Question: What is this system used for?
Answer: The Metafix Poly Plate System is specifically designed to treat the activator & stabilizer used in the processing of Polyester plates.

Question: Can the Poly Plate system keep up with my production?
Answer: Yes, the Poly plate system treats waste effluent at a rate of 6.34g/min (24L/hr) and can treat a total of 152 USG (576 liters) in a 24 hour period. This is large enough for all Ctp lines currently in operation.

Question: How much floor space will it take?
Answer: There are two versions of this system, the Online (connected to the processor) and the Offline (stand alone and not connected to the processor). The On line system requires 4SqfFof floor space while the Offline unit uses only 2.17SqF.

Question: Does it need a dedicated power line?
Answer: No, the unit can operate of f any 110V 15amp circuit. It does not have to be dedicated.

Question: What happens when I dump my processor for cleaning?
Answer: If you have an online system your processors activator & stabilizer will empty into the units holding tank for processing.  If you are using the stand alone system you should commingle the activator & stabilizer in a jug that you can bring to the unit for treatment.

Question: Where is the unit installed?
Answer: For the On line system the unit is usually installed at the discharge end on either side of the processor. Which side exactly is dependent on the configuration of the Ctp line itself and the sites workflow around the Ctp line. For the stand alone unit you can install it anywhere as long as you have the power, cold water line and drain in the same location.

Question: Can the unit be connected to two Ctp lines?
Answer: Yes, the online unit can but only under specific conditions. You should contact Metafix to discuss your particular situation to get clarification if you are interested in doing this.

Question: Can the Ply plate unit be installed in a separate room?
Answer: Yes, but this means that you would have to supply sump pumps to pump the water and developer from the processor to the room where the Metafix will be installed if your using the online system. This can be done but it is not something we would recommend. It is best that the pH control be  installed beside the processor. A better option would be for you to use the offline unit and physically bring you spent chemistry to it for treatment.

Question: If my Ctp line is on a second floor and I wanted to install the pH Control on the floor below the Ctp lines can I do it?
Answer: Yes, this has been done at several locations. You would however have to provide the proper plumbing from the processors to the area where the Poly plate unit will be installed. Again, if this is of interest you should contact Metafix Technical support to discuss, they will be able to provide you with the requirements based on your specific site requirements.

Question: What neutralizer will I need?
Answer: The Metafix R4 poly plate unit is designed to work with Metafix MetaAid solution. There are several different concentrations of MetaAid and the exact one required is determined on the plates and developer being used in your processor.This will be determined by the technical support or sales department before a unit is shipped and installed.

Question: How much of this neutralizer will I use?
Answer: This is difficult to say as each sites plate throughput is different. However, a good rule of thumb is to use a 10:1 ratio. For every 10 liters of waste developer you produce you will consume approximately 1 liter of neutralizer.

Question: How do you know what the pH is of the developer you are sending to the drain?
Answer: The pH of the treated developer is passed over the pH probe and the pH is measured. The pH probe has a feed back loop to the controller that automatically adjusts the speed of the Neutralizer pump up or down depending on what the pH probe is reading.

Question: Can I set the pH that I want the unit to produce?
Answer: Yes, There are three pH settings that are programmed when the unit is installed. A pH low setting, a pH high setting and a target pH setting. For example: pH Low 5.5, pH High 10.0 Target pH 8.2. Any of these three settings can be set to the specific requirements of the local sewer use code.

Question: What happens if the unit cannot produce a proper pH and it goes outside the high and low limits?
Answer: The system will shut down and sound an alarm, either pH high or pH low. These alarms do not reset by themselves, there must be user intervention in order to reset the alarms.

Question: How do I know what to do when one of these alarms go off?
Answer: You call Metafix technical support to report the alarm, they will go over the unit with you to see if they can determine the cause of the alarm and instruct you on what needs to be done to resolve any issue if one is found and how to reset the alarm. The call is free (1-888-636-1087) or if you prefer you can e-mail them at ctp@metafix.com

Question: What’s this business with the internet I read about in your information bulletin?
Answer: All Metafix pH control units are internet ready. This means that if you provide an eithernet connection where the unit is to be installed the system will download its processing information after every cycle and all alarms directly to Metafix technical support.

Question: What do you do with this information?
Answer: The information is reviewed by Metafix technical support to make sure your unit is functioning properly. The information these downloads provide us help us to track the units performance. The alarms alert us to any potential issue with the unit, these alarms are reviewed along with the other data received from your unit and if its required a Metafix Technical support member will contact you to notify and resolve the issue.

We also keep this information on file and can provide it to you on a monthly basis for your records. This proves to the local inspectors that your on top of whats being discharged and that you have a program in place.

Question: What do I need in order to use this service?
Answer: All you need to do is provide and eithernet connection where the unit is going to be installed. The system comes configured to run with DHCP but static IP address’s can be assigned if required.

If your IT department wants to assign static addresses then our installer will need the IP, router and DNS server address’s your IT department want to assign at the time of installation.

Question: How much does this remote monitoring service cost?
Answer: Nothing, It is a value added service we provide all our end users as long as you are using our unit and MetaAid neutralizing solution.

Question: Do I need to have an internet connection in order to use your system?
Answer: NO! You do not NEED a connection to use our system. It will work perfectly fine without one! However, if you do not connect the unit to the internet we will request that you complete a weekly log manually so we can keep some sort of tabs on your unit.

Question: Do you need to be able to call into your unit?
Answer: NO! Traffic from our unit is outbound only!

Question: How often do I need to perform routine maintenance?
Answer: This will depend on how much volume your produce.

Question: Then how do I know when it needs to be performed?
Answer: We will make recommendations once we know what kind of volume you are producing and will advise you on a frequency that we think would be good for your specific situation. That said in the worst case you should not have to perform preventative maintenance more often then every quarter.

Question: What would we have to do for preventative maintenance?
Answer:  Usually the preventative maintenance involves a probe cleaning and calibration and possibly flushing of the developer lines inside the unit.

Question: What does the column do?
Answer: The column is used to remove the silver that comes off the plates during processing.

Question: How often does the column need to be changed?
Answer: The column should be changed every 528g (2000L) or once per year, whichever comes first.

Question: So does this mean I get money back like in the old days with silver recovery when I was using film?
Answer: Unfortunately no. There is enough silver in the waste effluent to be picked up at the fence line if you were being tested but its not the same quantity as film. The cost of getting the columns back and the disposal usually eats up any value of silver contained in them.

Question: What do I do with the used columns?
Answer: You can notify Metafix at Ctp@metafix.com that you have used columns and we will make arrangements to have them brought back to us for proper disposal.