Sentry Express Digital Temperature Controller
Contents
1. ccccccccsssssssccsccccccccscccsscssseess 10 Trouble SHOOEEN ssscnssessscssnnssncccsesioavaecsessnensvadandsasnsas 10 Problem Controller display is blank No heat in kiln 10 Problem Controller display turns on No heat in kiln 11 Problem Kiln switch box 2 amp fuses keep blowing 11 2004 by Paragon Industries L P IM 221 10 04 800 545 6566 www riogrande com Safety The warranty on your Sentry Xpress controller does not cover damage from overfiring regard less of the circumstances It is the operator s responsibility to make sure the kiln turns off at the proper time e When the kiln is not in use disconnect the power e Do not leave the kiln unattended especially near the expected shut off time Wear firing safety glasses when looking into the firing chamber of a hot kiln e Do not touch hot sides of kiln Keep unsuper vised children away Install your kiln at least 12 inches from any wall or combustible surface Do not open lid or door until kiln has cooled and all switches are off e Fire only in a well ventilated covered and pro tected area away from combustible materials e Keep cordset away from hot sides of kiln or fur nace DANGEROUS VOLTAGE Do not touch heating elements with anything Disconnect before ser vicing 3 General Guidelines Time and Temperature Display Center Dot Time A center dot appears during time display It separates hours fro2. fe Sts Hn eS ne UP ATO we Kc To stop a firing before completion press START 2 SStP will appear Press the Up Arrow key again STOP StOP will appear alternating with total firing The firing will skip to the next segment time and kiln temperature Skip Segment Example Note Do not be concerned if your kiln makes a Skipping to a Cooling Segment You have pro clicking sound during firing Kilns use relays to grammed a target temperature of 1425 F for glass power the elements The relays click each time their fusing followed by a segment for controlled cooling electrical contacts come together Watching the glass through the peephole you notice that the glass edges have rounded nicely at 1375 F Use Skip Segment to end the firing segment and being one for slow cooling Note The kiln s actual firing rate may be less than the rate you programmed depending on the kiln model available voltage and density of the load you are firing Note Make a note of the temperature at which the glass fused Program that temperature for the next firing of that type of glass When the kiln fires to completion it will beep for 30 seconds The display will show the following m Firing time Present temperature CPLt Fired to completion To return to IdLE press START 800 545 6566 www riogrande com Sentry Express Digital Temperature Controller 6 Lost Wax Burnout CAUTION Only kilns with vent holes are designed for lost wa
3. Up Arrow key to scroll through these messages PrO1 PrO2 PrO3 PrO4 SPd1 SPd2 SPd3 SPd4 SPd5 To use Ramp Hold mode for the first time select PrO1 You do that pressing the START key after PrO1 appears Then follow the boxed instructions on page 7 to enter temperature heating rate etc PrO1 is Program 1 When you fire the kiln again you can repeat Program 1 by selecting PrO1 When you are 800 545 6566 www riogrande com ready to fire a different program select PrO2 which is Program 2 Then enter temperatures heating rates etc Select Program 3 and 4 the same way A program can have up to 8 segments but you don t have to use all 8 segments Use only the number needed per firing Often one segment is all you will need Zero out the unused segments The instructions on page 7 explain how to do that You can over write a program by selecting it and entering new rates and temperatures This automatically over writes the previous program Write down your pro grams in a notebook and record firing results for all fir ings Repeat Firings To repeat the last firing press ENTER from IdLE The kiln will begin firing But first make sure you are repeating the correct firing by using Program Review page 3 Programming a Cooling Segment For controlled cooling program a segment to a lower target temperature than that of the preceding segment Example You fire at a rate of 500 F per hour to 1450 F with your firs
