December 2007: greenBOX 8 is no longer available
The new greenBOX 12 replaced the older greenBOX 8 control unit; greenBOX 8 is no longer available from December 2007. All information regarding greenBOX 8 was moved to the Legacy Systems part of our site.
December 2007: New greenBOX MASTER Installations
Ecogate MASTER Systems 300 HP, two PRO systems (100 and 125 HP), finished installation
Great Lake Woods, Inc., 3303 John F. Donnelly Drive , Holland , Michigan 49424
http://www.greatlakewoods.com/
EnergyEcon finished installation of the three MASTER Systems for Great Lake Woods in Holland , Michigan . This project will involve three large Ecogate systems designed for a 300 HP, 125 HP and 100 HP dust collection system totaling over 114,000 CFM. Keith Malmstadt of Great Lake Woods says that he is continually searching for good projects to improve Operational Efficiency and combat the adverse effects of rising Energy Costs.
Three Ecogate MASTER Systems 75 HP each (under installation as December 2007)
Loewen, 77 Highway 52 West, Steinbach , Manitoba R5G 1B2 , Canada
http://www.loewen.com/home.nsf/index
Even though the Loewen Windows electricity cost is low at $0.03/kWh (served by Manitoba Hydro), it makes sense to install energy saving on-demand ventilation system, because an on-demand system is much smaller (ducts, filters, fans and fan motors are all smaller) and less expensive, This offsets the cost of the necessary equipment for the on-demand systems (gates, sensors, PLC's, variable speed drives). Also important is the fact that Manitoba Hydro can export saved electricity to the USA at higher prices than on the local market (Manitoba Hydro supports this project)
Two Ecogate MASTER Systems (under installation as December 2007)
Kendor Wood, Inc. 80 Locust Drive, P.O. Box 362, Mayfield, KY 42066, (800) 231-3798
http://kendorwood.com/~index.php
Ecogate MASTER System 250 HP(under installation as December 2007)
4990 W. Greenbrooke Dr. SE , Grand Rapids , MI 49215 , 616-698-7495)
Paladin Industry
http://www.paladinind.com/index.htm
European Installations by Hoffman Systems
Hoffman Systems finished istallation of four 37 kilowatt greenBOX MASTER systems for SYKORA company. The new MASTER system with serial communications was used for the installation. Another two systems for the same customer are in production.
Hoffman Systems also finished istalling two 37 kilowatt MASTER systems for SAPELI company. SAPELI has already been using four aditional Ecogate MASTER systems for several years. Hoffman Systems also installed a greenBOX 12 system in Slovakia.
November 2007: New Canadian Dealer
Ecogate welcomes SYeNERGY Integrated Energy Solutions Inc. as a new dealer located in Montreal, Canada. You can visit their website at: www.syenergy.ca
October 2007: New CLIP! Sensor available
The new easy to install CLIP! Sensor is available for delivery. This sensor works on a new principle; it senses a magnetic field. This is the frist sensor on the market that can read the magnetic field directly from the power cable to the motor. It is compatible with greenBOX 12, greenBOX PRO, greenBOX MASTER control systems. Read more about this sensor.
September 2007: New greenBOX 12 available
The new cost effective greenBOX 12 control unit is now being produced and is available for delivery. The first units were already installed in USA, Australia, Canada, and EU. The unit can control up to 12 workstations each with up to 3 gates, it can also control a variable frequency drive to adjust the fan speed. Read more about this control unit.
May 2007: The next generation Ecogate MASTER System tested in Europe
The next generation of the Ecogate MASTER system was installed in the woodworking factory FRAMOZ in the Czech Republic , European Union. The setup was much faster compared with existing greenBOX MASTER (setup is highly automated, advanced testing procedures are implemented), operation is till now without any problem. The system testing will continue.
