Torque¶

Torque Calculation

It is now possible to calculate whether a motor or mechanism is powerful enough to lift a blind and give a warning message if it is not.
This takes place immediately after the functionality that takes place for ‘Check Tube Deflection’.

There is a new field in the blind type record called ‘Check Torque’ which defaults to false.
There are two new fields held in the stock record called ‘Torque (Nm) and ‘Friction %’.
The calculation for torque is (expressed in lb) is:

(Weight of blind * (Tube diameter / 2)) * (1 + friction %)

Expressed in Nm (Newton metres) 1 newton meters, or 0.737562149277 foot pounds

If the ‘Check Torque’ flag is switched on and there is not enough torque in the selected option, a message will appear asking the user to enter an appropriate motor or mechanism.

Tube Deflection / Torque Calculations

The ‘Modulas of Elasticity’ and ‘Moment Of Inertia’ are now only held against stock records (previously this was also held in System Tables > Tube Deflection Settings.

The formula for the tube deflection is now only held in Administration > Parameters > Manufacturing, and can be adjusted accordingly.

Torque Calculation

This now works for wood blinds. Therefore the same functionality that has been applied to rollers is applied if the blind identifier = Wood.
This is because we have a customer that puts a motor into a wood blind. The formula is:

Calculated Torque = (Weight * (1 + Friction Percent))

Multi Blind Torque Calculation

The torque calculation for a multi blind is different to that for a normal blind. If it is for a roller blind, the tubes are connected and os there will only be one motor.
For a 1 on 1 blind, the torque calculation will be the same as a normal blind.

For each extra blind, the torque required will increase by a percentage. Therefore we need to hold a table for ‘2 on 1’, ‘3 on 1’ etc.
The table is a tab in the blind type record (to be shown if ‘Check Torque’ and ‘Multi Blind Choice’ are both selected). There are two fields for entry – ‘Multi Blind Choice’ and ‘Torque % Increase’.

The torque calculation is only done once for the multi blind.

Torque Calculation

We need to make some further changes to the torque calculation. There will be certain stock items in the BOM that should not be included in the weight when calculating torque.
Therefore a new field has been added in the stock record called ‘Exclude From Torque Calc’.

Also the amount of fabric that is used in the calculation is now only the width of the fabric and the drop of the blind.
The amount of fabric that is always wrapped around the roller tube is excluded as it will never go up or down.

Order Processing > Orders > Bill Of Materials

If ‘Check Torque’ is switched on for a blind type, then the ‘Calculated Torque’ now displays at the bottom of the BOM form.

Torque Calculation

A couple of changes have been made to the torque calculation functionality. At the moment it checks which option is set up with the code = Torque.
This has been changed for blind types where ‘Check Torque’ = true, so it looks in the BOM records to see which records have a torque figure in them.
It is possible that there could be more than one, so these are added together (after the friction % is included) and this figure is then checked against the weight of the blind to determine if there is enough torque to lift the blind.

Order Processing > Orders > Detail Line Import

At the moment it is possible to import detail lines into an order.
However the option defaults that get set for these may not be correct, since we created the functionality for roll up diameter, tube deflection and torque calculation.

There is a new parameter in Administration > Parameters > Order/Quotation Processing called 'Import Torque Etc Validation'.
When the ‘Import’ button is used in Orders, it will then employ a function that will run through all the detail lines on the order and check roll up diameter, tube deflection and torque (if the flags are switched on in the blind type record).

Torque Calculation

This should apply for all blind types. This means that there should be a ‘Check Torque’ flag in the blind type form for all blind types. When an order detail line is entered (and if ‘Check Torque’ is set to true), the weight is calculated for all blind types and then compared against the highest torque settings in the options.

Order Processing > Orders > Multi Band

We have refined the way that the multi blind order entry works.

If a ‘multi band’ blind type is selected, the number of choices now ranges from ‘2 on 1’ up to ‘8 on 1’.

Once a choice is made, the band width will be calculated by dividing the overall width by the number of bands.
The user then has to select the options as normal.
However there will be one option that will only have the choices of IDL, C1, C2.. or DRV. (This option will be identified with a code in System Tables > Option Names eg Band Identifier).

This means we can identify the control side by selecting either IDL or DRV for the first blind.

If the user has selected a ‘4 on 1’ blind, and the band identifier option is IDL in the first line, then the second line will have that option set as C1, third as C2 and fourth as DRV.
If the lines are generated automatically, these will be filled like this. If the first line has the option as DRV, then the last will be IDL.

This means we can use the link options to select other options (possibly dummy stock items) determined by the band identifier option.
Therefore the cutting sizes for each band can be identified using the cutting option ‘Calc From BOM’.

The rules for roll up diameter and tube deflection feasibility will be applied to the individual band detail lines.
The torque will be calculated for the entire shade, because now we have a defined BOM for all the bands and the torque calculation will be just an addition of all plus the % or static coefficient for the number of intermediate brackets. This torque value will be checked against the DRV clutch/motor/drive.

If the first line is edited, then all detail lines will be recalculated.

The following needs to be implemented to get this to work properly.
Add a new System Tables>Option Name record with a Code called 'Band Identifier'
A new integer field has been added to Stock Item>Defaults called 'Band Index', default null.
Three new choices have been added to Stock Item > Special called 'IDL', 'DRV', 'Main'

Operator need to add a new stock item with 'Band Identifier' link option and Special = Main
Operator need to add a new stock item with 'Band Identifier' link option and Special = DRV
Operator need to add a new stock item with 'Band Identifier' link option and Special = IDL
Operator need to add a X new stock items with 'Band Identifier' link option where 'Band Index' should be incremented for each next stock item.
Operator need to add 'Band Identifier' option to Blind Type>Option Setup (for multi blind)

When new multi blind detail will be entered (4 on 1 for example) then 5 new detail lines will be created (1 main detail line and 2-4 multi blind detail lines).
In the first (main) detail line the 'Band Identifier' choice will be selected as point 4 stock item. (Special = Main)
In the 1 multi blind detail line the 'Band Identifier' choice will be selected as point 5 stock item(DRV) or point 6 stock item(IDL) depends on from Blind Type>Option Setup>Option Selection>Default flag

In the 2-3 multi blind detail line the 'Band Identifier' choice will be selected as stock item with Multi Blind Index = detail multi blind index.
In the 4 multi blind detail line the 'Band Identifier' choice will be selected as point 5 stock item(DRV) or point 6 stock item (IDL).