4. key during a Ramp Hold firing If you press the Up Arrow again the fir ing will skip out of a segment into the next segment 800 545 6566 www riogrande com STOP The firing was stopped by pressing START STOP Strt The Ready to Start message appears after programming a firing Press START to begin firing Trouble Shooter Problem Controller display is blank No heat in kiln m s the kiln connected to the power m Has the circuit breaker tripped or fuse blown m s power reaching the wall receptacle Test with a volt meter or a test light if you are not sure m Has the kiln switch box amp fuse blown The kiln s 1 2 amp fuse is locat ed in the kiln switch box Remove by pressing the fuse holder and turning counter clockwise half a turn Check the fuse by placing the probes of an ohmmeter on the ends of the fuse If the ohmmeter reads less than an ohm digital meter or reads 0 ohms analog meter the fuse is okay If the reading is OPEN digital meter or infinity no needle movement analog meter the fuse is bad Replacement fuse AGC A 250V AC m s the controller receiving power Test with a power INPUT connections on the back of the controller with a voltmeter Controller Test Unplug the kiln Remove the 4 screw holding the controller faceplate to the switch box Lift faceplate out of box and let the board hang on the box with the back of the board facing you Plug the kiln ba
5. time left in Hold Two Firing Modes Single Segment and Ramp Hold To give you greater flexibility your controller has two firing modes Single Segment Mode see next column Often times all you will need is one segment that includes rate temperature change per hour a target temperature and if needed hold time In Single Segment mode you can choose one of five firing soeeds Then enter the temperature you are firing to Ramp Hold Mold see page 7 Ramp Hold mode offers much greater flexibility than Single Segment mode Use Ramp Hold to create a cus tom firings with up to 8 segments The controller can store 4 Ramp Hold programs in memory Programs are numbered 1 4 Type of Firing Suggested Firing Mode Enameling Single Segment Silver Clay Single Segment Glass Bead Annealing Ramp Hold Glass Fusing Ramp Hold Glass Slumping Ramp Hold Lost Wax Ramp Hold How to Select a Firing Mode 1 From IdLE display press START STOP once 2 Press the Up Arrow key several times You will see the following display messages SPd1 Single Segment 1 200 F 111 C rate per hour SPd2 Single Segment 2 500 F 277 C rate per hour SPd3 Single Segment 3 1000 F 555 C rate per hour List continues on next page 800 545 6566 www riogrande com Single Segment Programming Instructions Note Single Segment firing is all you will ever need if you are only going to a temperature and holding 1 From IdLE press S
6. 5 7 The target temperature the temperature that the kiln will fire to Each segment has a target temperature FULL Full power firing rate At this setting the kiln will fire at its fastest rate There are two ways to select full power 1 Select SPd5 in Single Segment mode 2 Selecta rate of 1799 F 999 C at the ra _ prompt in Ramp Hold mode A fast way to do this is to HLd ages 4 5 7 Hold time of a segment shown in 1 hours and minutes Example 2 hours and 15 minutes 02 15 IdLE Pages 3 The controller is ready for you to enter a program or to begin a repeat firing On Firing has begun A moment after On appears you will hear the relay s clicking PrO1 PrO2 PrO3 PrO4 Pages 5 6 7 These are Ramp Hold programs stored in memory ProG Page 4 These are Ramp Hold programs stored in memory rA 1 rA 2 etc Rate Page 7 This appears in Ramp Hold programming for each segment 1 2 etc are segment numbers Enter the rate of temperature change for that segment numbers Enter the rate of temperature change for that segment Rate is fig ured in degrees of temperature change per hour Example A temperature rise of 100 in two hours 50 rate A Atampa Erp e of 200 in one hour 200 rate SPd1 SPd2 SPd3 SPd4 SPd5 Page 5 These are R Hold programs estore in memory SStP Skip Step Page 7 This message appears when you press the Up Arrow
7. RIO GRANDE Courtesy of Paragon Industries L P Since 1944 Sharing your passion for making jewelry Products Service Know how Sentry Express Digital Temperature Controller iSO HREH BILK Time Display Temperature Display No Display Dot Temperature display in F Right Hand Display Dot Temperature display is in C See page 7 for instructions on select Center Display Dot Sepa rates hours from minutes ing F or C Example Display shown above is 1 hour and 30 minutes C Display Dot Indicator Lights Pa Top On during Program programming Review Middle On Hr Min during program when lit review Bottom Blinks during firing An HIGHER SENTRY Xpress MICRO PROCESSOR LOWER f Orton The Sentry Xpress 2 0 micro processor manufactured a the Orton Ceramic Foundation and displa vs the CE mark START STOP Key 1 On Off Starts and stops a firing 2 Enter Data Press after each programming step It works like the Enter key on a computer 800 545 6566 Up Arrow Key 1 Raises Numbers 2 Select a Firing Mode From IdLE press START Press Up Arrow to select Single Speed or Ramp Hold 3 Skips a Segment During a Ramp Hold firing skips to next segment After pressing the Up Arrow SStP will appear To skip press Up Arrow again www riogrande com Down Arrow Key 1 Lowers Numbers 2 Reviews a Program From IdLE or during firing press Do
