Balance Weight System

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Description | Firmware commands | Parts | Sensors and actuators

Description

The balance weight system offsets the weight of the trailing edge clamping (TEC) assembly. Each of the two balance weights is mounted on a moveable ring and has a location tab. The drum balancer actuator moves the balance weights during plate loading, and the position of the weights is checked by a balance weight sensor.

The home and away side balance weight assemblies are identical.

Parts

• Drum balance assembly: 50-2529A
• Balance weight block: 50-2643A

Sensors and actuators

Each of the two balance weights has three sensors:  extend, retract, and weight.

Weight Sensor

The weight sensor is used to find the weights. It cannot be used to determine if the drum is in the correct position to actuate the balance weight, since the sensor and the actuator do not line up. There is a drum position offset between where the sensor is interrupted and where the balance actuator can actuate the weight.

To find out if the weight sensor is working, use the balancer find command. This command triggers a balance weight search algorithm which involves a drum move of almost 360 degrees. As the drum turns, the tabs attached to the two balance weights will interrupt the weight sensor and the firmware will record the position. The output of the balancer find command will look something like this:

f 04Feb03 10:27:41.031 <MCE> HOME side: Balance weight 1 pos: 159532
f 04Feb03 10:27:41.031 <MCE>            Balance weight 2 pos: 104200
f 04Feb03 10:27:41.046 <MCE> AWAY side: Balance weight 1 pos: 119457
f 04Feb03 10:27:41.062 <MCE>            Balance weight 2 pos: 234729


Firmware commands

• balancer
• balancer extendhome
• balancer extendaway
• balancer retracthome
• balancer retractaway
• balancer calibrate
• balancer find