February 2007: Ecogate has been selected for the Cleantech XII. Forum in San Francisco
The Ecogate system will be presented at the Cleantech clean technology forum in San Francisco on February 19-21, see www.cleantech.com. More than 600 professionals, private and institutional investors will be present.
January 2007: Ecogate has moved!
Ecogate Inc. has moved to a new location in North Hollywood.
Ecogate, Inc.
5669 Whitnall Hwy.
North Hollywood, CA 91601
Our toll free number 888-ECOGATE (888-326-4283) and email is the best way to reach us. The old phone number 818-547-4007 and fax number 818-547-4005 are automatically forwarded to the new phone numbers. The new phone number is 818-506-6016 and the new fax number is 818-506-6971.
Driving Directions
|
Instruction |
For |
1 |
Take CA-134 [Ventura Fwy] West (Ventura) |
8.0 mi |
2 |
Turn RIGHT onto Ramp Cahuenga Blvd / Hollywood |
0.2 mi |
3 |
Turn RIGHT (North) onto Cahuenga Blvd |
1.3 mi |
4 |
Turn RIGHT (East) onto Burbank Blvd |
0.1 mi |
5 |
Turn LEFT (North) onto Strohm Ave |
174 yds |
6 |
Turn LEFT (North-West) onto Whitnall Hwy |
54 yds |
|
Arrive 5669 Whitnall Hwy, North Hollywood, CA 91601 |
|
December 2006: Installation of the Ecogate system is finished at the University of Southern California
The installation of the Ecogate system is finished at the University of Southern California, School of Dentistry - Oral Health Center, Los Angeles, CA. The Ecogate technology (Ecogates, greenBOX PRO+, Power MASTER PRO by Yaskawa) is hidden, per their request (built-in tables and control system is installed outside). The main reason why the Ecogate system was chosen was because of the noise reduction, which is very important while classes are in session. Other benefits are the significantly reduced cost of air conditioning and the reduced cost of the fan operation. The professor is using a microscope with a built-in video camera, and the picture is projected on to a large screen. Every student has his own dental drill, ProLab by BienAir. If a student starts the drill then the Ecogate System automatically opens the ventilation gate and adjusts the fan speed to achieve the proper ventilation level.
December 2006 : Framoz s.r.o. installation in the Czech Republic
The latest installation of three Ecogate MASTER Systems for the company FRAMOZ s.r.o. http://www.framoz.cz/ in the Czech Republic (European Union), producer of the custom interiors and custom furniture:
The s ystem s will be installed by the end of this year. One of the system s will be installed based on the new technology - the PLC is replaced by an industrial PC with serial MODBUS communication with the gates (to save significantly on installation cost s ). This new technology will be c a r e fully evaluated in this installation before it is used for other instalations.
Ecogate On-Demand Ventilation System at the World Energy Engineering Conference 2006
The Ecogate On-Demand Ventilation system was presented at the World Energy Engineering Conference in Washington D.C. September 13-15 th 2006. This was the 29 th annual WEEC organized by the Association of Energy Engineers, and was be held in the Washington convention center, Hall D (for more information, visit their website at www.energycongress.com ). Ales Litomisky presented his paper on On-Demand Ventilation Systems, Friday at the Industrial Energy Management session A4, September 15 th from 9:30am-10:30am. The WEEC expo and workshops provides a unique opportunity to discover the latest strategies to reduce energy costs
Ecogate - IWF Show Report, Atlanta 2006
IWF 2006 Technical Conference Program: "Got Wood Dust!!! How do you handle it?"
The biggest interest about the Ecogate System at the IWF Woodworking Expo this year was caused by the presentation of Roger Boyer of Designer Showcases, which was a part of the IWF 2006 Technical Conference program titled, "Got Wood Dust!!! How do you handle it?" He started his presentation about on-demand ventilation systems, by stating that for most people dust-collection systems are unwanted evil. He then went on to explain how factories could turn a profit on their dust-collection systems by upgrading them to on-demand ventilation systems.