8. RT Sentry Express Digital Temperature Controller 6 SPd4 Single Segment 4 1500 F 833 C rate per hour SPd5 Single Segment 5 Maximum rate PrO1 Ramp Hold Program 1 PrO2 Ramp Hold Program 2 PrO3 Ramp Hold Program 3 PrO4 Ramp Hold Program 4 To get back to IdLE press START STOP several times until IdLE appears Temperature Over Shoot When a kiln is heated too fast it may over shoot the target temperature especially in small kilns at lower temperatures To avoid this add an extra segment in a Ramp Hold program to slow the firing The segment with the slower rate should begin approximately 40 60 below the target temperature Ramp Hold Mode You can make your own firing programs and store them in the controller s memory A firing program tells the kiln how fast to fire and to what temperature The simplest program is one segment You can use up to eight segments with your controller in Ramp Hold mode Each segment includes a firing rate and firing tem perature You can also soak or hold the temperature for a specified period Each segment stores three details m rate temperature change in degrees per hour m target temperature m hold at the target temperature not always used The controller can retain four programs in memory even when power is turned off Programs are numbered 1 4 The first message to appear after you plug in your Sentry Xpress is IdLE Press START Then use the
9. TART 2 Use the Up Arrow key not the Down Arrow to select a firing rate temperature rise pre hour from 1 through 5 SPd1 200 F or 111 C SPd2 500 F or 277 C SPd3 1000 F or 555 C SPd4 1500 F or 833 C SPd5 Full Power Then press START 3 F or C and the target temperature from the last firing will appear Use the arrow keys to change the target temperature Then press START 4 Ed and the hold time from the last firing will appear e g 1 hour 10 minutes 01 10 Use the arrow keys to change the hold time Then press START 5 Strt will appear Press START to begin firing On will appear the Run indicator light will begin blinking and the kiln will begin firing To stop a firing before completion press START STOP StOP will appear alternating with kiln tem perature and total firing time Note Do not be concerned if your kiln makes a clicking sound during firing Kilns use relays to power the elements The relays click each time their electrical contacts come together Note The firing speed you select see step 2 is a pre programmed speed The kiln s actual firing speed may be less depending on the kiln model available voltage and density of the load you are firing When the kiln fires to completion the controller will beep for 30 seconds The display will show the following m Firing time Present temperature CPLt Fired to completion To return to IdLE press STA
10. aveiupadeesrvseremannmanisieeds 6 Programming a Cooling SegMent s ssesssesseessessesssessesssesseessess 6 A Ramp Hold Practice Program seesessesssessesssesseessesseesscoseesseoseessess 7 Skipping a Segment in a Ramp Hold Program 7 Ramp Hold Programming INStructiOnsS ccsesseseseeseseseeesees 7 LOSE Wax BUrnout ssssissssssrisosossdssssssssssassouonaomisssdasesssdais 8 172 a W nenna eran treats oe aa i aa E ENE 8 A Sample Program ssssssssssssssscscsssssscsssescsesssessesesescsescseesesesesesesees 8 Burnout NStrUC ONS osissssiisssseisncsnisnioseisussnisnoencsrireeisaanidiitsoiinerniiiie 8 Error VICSSAGES sicsssessssccssnsesanccisesseanssccncsensssevecedessanssees 9 DAGP Bad Programming wpsssesscecusciesierscnsessotinssinctboanteavessgunveeasartateen 9 EtH Electronics Too TA OU sessssseasssacisiasiasstestantsavessasseeacesntssenaseatocesaners 9 FalL Thermocouple Failure cesssssssssessssssessscssssssesessssessesess 9 TCR Thermocouple Reversed csssssssssssesscsssssssesssssscscssssseseesess 9 FEL FIrinNg TOO LONO siririna iR 9 PF 1 Power Failure sssesssesssesssesssesssessseosseessessseesssessseosseosseosseosseossee 9 PF 2 Power Failure sssesssesssesssesssesssesssesssesssessseesssessseosseosseosseosseossee 9 tC Thermocouple Failure s sssessesssessssssesseessesseesscssersseosesssesseesseese 9 Selecting F or C Display sssssccssssssscccsssssssceossssssese 9 Display Messages
