Filling Machine Interface: Manual Toggle

As we stated last week, the Main Screen of the operator interface contains fingertip access to all of the interior screens that assist with set up, operation and maintenance of the liquid filler. The first interior screen we will discuss is the Manual Toggle screen, which allows an operator to control several different functions or components of the bottle filler.

Almost every option listed under the manual toggle screen will have an "Auto" setting. The auto setting should typically always be employed when a filling machine is running automatic production. The alternate settings will vary depending on which function or component is being used, but will normally be employed for non-production tasks such as cleaning the machine, performing maintenance or set-up or changing over from one bottle or product to another.

For example, the manual toggle screen will almost always include a control for the conveyor. When in auto mode, the conveyor will move bottles as necessary, and may stop and start depending on the application. The conveyor control under the Manual Toggle screen allows the operator to run the conveyor manually when setting up indexing, changing bottles or for any other task. Similarly, the screen will typically include settings for indexing, such as entry gate, exit gate or starwheel. These buttons allow the operator to manually control indexing pins or starwheels for various tasks.

Many other controls may exist under the manual toggle screen, including operator controls for drip trays, bottle locators, dive limits, pumps and more. The controls under this screen will depend on the type of filling machine being used as well as the features and options found on the bottling machine. Some machines may also contain multiple Manual Toggle screens, and a simple next button will be used to access additional screens. Each interior screen will also include a Return to Main button to allow the operator to quickly get back to the Main Screen and navigate to other screens.

In the next article in this series, we will discuss the Filler Set Up screens and the different settings found on those interior screens. For immediate questions regarding the operator interface screens of an automatic bottle filler, contact our offices today to speak with a Packaging Specialist.