Walkway Extension & Box Conveyor
Hastings, New Zealand
RBE extended the existing walkway, creating further storage area for Rockit’s ever expanding operation.
We replicated the existing platform system and created a bolt-on extension to provide solid storage and work platforms for Rockits specialised tube loading.
With the need to store and utilise the boxes of empty tubes, came the need to improve the access for loading the boxes. RBE and partners Axia Design put together the box loading conveyor, consisting of a loading table feeding into a narrow conveyor indexing the boxes to the top for unloading and storage.
FHS RotoFiller Rebuilds
Ettrick, New Zealand
A short time lined pre-season job to get 5 old Fruit Handling Systems Rotofillers ready to face another season.
With a limited timeline of a few weeks to complete the project, we flew down, took stock of the machines and came up with a plan.
Within 2 weeks we had the parts shipped or packed and headed down to complete the rebuild. Motors, actuators, bearings, belts, padding and a tidy up of the electrical had the machines up and running. Even found some software differences between units and bought them all up to standard to face another season.
BC Treefruit - Infeed and Wet Dumper
British Columbia, Canada
An exported turnkey sorting line from Compac Sorting. RBE was bought on to over see the electrical install and commission the line. As part of the commissioning process we began training a new Compac engineer in the process of infeed commissioning.
The line consisted of a Compac vertical plunge dumper feeding into a standard brush unit in prep for waxing, a heated drying tunnel then round to bagging on a Compac sorter.
This plant utilised the AllenBradley 525 VSDs with a CompactLogix L33ER PLC to bring plantwide ethernet integration, allowing better remote service functions with full access to 90% of the devices in the system. Sick Safety FlexiLoop and FlexiLine were used for managing the E-Stops and multiple Motor Control Cabinets, creating a seamless plant wide safety zone.
Fowler Packing Company
Fresno, USA
Compac USA contracted RBE to support in control system changes with their upgrading of MSUs (Mobile Stacking Units) from Micrologix to Compactlogix.
Working with Allen-Bradley’s newest L83 ControlLogix platform, we ensured this line controlling PLC had the right connections to the updated machines. Tidying redundant code and optimising some processes for a smoother control and faster process time.
Crasborns Fresh Harvest - C4 Sizer
Hastings, New Zealand
Crasborns had managed to find an old Compac fruit sorter, with plans to move it into their organic shed. Falcon 2000 was tasked with providing an Infeed to complete the plant. A complete electrical rebuild of the Motor Control Centre was required to bring it up to standard, re-arrange for the new layout and motor requirements.
The decision to keep it simple as the line is only ‘for a few years’ meant a relay control structure, with Vraiable speed control of the VSDs via Pot’s on the control station. We overlayed a SICK Flexi-Loop safety control system to ensure the standard of electrical safety was of quality.
We created a screen printed panel and mounted the speed control, stop/start buttons and E-Stop indicators to make the simple control system even more practical to use.
Seeka Bunbartha - Infeed and Dry Tipper
Victoria, Australia
A Compac Sorting project, having exported a complete fruit sorting line from NZ for Seeka. The line consisted of a Dry Bin Tipper and Infeed/Sorting line leading into the Compac Sizer. The line caters to kiwifruit and pears and was specifically altered to take half height bins in the tipper.
RBE was tasked with over seeing the final stages of electrical install, completing the IO, commissioning the Bin Tipper and Infeed/Sorting line and integrating 3rd party equipment into the control system.
This plant was one of the first using AllenBradley 525 VSDs with a CompactLogix L33ER PLC to bring plantwide ethernet integration, allowing better remote service functions with full access to 90% of the devices in the system. Sick Safety FlexiLoop and FlexiLine were used for managing the E-Stops and multiple Motor Control Cabinets, creating a seamless plant wide safety zone and sub zone structure. The Tipper makes use of Sick Light Curtains to maintain the integrity of the safety barriers while allowing bins to travel in and out of the tipper zone.