FAQ’s

This FAQ is for informational purposes and is not a substitute for technical support. It may not cover important issues that affect you. If you have a question please consult with our customer service department at 941.755.5550.

• General
• Electrical system
• Pneumatic system
• Unscramblers
  • Bowl section
  • Orienter section
  • Primary Belt Assembly
  • Secondary Belt Assembly
  • Hook Assembly
  • Guide Rail
  • Timing Belt
• Cappers
• Secondary Orienters
• Hopper/Elevators

General

Q. What do the different colors signify on my stack light?

• Green steady light signifies the machine is running
• Green Blinking light signifies the machine is paused
• Red solid light signifies Cycle Stop
• Red Blinking light signifies the machine is faulted or an e-stop has been pressed
• Amber solid light signifies the machine is in manual mode and can be jogged
• Blue light signifies a low-level condition

Q. How can I obtain a copy of my PLC or HMI program?

• Copies of the original PLC and MHI programs were included on the CD manual that shipped with your machine. Should you not be able to locate these files you may request copies from our Customer Service Dept.

Q. Why do I obtain a VFD fault when re-starting my machine?

• Re-starting a machine after an E-Stop or safety interlock activation too fast can result in a VFD fault. To avoid this allow the power to bleed off the VFDs for approx. 45 seconds prior to pressing start. An alternate solution for Allen Bradley 4M equipped machines is to set parameters A451 to 3 and A 452 to 0.

Q. Where can I find the settings for my machine?

• Each machine is shipped with a Tuning Sheet placed in the electrical enclosure; the CD manual also contains a copy of this sheet. Should you misplace both the card copy and CD please contact our customer Service Dept.

Q. How can I find out if a particular container or cap will run on my machine?

• Should you wish to run a new container or cap on your New England equipment please contact our Parts Dept. They can assist with advice if the component will run and if you would require additional change parts.

Electrical System

Q. Machine will not power up

• No AC Power, Check power feed.
• Main AV fuse missing or blown, Replace fuse
• Main disconnect not on, verify main disconnect in on position.
• Power On bush button faulty, check component and replace as required.
• Safety Interlock, check doors and covers. Verify safety relay is working.

Q. Machine will not start.

• Line voltage fluctuating, Check line voltage and install isolation transformer if necessary.
• Main control relay defective, check relay and replace if necessary.
• Start Switch defective, check component and replace if necessary.

Q. Elevator motor will not run.

• Bowl high level photo eye mis-aligned, re-align eye with reflector.
• Bowl high level photo eye defective, replace photo eye.
• Elevator motor VDF faulted, see motor trouble shooting guide below.
• No start circuit, check start hold circuit.

Q. Bowl, Orienter, or Hopper motor will not run.

• Photo eye misaligned, re-align eye.
• Photo eye blocked, clear photo eye.
• Photo eye defective, replace photo eye.
• Bowl motor VFD Faulted, reset VFD.
• Clutch slipping, check clutch.

Q. Motor will not start.

• Overloaded Motor, Check belt tension.
• Grounded or shorted motor, Replace Motor
• Speed setting too low, Raise speed setting
• VFD faulted, Reset/replace VFD.
• Motor circuit breaker tripped, reset circuit breaker.

Q. Motor overheats

• Overloaded motor, check pulley and belt tension.

Q. Motor circuit breaker trips excessively.

• Padded belts too tight, check belt tension.
• Loose motor wiring, check/repair wiring.
• Grounded or shorted motor, Replace motor.
• Containers jamming, refer to jamming malfunctions section.
• Mechanical binding, bad bearings, chains or belts too tight/obstructed, Check bearings, adjust belts and chains.
• Object trapped in elevator belt, check for obstruction.

Q. Motor blows fuses excessively.

• Defective VFD, replace VFD.
• Line voltage too high, install isolation transformer.
• Loose motor wiring, check and repair wiring.
• Grounded or shorted motor, replace motor.
• Containers jamming, check tuning sheet for proper settings to prevent jams.
• Mechanical binding, check for bad bearings or obstructions.

Pneumatic Systems

Q. Unable to set proper air pressure.

• Defective Air regulator. Solution Replace Air regulator.
• Defective Air Gauge. Solution Replace Air Gauge.
• Leak in Air System. Solution Locate and repair leak.
• Insufficient Air Supply. Solution Check for restrictions, kinks etc…

Q. Discrete Air Components do not respond.

• Excessive moisture in system. Solution Check Filtering system.
• Defective components. Solution replace component.

