Rummel Flow Control: going electronic without replacing the regulator
The Flow Control retrofit kit converts the mechanical flow regulators already running on your machine to electronic flow and temperature monitoring. The body of the regulator, the manifold and the hose connections stay in place; only the polyamide sight tube is removed and the sensor unit is fitted in its place together with the adapter tube set. In this way the logging and alarm infrastructure is set up for every circuit without buying a new manifold and without rearranging the mold hoses.
Who is it for?
For plants with many mechanical regulators that only notice a blocked circuit after the part has gone wrong. The retrofit kit is also offered for regulators from other manufacturers; so not every regulator in your machine park has to be a Rummel. We check compatibility together according to the make and model of the regulator. The flow regulator is not included in the scope of delivery.
How does it work?
The sensor unit measures the flow and temperature of every circuit continuously during production. When a value leaves the tolerance band, Flow Control passes the alarm immediately to a warning lamp or directly to the injection molding machine. The touchscreen shows the current flow and temperature of every circuit; functions such as process documentation, alarm at the limit value and storage of mold parameters are available to the user.
The sensor technology contains no moving parts and is durable (the manufacturer describes it as the "eddy current" method). The cone or float sticking because of dirt, as on a mechanical indicator, does not happen with this design. Fouling in the circuit, on the other hand, shows up clearly as a drop in flow.
Functions
- Individual monitoring of each circuit
- Display and monitoring of flow and temperature
- Adjustable flow and temperature limits
- Recording and evaluation of flow and temperature
- Display of out-of-limit events at the circuit concerned
- Storage of mold parameters and alarm history together with mold data management
- Reporting of alarms to the injection molding machine
Scope of delivery
- Sensor unit with plug-in connection, measuring tube and sensor cable
- Lower and upper part of the adapter tube, with seal set
- 7" touchscreen including powder-coated housing and swivel arm
- Control board in a powder-coated housing
Technical data
| Feature | Value |
|---|
| Measuring range | 1–20 L/min |
| Max. water temperature | 90 °C |
| Max. operating pressure | 10 bar |
| Sensor | Flow sensor with integrated temperature measurement, no moving parts |
| Monitoring | Each circuit individually |
| Interfaces | RS-232, RS-485, TTY 20 mA, OPC UA |
| Screen | 7" touchscreen |
| Not included | Flow regulator |
How are limit values set?
The 90 °C limit matches the cold water and warm water temperature control circuits where the kit is used most often; for hotter circuits, the RWFR160 e-flow should be chosen from the start for electronic measurement. When setting the limit values, take the value measured while the mold is freshly cleaned and the flow balanced as the reference; placing the lower limit slightly below this value catches the point where the channel cross-section starts to narrow. The alarm then comes before scrap parts are produced, and the source of the problem is found down to the exact circuit.
If you have no mechanical regulator or want to renew it, the kit can be planned together with the WFR 90.
