatically oiled based on the oiler settings for the current oiling mode. The Reduced Oiling and Increased Oiling are used in conjunction with the Corrective Oiling Mode as described later in this article. The length of each oiling cycle is dictated by the Revolutions On and Revolutions Off settings.
The oiler settings are defined as follows:
| Revolutions Off (Revolutions) |
The number of revolutions that the oiler remains off before the next active oiling cycle begins after an active oiling cycle completes. |
| Revolutions On (Revolutions) |
The number of revolutions that the oiler will remain on during an active oiling cycle. |
| Ratcheting Offset (Shoes) |
The number of shoes that a subsequent oiling cycle will delay before starting active oiling. For instance, the oiler applies oil to the chain for two full revolutions. After the two revolutions are complete, the oiler turns off for the next one hundred revolutions. At the end of the one hundred revolutions, the oiler will wait for an additional number of shoes (100 as shown) before beginning the next oiling cycle. This is to ensure the oil is distributed more consistently along the entire chain over the course of time. |
| Normal Oil Duration (Milliseconds) |
The period of time from the start of an oiling pulse (i.e., signal to turn the oil solenoid ON) to the start of the next oiling pulse (i.e., signal to turn the oil solenoid ON again) during an active oiling cycle. |
| Priming Oil Duration (Milliseconds) |
The period of time from the start of an oiling pulse (i.e., signal to turn the oil solenoid ON) to the start of the next oiling pulse (i.e., signal to turn the oil solenoid ON again) during priming. At the beginning of each active oiling cycle, the oiler goes through a short priming cycle to ensure that the proper oil pressure is achieved. |
| Extra Air Duration (Shoes) |
The number of shoes that need to pass after the active oiling cycle before air will be turned off to the oiler. |
| Max Priming Pulses (Pulses) |
The number of priming pulses at the beginning of the active oiling cycle. |
| Active Oil Pressure (PSI) |
The oil pressure threshold during an active oiling cycle. |
In order to change these settings, simply click on the "Edit" button and input your desired number. You may change as many cells at once as necessary but changes must be saved by clicking "Done" before switching to a different tab. Values that fall outside of the Minimum and Maximum will default to those numbers respectively for your system. Set Min and Max values can vary from site to site.
Once you have made all necessary changes, click the "Done" button in the top right. The new values should then appear in the originally selected row, indicating that the changes were made successfully.
The area underneath the Oil Mode Values on the I-Watch screen contains notification settings for the chain sag. The Alarm row displays the tolerance ranges for the chain sag during startup, shutdown and running. The Shutdown row indicates when the item being monitored has moved too far out of the tolerance range causing the sorter to shutdown.
When any of the limits are reached or exceeded, a notification will be displayed in MC4. Alarm levels will result in alarms being posted, while Shutdown levels will result in the sorter shutting down. The settings are defined as follows:
| Lower Limits |
| During Acceleration (Inches) |
The amount of chain sag that will trigger a chain level alarm during acceleration. The chain sag is measured, in inches, in the catenary window. When this alarm is triggered, the chain level should be checked immediately. This condition typically indicates that the sorter chain is too low in the catenary and a slat might need to be removed from the sorter in the near future. |
| During Deceleration (Inches) |
The amount of chain sag that will trigger a chain level alarm during deceleration. The chain sag is measured, in inches, in the catenary window. When this alarm is triggered, the chain level should be checked immediately. This condition typically indicates that the sorter chain is too low in the catenary and a slat might need to be removed from the sorter in the near future. |
| At Speed (Inches) |
The amount of chain sag that will trigger a chain level alarm during normal running speed. The chain sag is measured, in inches, in the catenary window. When this alarm is triggered, the chain level should be checked immediately. This condition typically indicates that the sorter chain is too low in the catenary and a slat might need to be removed from the sorter in the near future. |
| Upper Limits |
| During Acceleration (Inches) |
The upper position of the chain that will trigger a chain level alarm during acceleration. The chain position is measured, in inches, in the catenary window. When this alarm is triggered, the chain level should be checked immediately. This condition typically indicates that the sorter chain is too high in the catenary and a slat might need to be added to the sorter. |
| During Deceleration (Inches) |
The upper position of the chain that will trigger a chain level alarm during deceleration. The chain position is measured, in inches, in the catenary window. When this alarm is triggered, the chain level should be checked immediately. This condition typically indicates that the sorter chain is too high in the catenary and a slat might need to be added to the sorter. |
| At Speed (Inches) |
The upper position of the chain that will trigger a chain level alarm during normal running speed. The chain position is measured, in inches, in the catenary window. When this alarm is triggered, the chain level should be checked immediately. This condition typically indicates that the sorter chain is too high in the catenary and a slat might need to be added to the sorter. |
Lastly, the Oil Level Alarms and Oiling Mode are accessed by clicking the Cog in the upper right hand corner and selecting "Set Oiling Mode/Oil Alarms". Selecting this will open the settings in a side panel on the right side of the screen. Selecting the "Edit" button allows you to change the Warning, Alarm and Shutdown Oil Level notifications, as well as change the Oiling Mode.
The Sorters are set to automatically shut down when less than 4 fluid ounces of oil are detected. The Alarm and Warning levels are fully configurable. You may choose between Standard and Commissioning Mode at any point. Corrective Oiling Mode will only be accessible when MC4 identifies a Chain Stretch of over 2 inches.