Q. There is water in the Air supply.

• Clean and replace filter.

Q. The Discrete air components are malfunctioning.

• Excessive Moisture in system. Check filter system.
• Air supply dirty. Check filter.
• Leak in component or hoses. Locate and repair leak.

Unscramblers

Q. When I start the unscrambler it will run a few seconds then shutdown.

• If you have the jam detector option, verify that the eyes are no blocked and that the eyes and reflectors are aligned.
• Verify that your air pressure and volume is sufficient.

Q. My bottles fall over when being placed on the conveyor.

• The conveyor needs to run the same speed as the discharge (secondary belts). If it is too slow the bottle will fall forward if it is too fast it will fall backwards.

Q. The bottles in the primary and secondary belts do not remain upright.

• If the distance between the belts is too great the top of the bottle will lean away from the orienter wheel. If the distance is too small the top of the container will lean towards the orienter wheel.

Q. What type of cleaner can I use on my machine?

• Gum Rubber Timing Belts you may use mild soap and water
• Nylon faced belts and pads wipe with damp cloth only
• Stainless steel, Stainless Steel Cleaner
• Change Discs, Cams and other high density plastics use an all purpose cleaner
• Aluminum use an all purpose cleaner
• Covers and guarding you may use a glass cleaner
• Mechanical parts, motors reducers etc… you may use an all purpose cleaner/degreaser

Q. What type of lubrication should be used?

• We recommend a lithium based lubricant for the bearings.

Q. How do I replace the Blue orienter wheel pads?

• To replace the pads it will be necessary to scrape the old material off the aluminum wheel and clean the remaining residue with acetone.
• To install the new pad, apply a coat of adhesive (we recommend 3M Super 77 spray adhesive) to both the wheel and pad.
• After allowing to dry according to the manufacturer’s instructions, apply the pad working from the center out.
• It may be necessary to stretch the pad to ensure it reaches the edge of the wheel.

Q. What is the recommended maintenance schedule for my Unscrambler?

• Daily or every 8-10 running hours it is recommended that you;
  • Check overall machine for leaks and required cleaning.
  • Apply light machine oil on the hook pivot
  • Check all belts and wheels for wear, damage, and cleanliness
  • Check orienter wheel pads for wear, damage and cleanliness

• Weekly or every 40 to 50 running hours it is recommended that you;
  • Check hook for free operation
  • Check belts for proper alignment
  • Check all belts for proper tension
  • Check all set screws in flange bearings and pulleys for proper tightness

• Monthly or every 160 to 200 running hours it is recommended that you;
  • Check all shafts for wear

• Quarterly or every 500 to 600 running hours it is recommended that you;
  • Clean all machine parts and inspect operational functions, cycles and adjustments.
  • Remove sorter bowl casters and inspect for excessive wear or insufficient lubrication.
  • Lubricate all bearings and bowl casters.

• Annually or every 2100 to 2300 hours it is recommended that you;
  • Remove and clean the hopper/elevator belt assemblies.

Q. How to I properly tension the belts on my unscrambler?

• The belts should be tensioned so that there is approximately 1/2 inch deflection when the belt is squeezed together.

Bowl section

Q. Why do I have containers jamming in the bowl?

• Discharge Shelf out of place. Check and adjust shelf.
• Air jet pressure too low. Slowly increase pressure.
• Clearing wheel adjusted incorrectly. Check tuning sheet and verify setting.
• Air jets improperly positioned. Check tuning sheet and verify setting.

Orienter section

Q. Why do I have containers jamming in the orienter assembly?

• Incorrect separation between containers. Check speed settings.
• Torsion hook set incorrectly. Check tuning sheet for proper location.
• Incorrect wheel spacing. Check tuning sheet and verify correct spacer is installed.
• Orienter pads worn or damaged. Replace as required.
• Orienter speed incorrect. Verify setting on tuning sheet and re-adjust as needed.
• Crushed containers. Verify speed settings.
• Orienter cams incorrectly adjusted. Verify settings on Tuning sheet.

Primary Belt Assembly

Q. Primary discharge jams, containers falling out of belts.

• Belts too tight or too loose. Adjust belt tension.
• Idlers improperly adjusted. These items should not be moved from the factory settings. If changed return to original location.
• Worn or damaged belt. Replace belts with OEM parts for longest life.
• Incorrect Cam installed. Refer to tuning sheet for proper Cam.
• Damaged Cam. Repair or replace Cam as needed.

