Problem & answerF-12
Unscrambler Bowl Overfilled with Bottles
Also covers: Hopper level (bowl full) sensor not working
Likely causes
- Bowl level sensor dirty or dusty
- Sensitivity set wrong (does not see white bottles, or sees the far wall)
- Sensor bracket moved or aimed at the wrong level
- Cable loose or sensor failed
- Bulk bottle feeder (elevator) not responding to the sensor signal
How to fix it
- 1Stop the bulk bottle feeder and the unscrambler.
- 2Remove excess bottles from the bowl by hand until the level is below the sensor; clear any bottles jammed in the pocket wheel.
- 3Clean the level sensor lens.
- 4Check the bracket is tight and the sensor looks across the bowl at the correct full level.
- 5Hold a bottle in front of the sensor: the indicator LED must change. Adjust sensitivity so it detects bottles but not the bowl wall.
- 6Test: run the feeder. It must stop when bottles reach the sensor level and restart when the level drops.
- 7If the sensor works but the feeder keeps running, check the feeder control and contact Maintenance.
- 8Do not run the line with a faulty level sensor.
Technical note
The bowl level sensor tells the bulk bottle feeder to stop when the unscrambler bowl is full. If it fails, the feeder runs continuously, the bowl overfills, bottles pile up and lock the pocket wheel, and the machine stops.It is fixed when
Feeder stops at the full level and restarts as the level drops; the bowl never overfills.
Stop it coming back
- Clean and function-test the bowl level sensor at every start-up.
- Lock the sensor bracket so cleaning cannot move it.
Did this solve the problem?