11. ck in Touch voltmeter probes in AC mode to both INPUT connections the white and orange wires CAUTION Do not let the back of the board touch a grounded object Make sure the voltmeter is in the AC mode when placing the probes on INPUT connections Controller Power Input Test Result No voltage UNPLUG kiln Check the switch box for disconnected wires between the cord transformer and controller If wiring is okay replace the transformer Controller Power Input Test Result 20 24 volts AC Correct current is reaching the board from the trans former But since the board is not lighting up it is probably defective Return the controller for repair or replacement iN F A Power Input 11 Controller Power Input Test Result less than 20 volts Did you recently replace the transformer It may be the wrong voltage The voltage is below 20 which is not enough power for the controller To find out the cause of low voltage continue below Controller Input Test 2 f The back of the board is still facing you and the kiln is plugged in Remove the INPUT plug which is the white orange and blue wires from the back of the control ler Touch a voltmeter probe to the white wire and the other probe to the orange wire Input Test 2 Result Less than 20 Volts AC There are two possible reason 1 Low voltage at the wall receptacle 2 defective transformer If wall recep tacle voltage is correct rep
12. emove the mold and wax tray Pour the wax from the tray and leave the tray out of the kiln until your next wax elimination Do not leave the tray in the kiln 4 Heat the mold to the temperature recommended by your jewelers supply house where you pur chased the mold material This is usually around 1350 F 732 C 5 Lower the temperature to the casting temperature of the metal Hold at that temperature until you are ready to begin casting Remove the mold with tongs Wear protective gloves and safety glasses Saving a Carbon Damaged Kiln If you follow the above directions your kiln should be safe from wax damage In some cases a small amount of carbon may form on the walls over a period of time This is due to the burning of wax residue that was left in the mold For this reason we recommend that you periodi cally fire the kiln to 1500 F 815 C as follows 1 Open the vent cover s or leave the door ajar 2 2 Fire the kiln empty to 1500 F 815 C at a rate of 300 F 166 C with a one hour hold 01 00 g Sentry Express Digital Temperature Controller Error Messages bAdP Bad Programming The kiln will not fire because the program just entered has a rate of 0000 in segment 1 Program the firing again EtH Electronics Too Hot The temperature of the electronic circuit board is above 158 F 70 C This could damage the controller so the firing has been stopped To prevent this keep the firing room cooler Use b
13. etter ventilation FalL Thermocouple Failure The thermocouple or temperature sensor failed dur ing firing Causes m Defective thermocouple or disconnected loose wires m Defective controller m Electrical noise Thermocouple Paperclip Test Check the thermocouple af wire connection See your kiln instruction manual If connections are tight per form this test 1 UNPLUG the kiln or dis connect the power Remove the controller Remove ihe two thermo couple wires from the back of the controller 2 Cuta thin paperclip in half Insert a U shaped paper clip piece or other piece of thin wire where you removed the thermocouple wires 3 Plug in the kiln If the controller displays room tem perature replace the thermocouple If it shows FalL replace the controller TCR Thermocouple Reversed Thermocouple lead wire are reversed FtL Firing Too Long This message appears when both of the following conditions are met The temperature rise or fall is less than 27 F 15 C per hour m The firing is 4 hours longer than programmed See Controller display turn on No heat in kiln page 11 PF 1 Power Failure The power failed during firing and temperature dropped more than 180 F 100 C by the time the power 800 545 6566 www riogrande com cam back on PF 2 Power Failure The power failed during firing and kiln temperature was below 212 F 100 C when the power came back on tC Thermocou
14. l appear and the kiln will begin firing the program just reviewed Delay Delay is a count down timer The kiln begins firing when the timer runs out of time Use Delay to fit a firing into your schedule CAUTION For safety do not leave the kiln alone during the delay or a firing We cannot guarantee your kiln against overfiring even though the controller is auto matic 1 After you have entered a program and the controller is ready to begin firing Strt will appear 2 Press the Down Arrow key once dELA will appear alternating with 00 00 3 Use the arrow keys to enter delay time The decimal separates hours and minutes Example 1 hour and 10 minutes 01 10 Then press START dELA will appear alternating with time left until the firing begins www riogrande com Sentry Express Digital Temperature Controller 4 Power Failures After a power failure the controller will con tinue firing provided that m The kiln temperature is above 212 F 100 C when the power comes back on The temperature dropped no more than 180 F 100 C while the power was off Power Failure Messages PF 1 The power failed during firing and tempera ture dropped more than 180 F 100 C PF 2 The power failed during firing and kiln tem perature was below 212 F 100 C when the power came back on CPLT Message Firing Completed When the firing has success fully completed the Sentry CPLT Xpress will shut off power to the eleme