Secondary Belt Assembly

Q. Secondary discharge jams, containers falling out of belts, falling after discharge.

• Belts too loose/tight. Adjust tension.
• Idlers improperly adjusted. These should not be moved from the factory position. If changed return to original position.
• Worn or damaged belt. Replace belt
• Incorrect Cam. Refer to tuning sheet for proper cam.
• Damaged Cam. Repair or replace cam as needed.
• Incorrect machine/Conveyor position. Adjust machine level or position.
• Containers falling forward. Reduce belt speed.
• Containers Falling backward. Increase belt speed.

Hook Assembly

Q. Container missed hook.

• Hook spring tension improperly adjusted, check and adjust tension
• Hook mounting out of alignment, refer to tuning sheet for proper location.

Guide Rail

Q. Container jams in guide rail.

• Guide rail incorrectly adjusted, refer to tuning sheet for proper position.

Timing Belt Assembly

Q. Bottles jam in timing belt.

• Timing belt too tight or too loose, refer to tuning sheet and adjust accordingly.
• Timing belt worn, replace as required.

Cappers

Q. Cap jams in guide rail.

• Guide rail incorrectly adjusted, Adjust rail.

Q. Caps not orienting on elevator

• Improper angle, re-position angle.
• Change in Dimension/Shape of cap, Verify original cap specifications.

Q. Caps jamming in elevator chute.

• Elevator travel speed too fast, Reduce elevator speed.
• Improper change part utilized, Locate and install proper change part.
• Change part not adjusted properly, refer to tuning sheet and adjust change parts.

Q. Caps not transferring properly.

• Transfer gripper slide not positioned properly under the cap pick up, Align cap transfer slide.

Q. Cap not being picked up by collet.

• Improper machine height, adjust master cam height.
• Collet pneumatic operation malfunctioning, check air valve, piping and collet internals.
• Improper collet for cap size, refer to tuning sheet for proper collet to cap identification.

Q. Container neck not aligned to cap.

• Improper star wheel alignment, check star wheel position and align.
• Improper clamp change parts to container, refer to tuning sheet for clam to container identification.
• Clamp air cylinder timing, Adjust flow controls.

Q. Loose or low torque applied to cap.

• Improper torque setting, check torque setting on HMI or VFD.
• Low spindle speed, increase spindle speed on HMI or VFD.
• Improper grip to bottle, check collet air pressure setting and lining for wear.

Q. High torque applied.

• Improper torque setting, check torque setting on HMI or VFD.

Q. Collet will not open after capping.

• Malfunctioning collet, replace collet.
• Worn collet insert, inspect, and replace as required.
• Malfunctioning collet air valve, replace valve.

Q. Cap Chute over filled.

• Improper High-level sensor, adjust or replace sensor as required.

Q. Container spinning in gripper.

• Contaminated gripper liner, clean liner material.
• Liner material worn, replace liner or return gripper to NEM for re-lining.
• Low air, adjust flow control.

Q. Container pushes through feed screw.

• Improper infeed screw position, Adjust infeed screw position.
• Improper guide rail position, adjust guide rail position.
• Container dimensions changed, confirm original dimensions.
• Too much container upstream pressure at entrance to infeed screw, reduce container infeed pressure.

Orienters

Q. Containers do not have space to turn/roll

• Spacing between containers too close, create more space by adjusting infeed belt speed or grip if installed.

Q. Containers do not turn/roll.

• Belts too tight/loose, adjust belt tension.
• Idlers improperly adjusted, adjust idlers. (note these should not be moved from factory locations).
• Worn or damaged belt, replace belts.
• Improper belt speed, refer to tuning sheet for proper settings.
• Incorrect machine/conveyor position, verify machine has not moved, repair or replace stop rail.

Q. Containers fall over.

• Improper belt speed, refer to the tuning sheet for proper settings.
• Improper belt grip, Adjust belt grip.
• Incorrect machine position, ensure belts are parallel with conveyor.

Q. Containers turn 360 degrees in SOE-3

• Guide rail incorrectly adjusted, adjust rail to stop container.

Q. Container jams in guide rail.

• Guide rail incorrectly adjusted, Adjust rail to allow container to pass.

Hopper Elevator

Q. Conveyor/Elevator belt not moving.

• Improper belt tension. Adjust tension.
• Object obstructing movement, inspect and remove obstruction.
• Drive transmission malfunction, inspect drive sprockets, keys and gear box.
• Electrical malfunction, see electrical section.