Automatic Coupling Station

Automatic Distribution Table (Coupling Station)

The distribution table is the point in a central conveying system where it is decided which material goes to which machine. The material sources (silo, octabin, dryer) are connected on one side and the machine lines on the other; the connection between them is made with couplings.

The difference between manual and automatic

In a manual coupling station the operator plugs the hose into the relevant outlet by hand. It is simple and economical; but it carries the risk of a wrong connection — the wrong material reaching a machine can send the whole batch to scrap.

In an automatic distribution table the connection is made from the control system. At a recipe change the line is routed automatically, a wrong connection is physically prevented and a record of the change is kept.

Why does it matter?

• Color and material changes are faster and line cleaning is done under control
• The wrong material error disappears
• Which machine draws which material, and how much, becomes traceable
• Dependence on the operator is reduced

For setting up a manual station see Material Distributors, and to prevent mix-ups the Color Coding solutions.

The system as a whole: the complete conveying line

The function of the distribution table

The distribution table is the point in a central conveying system where it is determined which raw material goes to which machine. The lines coming from silos or material containers are gathered on one side and the lines going to the machines on the other; the connection is made at this table.

The manual and automatic distinction

At a manual table the operator makes the connection. The system is cheap, but the risk of a wrong connection depends entirely on the person; among dozens of identical pipe ends there is a chance of error. Color coding is the most economical way to reduce that risk.

At an automatic station the system makes the connection and verifies that it is correct. The investment is higher but operator error disappears, and which line was connected to which source and when can be recorded.

The cost of a wrong connection

A machine that receives the wrong raw material produces, at best, a shift's worth of scrap. At worst the line is contaminated and cleaning it takes hours — particularly when changing from a colored material to a transparent one. That cost should be taken into account when evaluating an investment in coding or automation.

Layout

The operator's reach height, the hose lengths and a reserve of free connections for machines to be added later should all be planned from the start.

Capacity planning

When the table is sized, the basis should not be today's number of machines but a three-to-five year plan. Adding a connection later usually means replacing the table. Leaving a reserve of free connections makes a small difference in the initial investment while providing significant flexibility later.