15. lace the transformer Input Test 2 Result 20 24 Volts AC The transformer is sending correct voltage to the con troller Yet when the INPUT plug was connected to the controller voltage was less than 20 This means the con troller is draining the voltage and is defective Return the controller for repair or replacement Problem Controller display turns on No heat in kiln m s the relay making its normal clicking sound Yes the relay is clicking Test the elements with an ohmmeter Element Resistance Test 1 UNPLUG kiln disconnect the power Open the kiln s switch box Make sure the wires connect ing the relay to the elements are secure If con nections are okay continue to step 2 2 Touch the ohmmeter leads to the two element connectors of each element A no needle movement reading on an analog meter or OPEN on a digital meter indicates a broken element If the elements check out okay replace the relay Note To replace relay see your kiln s instruction and service manual No the relay is not clicking We know the controller is receiving voltage because the display lit But the voltage from the transformer may be too low to power the relays Perform the Controller Power Input Test page 10 If your controller passes the Input Test perform the Controller Power Output Test Controller Power Output Test Is the controller sending voltage to the relay Test OUTPUT with a voltmeter 1 UNPLUG kil
16. m minutes i e 1 hour 30 minutes displays as 01 30 During temperature display the dot disappears Right Hand Dot C When temperature is dis played in C a dot appears in the lower right In F display it disappears You can choose between Fahrenheit and Celsius display See page 9 The center display dot indicates time instead of temperature Operation Begins from the IdLE Display IdLE must appear before you can fire the kiln f CPLt STOP or other message appears instead of IdLE when the kiln is first turned on press the START STOP key the key with the circular arrow IAEE will appear f you press the START STOP during a firing STOP will appear To get back to IdLE press START STOP again If the display shows an error message such as FalL instead of IdLE see page 9 CPLEt firing completed appears at the end of a firing To make IdLE appear press START STOP Thermocouple Inspection The small rod protruding into the firing chamber is the temperature sensor or thermocouple CAUTION Bumping the thermocouple can push it out of the firing chamber This could cause an overfire The controller does not contain an alarm to detect this type of failure Bumping the thermocouple could also cause inaccurate readings m A 1 8 thermocouple should extend into the firing chamber 2 m A 14 thermocouple should extend into the firing chamber 34 1 or more Keep
17. n disconnect the power Remove the 4 800 545 6566 www riogrande com Sentry Express Digital Temperature Controller screws holding the controller faceplate to the switch box Lift faceplate out of box and let the controller hang on the outside of the box with the back of the board facing you Then plug the kiln back in Program the controller to fire to 1000 F at FULL rate in Ramp Hold mode Press START 2 Put the voltmeter in DC mode It must be in DC mode when testing OUTPUT voltage Touch probes to the red wire and black wire connection Measure voltage when the relay clicks on Output Test Result No voltage at red and black wires The controller is not sending power to the relay Return the controller for repair or replacement Output Test Result 10 14 v at red and black wires The controller is sending correct power to the relay Unplug kiln disconnect power Remove the kiln switch box Look for disconnected wires between the control ler relay and elements Check the wiring diagram to be are connected to the correct terminals Be sure connec tions are tight If the wiring is okay replace the relay Note Jo replace relay see your kiln s instruction and service manual Problem Kiln switch box 4 amp fuse keep blowing m What size fuse are you using Correct fuse AGC A 250V AC If the fuse is correct size perform the following test Kiln Switch Box 2 Amp Fuse Test 1 UNPLUG kiln disconnect the power Remo