There were 275 attendees at the conference. So, when Roger proceeded to ask them how many of them knew what the 'fan law' was (basic fan law explaining the energy saving opportunity in ventilation systems), he was surprised to learn, only three knew. About the same number were familiar of the principle of a variable speed drive to regulate the performance of the fan of their dust collectors. Roger then went on to explain step-by-step how the on-demand ventilation system works and how it can save energy. To his surprise, after the presentation was over, 50 attendees followed him into the next room where he spent more than a half of an hour answering many different questions regarding the use of the Ecogate system. We should be very excited about Roger's presentation; he had the attention of many of the important decision-making attendees at the conference. Also we could learn from him how to make easy-to understand presentation to non-professionals.
"Hurdle High Energy Costs with Ecogate" - Nordfab/Ecogate Booth (Hall B, Booth 5134)
Over at the Nordfab/Ecogate booth, the greenBOX PRO+ system was presented. The system was connected to a 10HP variable speed drive with a real motor connected, along with motorized gates and sensors simulated by toggle switches. On the notebook PC, with the "Ecogate Setup and Monitoring" software, it was possible to display the air-volume reduction obtained by closing the gates, and to also display the achieved electricity savings.
New 4" Aluminum Sealed Gate
A new Ecogate product was introduced this year at the IWF show, the industrial aluminum 4" gate (EG204C). This gate is sealed, and uses an advanced Microchip microprocessor control. The gate was specially designed to be used in mist-collection system applications, but can also be used in other industries, such as: dental labs, food processing, pharmaceutical and also woodworking factories. New 4"gates are in stock.
A New Sensor Prototype
Also introduced was a prototype of a new type of industrial sensor. This sensor senses the magnetic field of the motors or the magnetic field read directly from the cables (it is not necessary to cut the cables). The sensor reads the magnetic field from outside the cable. This sensor would radically simplify the installation of industrial systems, and is compatible with all Ecogate systems.
greenBOX for 12 Workstations
We also handed out brochures of the proposed greenBOX 12 control unit, which should control up to 12 workstations, and is intended for industrial-duty installations. The functionality of the greenBOX 12 is identical to the greenBOX PRO+ (within the limit of the 12 workstations), which means this unit can also control also the variable speed drive via analog output. The software to setup the greenBOX 12 on Windows PC is nearly identical to the software for the greenBOX PRO+. The PC can be connected to the greenBOX 12 by using a serial channel or by USB with a simple adapter (USB to serial). The first delivery of the greenBOX 12 control units should be available 3-4 months from now.
Improvements among the Filter Technologies
Among the main dust-collection system producers, there were many important improvements among the filter technologies from companies like Torit, Scientific Dust Collectors, LMC, and MAG. I was personally impressed by the Dura Life and Ultra-Life nano-fiber filters by Torit ( http://www.duralifebags.com/ ), by the new filter cleaning technology by MAG ( http://www.macequipment.com/home.cfm ), and "Mach 2" filter cleaning technology by Scientific Dust Collectors http://www.scientificdustcollectors.com/vertical.htm - PDF brochure is available on their web site). The filter cleaning technology by MAG uses, according to the company's measurements, about two times less energy for the filter cleaning than competing technologies (see MAG's company website at http://www.macequipment.com/home.cfm ).
This year, we had about 200 visitors during the show, and about 15% were from companies with annual revenues of $50 million or more. Some of those attendees visited our booth thanks to the outstanding presentation given by Roger Boyer.
September 2006: Ecogate On-Demand Ventilation System at the World Energy Engineering Conference 2006
The Ecogate On-Demand Ventilation system will be presented at the World Energy Engineering Conference in Washington D.C. September 13-15 th 2006. This is the 29 th annual WEEC organized by the Association of Energy Engineers, and will be held in the Washington convention center, Hall D (for more information, visit their website at www.energycongress.com ). Ales Litomisky will be presenting his paper on On-Demand Ventilation Systems, Friday at the Industrial Energy Management session A4, September 15 th from 9:30am-10:30am. The WEEC expo and workshops provides a unique opportunity to discover the latest strategies to reduce energy costs.
