THE ROBERTS® G-16 LINC BATCH CENTRIFUGAL: WHY IT’S TIME TO UPGRADE FROM THE G-8
THE SUGAR INDUSTRY WILL LOVE OUR NEW BATCH CENTRIFUGAL FOR PROCESSING ALL GRADES OF SUGAR
The G-8 Style Batch Centrifugal was originally introduced in the 1940’s and has performed very well for our customers over the years. Our records show that we made about 8,000 of these machines! Our customers love the G-8, because it has been so reliable for many years. For those who are still using the G-8, technology has made many improvements since we first introduced it decades ago. The need to upgrade to the G-16 LINC Batch Centrifugal is clear, as it is a modern machine that offers many improvements.
Western States introduced the G-16 LINC Batch Centrifugal in 2014. When making the G-16 LINC, we made sure it is just as reliable (if not more reliable) than the previous version. With 125+ machines in the field, the performance improvements are already well-tested and proven.
When upgrading to the G-16 LINC, you don’t need to invest a lot of money in infrastructure or building modifications because they are designed to fit in the same footprint. The increased capacity is fantastic, two LINC machines can process as much sugar as what it used to take 3 G-8 machines to do.
A feature requested by our customers, the G-16 LINC now has a downward-opening spring basket valve that allows for unobstructed sugar discharging. We also added the RD-3 Discharger, which has a robust design for minimal sugar loss during the sugar making process.
Made for sugar processing, the Roberts® G-16 LINC Batch Centrifugal has many advantages over its predecessor, including:
• It is more cost efficient with a reduction in power consumption
• It is easy to maintain, with parts available in case of repair
• Provides accurate & consistent batches
• Has a LCD touchscreen for cycle information, maintenance intervals & performance
• Built in diagnostics & troubleshooting
• Completely guarded to meet OSHA requirements
There are many other technical and performance upgrades to the G-16 LINC Batch Centrifugal, including some of the following.
ELECTRICAL UPGRADES
The G-8 has a push button station with mechanical switches, with no information available. It has a 2 speed motor with mechanical contacts.
The G-16 LINC has a standard motor with VFD control. The paddle and proximity sensor system has few moving parts and a simple calibration at the HMI.
SMART CONTROLS
The LINC machine is protected by two gyration switches that sense movement of the basket spindle. The LINC head is a grease lubricated head. This eliminates the possibility of oil contamination from a leaking head.
The VFD allows the machine control over the basket speed. There are no contactors that are being worn out due to continual cycling. It ensures that the functions of the machine are initiated at the correct speeds. The VFD gives the input and output current and monitors it to prevent overheating of the motor.
The VFD for this machine removes the need for mechanical braking. Since there isn’t any heat generated by the brakes, there is no need for cooling water. For emergency stopping, a single disk brake is used. With the addition of the VFD, the motor-to-head coupling is no longer metal on metal. As well as wearing slower, there is considerable noise reduction.
Vibration Sensors Available
This centrifugal can have bearing temperature and vibration sensors for early detection of bearing failure. The LINC can also have sensors for overall machine vibration. These sensors, when compared to the sensors on the surrounding machines, will be able to keep the machines from operating in damaging situations.
ADAPTIVE LOAD CONTROL
The mechanical servo system has many moving parts and requires complex adjustments on the G-8. The G-16 LINC has one screen to control fill level, fill rate and basket speed during loading. The paddle and proximity sensor system has few moving parts and simple calibration at the HMI.
RD-3 LARGE BLADE DISCHARGER
The timing of the discharger stages are fully adjustable by the operator for optimal efficiency. There is a simple step-by-step procedure for taking the discharger through its stages for adjustments. You can remove the remaining sugar after alarms or stoppages. It also has warnings to check the surroundings before discharging the sugar.
NEWLY DESIGNED BASKET
The original basket in the G-8 is ringed, requiring more time for each basket inspection. The new basket for the G-16 LINC is ringless, which increases the capacity while reducing the time needed for inspections.
BETTER BASKET VALVE
The original basket valve for the G-8 was a bolted two piece valve with a shorter life span. The valve operator is mounted in the basket, and must be removed to adjust. Air opened, gravity shut
The LINC has a one piece valve with a very long lifespan, which is air opened and spring shut. The valve operator is mounted above the curb top, providing easy access for simple adjustments.
CONTACT WESTERN STATES TODAY
At Western States, we have built our success with three principles: quality products, superior service and building relationships. Whether you are looking to upgrade your G-8 to a G-16 LINC Batch Centrifugal, or you are interested in a new machine, contact us today.
