Nozzles firm reaches test target
13 Jul 2015
PLC kit helps gas hardware manufacturer improve its product test run capability.
US-based Vapor Systems Technologies (VST) has been manufacturing gas pump hoses, breakaways, whip hoses, gas nozzles, and basically any hanging hardware that stems from a gas dispenser out for over 25 years.
The company wanted to test run its nozzles through one million cycles, which would equate to roughly 17 years of service.
Unitronics proved to be a time saver
VST’s Patrick Elam
Previously, VST was never able to test its nozzles for long periods of time, due to an inefficient tester that could only test one nozzle at a time.
“It was extremely slow, and very unreliable,” says Patrick Elam of VST.
“We would only run [the tester] during business hours for fear of breaking down and other damages,” Elam says.
“The old tester was big, bulky and very difficult to move. I wanted the new tester to be smaller and more compact, so if the sales department wanted to take it with them to a petroleum show, they could.”
The V350-35-TR20 PLC +HMI from Unitronics was a perfect fit for this task, Elam says.
“Our old tester required 120VAC to operate, and wasn’t reliable,” he says.
“It would burn up relays, sensors and blow fuses regularly. We were always afraid to let it run past business hours because if it failed under load, it could burn up a pump.
The V350-35-TR20 runs on 24VDC, and was reliable and safe.”
What’s more, the V350-35-TR20 is compact, with a 3.5” colour-touchscreen, and onboard/expandable I/O.
Having installed the new tester, VST ran it continuously for over two months, with zero failures and zero damage to any of the electronic components.
Within three months, VST was able to hit its 1,000,000 cycle mark.
“Unitronics proved to be a time saver,” Elam says.
“We were never able to run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year - if we chose. The amount of money we saved from R&D time and not having to replace burned up components regularly, more than made up the cost of purchasing the V350-35-TR20,” he says.
“Plus by reaching our 1,000,000 cycle target, we were able to exceed our qualification test and put the finished product out in the market faster.”