September 2006: USDA Announces $17.5 Million Investment in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
The USDA secretary, Mike Johanns, announced the award of $17.5 million in renewable energy and energy efficiency program grants to 375 recipients in 36 states today. Among those is the EnergyEcon project for the The Great Lake Woods Inc. The grant amount is $78,576. This grant will pay for 25% of the cost of the Ecogate On-Demand Ventilation system. Solicitation is now open for the next round of grants to be given out for next year. If your customers are companies with less than 500 employees and those companies are registered in a city with less than 50,000 people, than you might want to consider applying for the grant money.
July 2006: Ecogate MASTER Systems for SWN Moravia, European Union
A current Ecogate European installation for the company SWN Moravia (producer of the wood stairscases http://www.swn.cz/?lg=eng&m=3&k=0 ), five MASTER systems. Installation should be finished by the end of July.
Three Power MASTER units are combined in one enclosure (to save the space).
July 2006: Installation of the Ecogate System for the Houfek Company, European Union
The showroom of HOUFEK (a producer of the woodworking machines) will be equipped with an Ecogate system during next month. The Ecogate system will be offered automatically with the sale of woodworking machinery. Installation is currently in progress. The showroom of HOUFEK (a producer of the woodworking machines) will be equipped with an Ecogate system during next month. The Ecogate system will be offered automatically with the sale of woodworking machinery. Installation is currently in progress.
May 2006: Introduction of NEW 4" Aluminum Gate
Ecogate is pleased to announce production on the newest addition to the Ecogate product line, a 4" aluminum gate EG204C . The new heavy-duty gate comes with a Teflon-type sealing and is controlled by a microprocessor with magnetic limit switches. The aluminum gate is perfect for use in all types of industries. A great new benefit of the gate is the new style of blade that prevents outside air from being leaked into the duct and prevents the debris, fume, or mist from leaving it, also making the gate quieter. This gate will prove to be extremely useful, especially in industries that include oil mist applications, dental labs, and food processing. The first five hundred 4" aluminum gates will arrive from the factory by the end of May.
May 2006: New Orleans Industrial Technology Conference
In support of economic growth in New Orleans, the Energy Systems Laboratory, in partnership with the Texas Engineering Experiment Station and the Texas A&M University System, hosted an Industrial Energy Technology Conference this month from May 9 th - May 12 th . Ales Litomisky was selected to speak at this annual two-day conference that was initially created in 1979 to meet the needs of the industrial energy community. Mr. Litomisky presented statistical data about the average use of workstations in different industries using Industrial Ventilation Systems. His findings on the subject were quite interesting. When factory managers were asked about the use of workstations in their factories, they reported that their workstations were in use about 90% of the time. What Mr. Litomisky discovered was that this estimation was incorrect, and in fact the use of their workstations was much less.
( Ales Litomisky's paper is available in PDF format upon request)
May 2006: Edison Showcase of Oakwood Interiors
Ecogate and Edison's Technology Department have joined forces to present a number of showcases of Ecogate's technology in the factories of different industries. The first showcase involves a producer of fine furniture named Oakwood Interiors in Ontario, CA. Before installation of the Ecogate system at Oakwood Interiors, Edison arrived on location to take measurements of the consumption of the existing dust-collection system. After installation is complete, Edison will return to take more measurements, and the results of their findings will be published. Installation for Oakwood Interiors begin in mid-May. Other woodworking factories will also be invited to experience for themselves the savings and other benefits the Ecogate system offers. Ecogate is also working with companies in other industries, such as the chemical industry, to showcase the Ecogate system. Oakwood Interiors is located at 1333 South Bon View Ave., Ontario, CA 91761. Wayne Burkhardt at Oakwood Interiors has been working closely with Ecogate in overseeing the installation of the system. He can be reached by phone at (909) 930-3524 or by email at wayne@fineoak.com .