18. nts Then three mes sages will cycle one after the other 1 CPET complete 2 Firing time in hours and minutes 3 The current kiln temperature Thunder Storms and Power Surges Unplug the kiln or disconnect the power when the kiln is not in use especially during thunder storms and in areas with frequent power surges If the kiln is part way through a firing when a storm begins it is probably okay to continue the firing with close supervision Do no leave the kiln unattended Theory of Operation The temperature you are firing to is called the target temperature After the controller reaches the target temperature it can also hold that temperature The controller fires at a controlled heating rate The rate is figured in degrees per hour If you selected a rate of 100 per hour it would take 10 hours for the kiln to reach 1000 Rate is similar to miles per hour In summary the controller does three basic tasks 1 It fires at a controlled heating rate or speed mea sured in degrees of temperature change per hour 2 It fires to a target temperature 3 It can hold the target temperature 800 545 6566 www riogrande com Parts of a Segment Ramp means to raise or lower the Hold means to maintain a temperature The controller fires in segments or stages A segment is a given heating rate to a target temperature Shown above is a segment with a rate of 625 a target tem peratu
19. ple Failure The thermocouple failed or was disconnected during the IALE display See Fall in the column at left Selecting F or C Display The controller can display temperature in either F or C If your controller shows a small display dot in the lower right corner of the display the temperature shown is C No dot means F To change temperature display 1 UNPLUG kiln or disconnect power 2 Remove the four screws that hold the controller to the front kiln Carefully remove the controller from the kiln Leave the wire attached to the controller 3 Look at the back of the controller A plastic jumper on the back of the board determines the type of temperature display When the jumper connects two pin type terminals display reads F When the jumper is removed display reads C Remove or insert the jumper as desired You can purchase the jumper from a computer supply store if necessary 4 Install the controller being careful not to jar compo nents on the back of the controller against the kiln case Sentry Express Digital Temperature Controller 10 Display Messages Abrt The firing was stopped CPLt Fired to completion If the kiln is already hot ter that the programmed target temperature when you begin firing CPLt will appear immediately after you begin firing dELA Page 3 Delay is a count down timer that start the firing when the time runs out F or C and temperature Pages
20. re HLd Enter hold time 00 00 or hold time Strt On The kiln is now firing Ramp Hold OJO C C C Keys to Press Display IdLE SPd1 thru Pro4 A Not Down Arrow Prol Select Program 1 2 3 or 4 A 1 A LV Enter Segment 1 rate 500 Sample rate ee Ol a A LV Enter temperature 1900 Sample temperature HLd 1 A LV Enter hold time 00 00 or hold time First segment not needed enter arate of OOOO Strt On The kiln is now firing 2011 The Bell Group Inc All rights reserved 800 545 6566 www riogrande com
21. re of 1250 and a hold of one hour Heating rate is figured in degrees per hour The rec ommended heating rate for the material you are firing is usually available from your supplier It also varies depending on the thickness of the material To figure how long a firing segment will take subtract the current temperature from the target temperature and divide the resultant temperature by the heating rate In the diagram above the firing time is 1250 80 room temperature 1170 625 1 87 hours The controller can fire up to 8 segments pre firing One segment is often all that is needed though After the controller has finished firing the last seg ment it will turn off power to the elements Rate Each segment must include a rate which is degrees of temperature change per hour The kiln will fire at full power when the rate is 1799 F 999 C Full power displays as FULL Note To enter full power from 0000 press the Down Arrow key once Rate Firing Speed h Sentry Express Digital Temperature Controller Hold Hold maintains a steady temperature for the length of time you specify You can use Hold in both heating up or cooling down segments When Hold is set to 99 59 hours the controller will remain at that temperature indefinitely until you press STOP To enter 99 59 hour Hold press the Down Arrow once from 00 00 during programming Note During firing the display shows Hold temperature and
