Front End Loader Setup Guide

COMMANDbatch V1.8.1.0 & Later

Last Updated 12/27/16

www.commandalkon.com
 © Command Alkon Incorporated 2003-2017. All rights reserved.
The contents of this document are for informational purposes only and are subject to
change without notice. Command Alkon Incorporated ("CAI") may, without notice, modify
its products in a way that affects the information contained in this publication.
CAI HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES EITHER EXPRESSED
OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF
MERCHANTABILITY, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE. In no event will CAI be liable for any direct, indirect, or consequential damages
arising out of the use of, inability to use, or implementation of any information contained
in this publication, even if CAI has been advised of the possibility of such damages, or for
any claim by any other party.
The information contained herein is subject to change without notice and may contain
inaccuracies or errors. CAI assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in
this document. This publication is intended only for the direct benefit of authorized users
of CAI products. This publication may not be used for any purposes other than those for
which it is provided, and it is subject to the terms of the applicable software license or
subscription agreement. This publication and the information disclosed herein is the
property of CAI, and, except for rights granted by written consent, may not be disclosed,
disseminated, or duplicated in whole or in part.

Command Alkon Incorporated

1800 International Park Drive, Suite 400
Birmingham, AL 35243-4232
1 (205) 879-3282
www.commandalkon.com
Main Customer Support Phone Number: 1 (800) 624-1872

COMMANDseries (and the names of its components, such as COMMANDconcrete and

COMMANDnetwork), Spectrum, Eagle, and COMMANDbatch are registered trademarks of
Command Alkon Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Other names may be
trademarks of their respective owners.

2 12/27/16
 Contents

Contents ........................................................................................ 3

Introduction .................................................................................. 4
Purpose ................................................................................................ 4
Audience ............................................................................................... 4
Revision Summary ................................................................................. 4

Front End Loader Support .............................................................. 5

Two-Lane Support .................................................................................. 5
Terminology .......................................................................................... 5
COMMANDbatch Setups .......................................................................... 6

12/27/16 3
 Introduction

Topics in This Section

Purpose
Audience
Revision Summary

Purpose
This guide explains how to configure COMMANDbatch that use Front End
Loaders to weigh up aggregate and use multiple lanes to batch concrete.

Audience
This guide should only be used by Command Alkon installation and service
personnel, or plant/management personnel specifically authorized to
configure COMMANDbatch.

Revision Summary
CMDbatch
Date Version Revision
Jul. 7, 2011 1.8.1.3 Document created.
Jul. 14, 2011 1.8.1.3 Added information about optional sequence
setups.
Aug. 27, 2015 1.9.0.0 Updated title/cover page.
Dec. 27, 2016 2017.1.0 Updated cover/title page.

4 12/27/16
 Front End Loader Support

This feature can be used to load aggregate with Front End Loaders instead of
feeding from physical bins and that also load multiple lanes simultaneously or
have multiple places where aggregate can be weighed up before discharge.

Two-Lane Support
Previously, loads had to finish in the order they were batched. So if the
operator batched a load for Lane A and then ran a load for Lane B, and the
truck that was receiving the load for Lane A was delayed, he could not switch
over and load Lane B first. The truck for Lane B would have to wait for the
truck for Lane A to arrive and receive its batch.
Two-Lane Support allows the user to start a load for Lane A and then start a
load for Lane B and then complete the Lane B’s load while Lane A's load waits
to be activated. Loads do not have to complete in the order they were run.
Aggregates for both lanes weigh up in their respective scales. All other shared
plant devices remain idle until the operator presses a button on the Manual
Station or the driver presses a button under the plant to select the lane. After
the lane is selected, the load for that lane weighs up and discharges into the
truck and completes. The load for the other lane remains idle until that lane's
button is pressed.

Terminology
Shared Devices
Shared Devices are shared between the two lanes and must wait for the lane-
designating IO Point to be activated before they start for any given load.

Non-Shared Devices
Independent Devices are only used by one lane or the other and do not have
to wait on a lane-designating IO Point because they are not shared between
the lanes.

12/27/16 5
 COMMANDbatch Setups
IO Assignments
Create the following 2 Outputs on the IO Assignments Form. These outputs
will be assigned to the lane-activation buttons on the Manual Station.
LNALOAD
LNBLOAD

Events
Create the following 2 events. The event for a lane becomes active after the
lane's activation button is pressed and stops after the last device has
completed for that batch. The event will be used as the start condition for all
shared devices.
RUNLNA
RUNLNB

6 12/27/16
12/27/16 7
 Sequences
A different sequence code is assigned to each lane. The sequences may vary,
depending on the device set being used for a lane.
The RUNLNA and RUNLNA steps control which lane is in use. The IO Point that
was created to activate a lane should be its start condition. The last device
that is active in a load should be its stop condition. This ensures that the
sequence remains active throughout the batch.

Shared Device Sequences

The following sequence setups need to be performed for all “shared devices”,
including Bins/Silos, Scales, Conveyor Belts, Metered Feeds, Holding Tanks,
Bottles, Mixers, and Extra Devices.

Note: Standard sequencing can be used for non-shared devices.

The sequence needs to be set up so that the device will activate for whichever
lane is selected. This is accomplished by adding the “(Internal Variable)
RUNLNA_STAR” or “(Internal Variable) RUNLNB_STAR” line to the appropriate
sequence. This line ensures that the device will not start until the RUNLNA or
RUNLNB event has started. The RUNLNA or RUNLNB event cannot start until
the appropriate lane activation button has been pressed.

8 12/27/16
 Also the “Disable Auto Sequence” option must be checked on the Options tab
of the Sequence Steps form for all shared devices.

Optional Setups:
• The Lane Activating IO Point can be used as the discharge authorization
or “load” button. This is accomplished by selecting “Ignore Discharge” for
each step in the lane's sequence on the Sequences form, and by making
sure that “DISCH_AUTH” is not used as a start or stop condition in any of
the sequence steps. Then when a load is started, the aggregate weighs
up and the rest of the devices wait until the user presses the Lane
Activating IO button to weigh up and discharge.

12/27/16 9
 • Entering a sequence for each bin, silo and metered feed can be time
consuming and confusing. To reduce the number of sequences, you can
enter Group Sequences. For example, you can enter one Group “2 CEM”
sequence for all cement silos that are Shared Devices instead of entering
a sequence for each silo. This same rule can be applied to the Admix and
Water groups.

10 12/27/16