May 2006: Sauder Woodworking Installation of ECOGATE MASTER System with High-Tech Options
Ecogate is excited about the latest version of the MASTER system currently being installed at Sauder Woodworking. At the request of Sauder Woodworking, we are using the new
Omron CJ-1 PLC . This PLC includes an Internet connectivity that serves as a FTP server. This new PLC will now be standard on all new greenBOX MASTERs starting May 2006. A great benefit of the new greenBOX is that it can be connected to a local network and/or Internet for downloading data. Through the new ProfiBus communication we included, also at the request of Sauder Woodworking, the external PLC is able to trigger the greenBOX inputs, and full status can be read via ProfiBus communication.
May 2006: Yaskawa Drives - Most Reliable in the Industry
Ecogate has been using Yaskawa/Omron Inverter Drives in our Ecogate PowerMASTERs for years. Yaskawa inverter drives are being recognized as being the best built, most reliable in the world. They have received top honors in Control Engineering's 2004 Customer Satisfaction Survey , the Frost & Sullivan 2004 Excellence in Technology Award , and the prestigious Deming Prize . According to a study by Ford Automotive, the mean time between failures (MTBF) on Yaskawa Inverter Drives is over one million hours.
May 2006: New Wizard Version 2.01 Available
A new version of the Wizard software is now available to Ecogate Dealers. The main improvement on this version is the ability to do all new calculations for the PRO+ systems. Also, performing calculations on air volume and necessary fan size has been improved. This version is available as a download or on CD. (Contact support@ecogate.com)
May 2006: Ales Litomisky's Paper Accepted at World Energy Congress 2006, Washington DC
The WEEC is celebrating its 29 th year as the most important energy event of national scope for end users and energy professionals in all areas of the energy field. This multi-track conference agenda will include a full line-up of seminars on a variety of current topics and a comprehensive exposition of the market's most promising new technologies. Ales Litomisky, a senior member of the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), will be one of the many AEE members attending this convention. His paper about the use of On-Demand Ventilation Systems for automotive production was accepted at the convention, which will be held in September of this year.
May 2006: Ecogate Conference Held in Czech Republic, Europe
A conference was held in the European Union city of Brno, located in the Czech Republic on March 9 th organized by Hofman dealer and Raven consulting companies. All woodworking factories in the Czech Republic were invited to this conference on the Ecogate On-Demand Ventilation System. Factory owners attending the conference had the opportunity to ask current users of the system about their experiences with the system's performance and benefits. An introduction to the Ecogate system was presented including how it decreases production costs, reduces energy costs, and also practical information on how to get started with an Ecogate system. Raven Consulting was there to discuss how factory owners can use the European Union's incentives for companies who install energy-efficient technology in their factories.
A several Ecogate MASTER systems were recently ordered by company Moravia in the Czech Republic. Moravia is a producer of custom stairs.
May 2006: Boeing Installation of PRO+ System a Success
Ecogate is pleased to announce the successful installation of a PRO+ system at Boeing's jet assembly factory in Seattle Washington. Ales Litomisky flew to Seattle to visit the factory producing 757 commercial jets and personally handle the setup and programming of the new system. It was an exciting day at the Boeing factory, because they received a visit that same day from the President of China (and made an order worth a billion dollars)!
