The Cryostar Magazine N°4 : pdf file

LASER SKID
Introducing the LAZAMATIC
Tr o u b l e free? D e p e n d a b l e ? O n b o a r d s e lf- d i a g n o s t i c s ? R e m o t e m o nitoring
a n d automatic a l e r t s ? T h e L A Z A M AT I C h a s i t a ll. H e r e C RYOSTA R m a g azine
explores how this technology enables customer s to work smar ter not harder.
Gas Technology Australia (GTA), Cryostar’s agent
based in Queensland, has used PLC technology
to engineer a ‘smart’ nitrogen pump skid to meet the
need for a simple, trouble-free, high pressure nitrogen
system for laser machines.
Utilising the reliable Cryostar SDPD reciprocating
pump, the LAZAMATIC is an integrated pump
package that monitors the status of the system and
automatically refills a buffer of cylinders from a
thermosiphon cryogenic tank.
The customer draws off from the buffer at a pressure
and flow to meet the laser’s demands instantaneously.
So what’s so smart about that?
Well, the important operational and safety parameters
are continuously sensed and relayed to an
onboard Micrologix PLC, which takes all appropriate
actions. These include re-starting
the pump to refill the buffer, stopping
the pump when at pressure, sensing for
pump gland leakage, monitoring for liquid
nitrogen carry-over, logging hours run, and
monitoring for pump loss of prime.
In this way, proactive rather than reactive action can
be taken before the customer runs out of gas. No
telephone land lines are required and the system is
totally self-contained.
GTA has provided Linde Gas with a large number of
LAZAMATIC systems for laser installations throughout
Australia. Says Mark Ward, Linde’s National
Sales Manager: “We have found the LAZAMATIC
system to be exceedingly reliable and trouble-free and
it is now our preferred system for our laser customers.”
“Gas Technology has produced an excellent package
that requires no input from our customers
- except to turn it on!”
The package is completely integrated with
all components built onto a small footprint
skid. Electronic components are
pre-wired and the ergonomic control panel
indicates the overall status of the
system.
Normally any fault condition resulting
in pump stoppage would not be detected
until the customer ran out of nitrogen
– but then it’s too late!
However, GTA’s ‘smart’ system attempts
to correct the fault (for example loss of
prime), and then if the fault is more
severe, uses GMS mobile technology
to inform a service provider. Alternatively,
using GMS mobile technology,
GTA is able to
‘dial in’ at any
time to interrogate
the current
status of the system.
6
Autumn 2004