22. shelves posts and ware 1 1 2 away from the thermocouple 800 545 6566 Sentry Express Digital Temperature Controller A Rapid Way to Scroll Numbers During programming hold an arrow key down several second and the numbers will begin to scroll rapidly Ordinarily you would press Up Arrow to raise a number and Down Arrow to lower it But sometimes it is faster to press the opposite key This is because the numbers scroll below 0000 to the highest number and vice versa Examples m To program a 99 59 hour Hold when the display shows 00 00 press the Down Arrow once To program a FULL rate when the display shows 0000 press the Down Arrow once To program a temperature of 200 F when the display shows 1800 F press the Up Arrow That is faster than pressing the Down Arrow Program Review amp Repeat Firing Program Review lets you check that the information programmed into the controller is correct It is a good habit to use Program Review before every firing Program Review shows the values for the program in active memory which is either The program that was fired last The program that was selected since the last firing Program Review during firing Press the Down Arrow key The rate temperature hold etc will dis play one after the other Firing will continue Program Review from IdLE Press the Down Arrow key After rate temperature hold etc Strt will appear Press START STOP On wil
23. t segment You want the kiln to cool at a rate of 100 F per hour down to 700 F Here is how you would program the two segments Rate Temp Segment F C F C Hold 1 500 277 1450 788 00 00 2 100 55 700 371 00 00 The first segment is the heating segment The second one is the cooling segment The controller does not use minus numbers for cooling Just enter a lower target temperature than that of the previous segment If you prop the lid or door for a fast cooling program a fast cooling rate for that segment If you lower the temperature quickly by propping the lid but program a slow cooling rate the controller will just raise the tem perature again Example Some glass artists flash cool the glass just after it fuses They open the door a few inches to remove heat then close it again This takes the glass down rap idly through the devitrification range To program a flash cool use maximum rate This shuts off the heating elements during that segment allowing the kiln to cool rapidly Note During fast cooling do not open the door all the way Do not force cool the kiln with a fan 1 Sentry Express Digital Temperature Controller A Ramp Hold Practice Program To practice using the controller we will enter a pro gram that includes three segments The last segment is a cooling segment Ramp Hold Programming Instructions Note You have up to 8 segments available in Ramp Hold If you don t need all 8 zero out
24. ter this program Rate Temp Segment F C F C Hold 1 500 277 300 148 01 00 2 500 277 1350 732 01 00 3 450 250 800 426 02 00 Segment 1 heats the wax to 300 F 148 C and holds it for one hour allowing it to drip from the mold Segment 2 hardens the mold Segment 3 lowers the temperatures to 800 F 426 C 800 545 6566 www riogrande com the typical casting temperature for silver Most types of gold cast at 900 F 482C Note Casting temperature depends on the size of the mold The temperatures above are only a guide See your jewelry supply dealer for temperature recommen dations Burnout Instructions 1 Place a metal tray inside the kiln on three 12 posts Place the mold on a wire mesh screen on top of the tray The mold s sprue hole should be down The tray will catch melting wax as it drips from the sprue hole 2 Keep the kiln s vent hole s if any open during wax elimination If the kiln has no vent hold leave the door open 12 This allows fumes to escape the kiln Heat the kiln to 300 F 148 C and hold it at that tem perature for at least one hour CAUTION Do NOT heat the wax above 300 F 148 C Hold at 300 F 148 C for at least one hour During this hour the wax will melt from the mold and drip into the tray If the kiln gets hotter than 300 F 148 C the wax may smoke and deposit carbon inside your kiln causing expensive damage 3 After one hour at 300 F 148 C open the kiln R
25. the Using the programming instructions on the next col unused segments See step 6 below umn enter this firing schedule The use Program Review page 3 to check for accuracy oS a 2 Press the Up Arrow key not the Down Arrow PrO1 PrO2 PrO3 and PrO4 are Ramp Hold programs When the one you want appears press START Ignore SPd1 SPd5 3 rA 1 will appear Enter firing rate tempera ture change per hour for segment 1 1 slowest rate 1799 F 999 C full power Then press START 4 F 1 or C 1 and the target temperature from the last firing will appear Use the arrow keys iar to change the temperature Then press START i 1 750 5 HLd 1 and the hold time from the last firing HLd 1 00 00 will appear e g 1 hour 10 minutes 01 10 rA2 900 Use the arrow keys to change the hold time F 2 1425 Then press START HLd 2 00 30 6 Continue entering values for the segments rA3 150 needed When rA_ appears for the next seg F 3 750 ment that you don t need select 0000 The HLd 3 00 00 press ENTER This will zero out the remaining RA4 0000 zeroes cancel segments 4 8 segments Example You need only 1 seg a i ment When rA 2 appears enter 0000 Skipping a Segment in a Ramp Hold Program You can skip a segment in a Ramp Hold program as follows Strt will appear Press START to begin firing On will appear the Run indicator light will begin blinking and the kiln will begin firing