May 2006: Two MASTER Systems Installed
A 200HP and a 150HP MASTER system were successfully installed at Furniture Row in Denver, Colorado. Furniture Row is a producer of ready-to-assemble furniture. Andres Puky worked with Ecogate on these installations and can be reached at Pillow Kingdom, the parent company to Furniture Row. His phone number is (303) 393-0059 Ext. 105
May 2006: New Firmware & Software Upgrade Available for greenBOX PRO & PRO+ Systems
There are new firmware and software upgrades now available at no charge for existing users of the greenBOX PRO and PRO+ systems, and are available either by email or on CD. The newest feature of this upgrade is the cleaning cycle, which was previously only available on high-end MASTER systems. Also, several "bugs" of the system were fixed, one of them being the inability to set long delays for the dust-collector off delay. A description of the changes and an upgraded user guide are both available in PDF format. To obtain a copy, simply email support@ecogate.com or call (818)547-4007.
May 2006: greenBOX Control System for Small Shops Significantly Improved
The small greenBOX control system for small shops was recently significantly improved by using an upgraded plastic gate with a microprocessor and magnetic limit switches. We are also now shipping the system with shielded wire between the gates and the greenBOX. This makes the greenBOX less sensitive to strong interferences in the shop. The systems will now be shipped with vibration sensors, with the standard cable upgraded to shielded cable. This further improves the system being less sensitive to interferences. We are excited about these changes and hope the customer also enjoys them. The small greenBOX control system for small shops was recently significantly improved by using an upgraded plastic gate with a microprocessor and magnetic limit switches. We are also now shipping the system with shielded wire between the gates and the greenBOX. This makes the greenBOX less sensitive to strong interferences in the shop. The systems will now be shipped with vibration sensors, with the standard cable upgraded to shielded cable. This further improves the system being less sensitive to interferences. We are excited about these changes and hope the customer also enjoys them.
May 2006: Ecogate Significantly Reduces CO2 Pollution
Today more companies are taking steps to be environmentally conscious when they conduct business including ways to reduce the amount of CO 2 pollution they produce. One way factory owners can do this is by installing an Ecogate system. The pollution offset can be calculated by the Ecogate Wizard software based on variables such as: fan size, number of workstations, and how often they operate.
It is now possible to calculate how much carbon dioxide individuals themselves produce by visiting the BP Global website and using their Carbon footprint calculator. It is quite interesting to see how different lifestyle choices, certain household features, travel options and new technologies can affect the Carbon footprint one leaves behind.
To see your Carbon footprint visit the BP website at:
http://www.bp.com/extendedsectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9006010&contentId=7012265
Example of the pollution offset by Ecogate system
Pollution offset 200 HP ventilation system |
1 shift |
2 shifts |
3 shifts |
|
Operating hours annually |
2,080 |
4,160 |
8,736 |
hours |
Fan kWh saved by Ecogate Annually |
209,331 |
418,662 |
879,191 |
kWh |
Pollution offset |
517,048 |
1,034,096 |
2,171,602 |
Lb CO 2 gasses |
January 2006: Incentives & the electricity & transmission lines situation
In 2006, the general energy situation is changing once more. Most power companies are increasing electricity costs by 8-20%. This is partially due to the increasing Natural Gas costs (in California, for example, approximately 60% of electricity is made from Natural Gas). The increase in Natural Gas costs is also causing heating/air conditioning costs to increase. Another problem is caused by transmission lines, as their legal status is unclear and neither the government nor the power companies want to invest in them. As a result of all this, both consumers and power companies are trying to save as much electricity (and money) as possible. Since the transmission lines are in bad condition and no one intends to invest in them, the only solution is to make existing installation more efficient. This situation is naturally favorable for the sales perspective of the energy-efficient Ecogate system. Southern California Edison is currently looking for several "showcase installations" which use the Ecogate system (one system in the woodworking industry, one in the chemical industry, and one in the metalworking industry). Please inform your dealers about this development.
