Boral Brick - Salisbury, NC  Plant 5 

The Pugmaster Plus Moisture Control System is an outgrowth of our experience with the Pugmaster Classic.  We finally discovered (many of our Customers had been telling us for years) a third and very large variable.  Return Material (trimmings and end cuts).  This System measures the return material with a belt scale.  We already know the moisture content of the return material (it was just extruded) so we calculate the "Dry Feed Rate" of the return materials.  We add this to the "Dry Feed Rate" of the Raw Materials and adjust the speed of the Raw Clay Feeder to control the "Total Dry Feed Rate".  This indirectly controls the level in the Pug Mill, the level in the Vacuum Chamber and the Extrusion Rate.   In most cases this will allow the operator to run very close to the maximum speed of the setting equipment (depending on auger wear) without over running it.  This produces on average an increase in production of about 5%.  We also incorporated in this system the ability to monitor the Extrusion Process.  

Boral Brick  Salisbury, NC   Plant 6 Line 1

The PugMaster Plus is the Classic Plus. . .

Total Dry Feed Control (compensates for return material, trimmings, end cuts).

Ratio Control of up to six (6) additives (dry or liquid) with deviation alarms.

Monitor and alarm Pug Amps, Extruder Amps, Die Oil Pressure, Vacuum, and Feed Rates (including additives).

Trending (4 hours real time and 40 days historical) of all measured variables.

Recipe Management.  (and much more)

The above chart is the way Dean Earl (Production Manager for Plant 6 Salisbury) starts up in the morning.
Total clay Feed Setpoint = 48 TPH.  Lots of returns.  You can see how the Raw Clay Feed is reduced to
compensate for the returns.  As the Brick Machine (Steele 90) begins to warm up the "Total Dry Feed
Setpoint is increased to 50 TPH and then to 55 TPH as the amps will allow.  Cuts per minute increased from
10 to 12-13 range.  Just below what the setting equipment can handle.   You can see the clay feed increasing 
as the returns taper off.

Textbook Startup.

Looking Good in Salisbury! ! !           Below is a two hour run on the same machine.