All About Calibration

How to calibrate the AutoMixer v4

Calibration of the AutoMixer is the process by which the AutoMixer learns how quickly it can pump a given product through a pump. Calibration is performed for each pump and each product separately, and although the same calibration data can be transferred manually from one pump to another, this must be done with care as calibration settings vary with pump lubrication, peristaltic tube wear, inlet and outlet tube lengths and diameters, and many more factors.

To begin, we will review the controls on the “Product List and Setup” menu, which is the first menu you will see after clicking on “Products and Calibrate” from the main menu.

1. Product selection checkbox
   1. Enables the selection of a product for editing or deletion.
2. Add Product
   1. Adds a new product and opens that product’s “Edit Product” screen.
3. Edit Product
   1. Opens the selected product’s “Edit Product” screen
4. Delete Product
   1. Deletes the currently selected product. Pressing this button will ask for confirmation before deleting the product.
5. Back
   1. Return to the main menu.

When you create a new product, you will be brought to the “Edit Product” page. Here you have the option to give a name, type, EPA#, and default oz/ac to the product. The name, type, and EPA# will be available on the generated mix report. The default oz/ac will be automatically filled into the “Product Rate” column of the AutoMixer setup page when selected, but can be changed as needed. You then have the option to either fill out calibration data manually (if you have already calibrated a separate pump and want to transfer the data to a new pump) or you can choose the “Calibrate” button to begin the assisted calibration process. Keep in mind that you must have a product calibrated for a given pump to be able to select that product in the “AutoMixer Setup” menu.

1. Product Name
   1. This is where you can enter a product name to be exported in a mix report.
2. Product Type
   1. This is where you can enter a product type to be exported in a mix report.
3. EPA#
   1. This is where you can enter an EPA number to be exported in a mix report.
4. Default oz/ac
   1. This is where you can enter a default product rate in fluid ounces per acre. When this product is selected for a mixing operation in the “AutoMixer Setup” page, the “Product Rate” will default to this value.
5. Pump Label
   1. Illustrates which pump corresponds to each row.
6. 50RPM oz/min
   1. Stores information about what volume of this product, in fluid ounces, the given pump can output after spinning at 50RPM for one minute.
7. 150RPM oz/min
   1. Stores information about what volume of this product, in fluid ounces, the given pump can output after spinning at 50RPM for one minute.
8. 300RPM oz/min
   1. Stores information about what volume of this product, in fluid ounces, the given pump can output after spinning at 50RPM for one minute.
9. Calibrate
   1. Begin the assisted calibration process for the given product and pump combination.

You may have noticed above that the AutoMixer calibration data is broken into three parts, an ounces pumped per minute value for 50, 150, and 300 RPM. For flow rates between these three values, the AutoMixer uses a linear regression to calculate the best RPM setting for the needed flow rate. These “ozs/min” data points can be created manually via the “Pump Control” menu and a stopwatch. However, the orange “Calibrate” button walked the user through an AutoMixer directed process to obtain this data.

1. PRIME
   1. Press and hold this button to turn the given pump on at a slow speed. This is great for prefilling product lines before you begin calibration.
2. Start Calibration
   1. This will start the given pump spinning at the current step’s RPM for the time below:
      1. Stage 1, 50 RPM -> 60 seconds
      2. Stage 2, 150 RPM -> 60 seconds
      3. Stage 3, 300 RPM -> 30 seconds
3. Emergency STOP
   1. If this button is pressed at any point in the calibration process it will stop all pumps.
4. Discharge Amount
   1. After the timer has reached 60/30 seconds, enter the amount of fluid output here.
5. Next
   1. Move onto the next stage of calibration
6. Back
   1. Return to the “Edit Product” page. A warning message will appear if you press this button warning that you will lose all data.

To perform calibration, follow these steps, which is also given at the beginning of the assisted calibration process:

You will collect the discharge from the pump(s) at three different flow rates in order for the system to build a flow rate model which it will use to accurately blend products together during the mixing process.

Read through the below steps then click NEXT to begin.

1. Fill the attached product tank with product desired to be calibrated.
2. Disconnect product hose from the mix tank and place it over a graduated pitcher. Use a 1 gallon pitcher for the large pumps and a 32 or 64 oz pitcher for the small pumps. If calibrating for pump 1, ensure you have two separate pitchers for each discharge hose. You will add the results together during calibration.
3. Hold the “PRIME” button until the product begins to discharge into the pitchers, then release.
4. Pour out any residual product from the calibration pitcher before starting calibration.
5. Press “Start Calibration” and the pump will begin running at the corresponding RPM for a set amount of time, discharging into the graduated pitcher. Then the pump will shut off and you will enter into “Discharge Amount” the volume of product discharged into the pitcher (add the two pitcher discharge volumes together if calibrating pump 1).
6. You may run the stage calibration again if desired, or continue to the next stage.
7. After all calibration stages are completed, the system will show you a summary.