January 2006: Williams Dental Lab installation finished
The installation in William Dental Lab was finished in late December. The average volume of air exchanged using the Ecogate System is 40% of the original volume. Assuming the average price of heating/cooling is $1.28 per CFM, this represents $13,440 saving annually. Additional savings are achieved by using motorized gates in combination with a variable speed drive, because the motor is not running at its full load (37 kW), but at the average load of 7.42 kW (an 80% reduction). With 3,060 working hours per year, this creates savings of 91,662 kWh. Assuming the price of 14 cents per kWh, savings of $12,833 per year are achieved by reducing the motor load (by using the variable speed drive). The total savings (achieved by lowering the volume of exchanged air and by optimizing motor performance) are thus $26,273 annually. A PDF file documenting the installation is available from Ecogate.
January 2006: Drees Woodworking installation finished
Two 300 HP systems have been installed at Dress Woodworking (dealer: A.T. Mitchell Machinery). Both systems are installed in a completely new factory that makes kitchen cabinet doors. Drees Woodworking received a $ 70,000 incentive from Edison to support the installation of the energy-efficient Ecogate system.
January 2006: Sandberg Furniture installation finished
Two systems - 350 HP and 125 HP - have been installed at Sandberg Furniture (dealer: A.T. Mitchell Machinery). At Ecogate's recommendation, three older systems were consolidated into a new 350 HP system. In the old system, three fans of different sizes were working in parallel (it is known that multiple fans of different sizes working in parallel are inefficient). Sandberg Furniture did an excellent job installing both MASTER systems with only their own personnel.
January 2006: Upgraded 4" plastic gate (EG204E)
Ecogate now ships the new version 4 of the greenBOX® ONE control unit. The new version is smaller and includes a test button on the front panel, as well as improved indicators. The new unit uses a powerful Motorola microprocessor and a special integrated circuit for driving DC motors. The greenBOX® ONE has programmable on-delay and off-delay times, and programmable sensitivity for the current sensor. This new unit is fully compatible with all versions of Ecogate gates. A User Guide is available through Ecogate dealers.
January 2006: New software version for the greenBOX PRO, PRO+
In our commitment to steadily improve our products, we are introducing the Ecogate greenBOX PRO Setup and Monitoring PC software (version 1.2.3) and the greenBOX firmware 1.07. The most notable change is the improved greenBOX status screen - the user is now much better informed about what is happening and why. Additional improvements were done to make system testing more convenient. If you need this upgrade, request it at support@ecogate.com .
January 2006: New version of the greenBOX MASTER in development
Latest Omron CJ1 series PLC model used in the greenBOX MASTER
Ecogate is currently working on upgrading the greenBOX MASTER unit. The most significant change is the new Omron CJ1 PLC. Omron CJ1 Series is a new compact PLC with the processor speeds of 20 to 40 ns. Modules are roughly the size of a deck of playing cards and lock together with simple connectors, eliminating the need for a PLC rack. Omron's PC21 bus, designed for this PLC, provides high-speed communication from CJ1 CPU to individual modules The PLC also includes communication options including Ethernet. The Ethernet of option of the CJ1 series PLC acts as an FTP server. All files from the greenBOX MASTER's CompactFlash card will be accessible via any FTP connection (this protocol is supported by Windows Explorer, among others). Supported Ethernet speeds are both 10 Mbit/s and 100 Mbit/s. CJ1 sensor white papers are available from Omron or by request from Ecogate.
January 2006: New Order: Sauder Woodworking
Ecogate received a new order for a greenBOX MASTER system for Sauder Woodworking from the Nordfab dealer EnergyEcon. Sauder Woodworking already has one Ecogate MASTER system installed, on which they invited a third party to conduct a study. The conclusion of the study is that the Ecogate MASTER system measures electricity consumption very accurately. As a result, Sauder Woodworking decided to use the Ecogate MASTER system for their new factory. Sauder Woodworking uses an extension of network PLCs to completely automate their production lines. On their request, Ecogate developed a ProfiBus upgrade for the MASTER system. ProfiBus communication allows controlling all greenBOX MASTER inputs through a serial channel, as well reading the complete status of the entire system. This allows integration of the Ecogate system into computer-controlled manufacturing plants. This option is now available for all greenBOX MASTER models.