26. ve the 4 screws holding the controller faceplate to the switch box Lift faceplate out of box and let the board hang on the outside of the box with the back of the board facing you Disconnect vy both wire plugs form ey _ the back of the control Ni SS we ler Then plug the kiln back in Apply power to kiln If the amp fuse blows replace the transformer If the fuse does not blow the problem is the board or relay Go to step 2 2 Connect the INPUT plug orange blue and white wires to the board again Leave off the OUTPUT wire plug the one with the red and black wires Program the controller to fire at 1000 F at FULL rate in Ramp Hold mode Press START If the fuse blows replace or service the board If the fuse does not blow the problem is caused by a short in the coil of the relay Go to step 3 3 UNPLUG kiln disconnect the power Reconnect the OUTPUT wire plug Reinstall the board in the switch box Replace the relay RIO GRANDE Sentry Express Digital Temperature Controller 12 Shorthand Instructions These instructions may be confusing until you have read more detailed instructions on single Single Segment page 5 or Ramp Hold page 7 Read the safety guidelines page 2 After pressing the keys in left column the center message will appear Single Segment Keys to Press Display IdLE SPd1 thru PrO4 Not Down Arrow Select rate SPd1 Sample rate eee OF ee Enter temperature 1900 Sample temperatu
27. wn Arrow The program you have selected will appear one step at a time 3 Delays a Firing From Strt press Down Arrow TM You 2 S THE Studio Rio s blog Sentry Express Digital Temperature Controller 2 Contents General Guidelines cccccccccccccsssssscccccsccccecccees 3 Time and Temperature Display sssesssessseesseesseesseesseesseesseesseesseess 3 Operation Begins from the IdLE Display cceseseseesseeseees 3 Thermocouple Inspection ssesssessssssesssesseessesseesecsseessessesssesseessesss 3 A Rapid Way to Scroll Numbers cssecssssesecssssseccesseseesesesecees 3 Program Review amp Repeat Firing s ssessesessessessessssesessessesessessess 3 Doea EE 3 Power FailUreS sissisesssrsinssssisnsssronsinirsossakenerrosnarsssesdsesssvoissonesesndaisonssii 4 CPLT Message Firing Completed sssessesssessesssesseesserseesseeseesse 4 Thunder Storms and Power SUrgeS ssesseessesseessesssessesssesseessess 4 Theory of Operation sssssssssscccccosocscsssssececeeossssssssso 4 EE E PT E O A E O IE E A O E E T 4 RON n E E EA 5 Two Firing Modes Single Segment and Ramp Hold J Single Segment Programming InstructionS ssesssessserssersseess 5 Temperature Over Shoot ccssscsssssscscsssssssssscscsessssssssssceesessseseesess 6 Ramp Hold Mode eessccecsscccssccccscecccssceccscecsscecscccessceeo 6 Repeat Firing Se ccacussencisasy vaordenstorsesatatarateeslos
28. x burnout However you may be able to use a kiln without the vent hole provided that you open the door 2 during venting CAUTION Always use a wax tray Note These instructions apply to injection wax that melts at 200 F not pattern waxes and plastics that melt at higher temperatures If smoke appears during wax elimination turn off the kiln Smoking wax means the kiln fired hotter than 300 F 148 C Overview Lost wax casting is the process of carving a shape in wax and then casting that shape in metal After the wax has been carved a mold is made of the wax shape The mold is a negative image of the wax The wax is later melted out of the mold through hollow channels called sprues Lost wax burnout is the process of preparing a casting mold for the melted metal that will be poured into it The steps in lost wax burnout 1 Melt the wax from the mold 2 Remove wax from the kiln before raising the tem perature higher than 300 F 148 C Harden the mold at high temperature Maintain the mold at the casting temperature rec ommended for the type of metal that will be poured into the mold CAUTION Prevent wax or carbon from contacting the kiln s walls and elements Carbon build up inside a kiln ruins the interior Carbon conducts electricity and causes elements to short circuit Damage to elements from contact will foreign materials is not covered by warranty A Sample Program See instructions on page 7 to en
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