This guide applies to sites with the ICS web based tunnel controller, Tunnel Master wbc (WBC), who need to input or modify Retract settings from a Web Browser.
Supplemental Documentation
Overview
- Precautions
- Backup WBC Settings
- Glossary of Terms
- Retract Programming Example: Full Retract
- Virtual Relay Programming Example: Truck Bed Retract
- Wiring in Sequence Example: Mirror Bump
- Part of Car Considerations
- Additional Retract Notes
- References
Precautions
This is meant to be an overview of concepts and logic used when programming retracts on a WBC. Due to variability in equipment functionality, there is no single way to program retracts for all pieces of equipment. This guide will give you some concepts to consider when testing retract settings in your tunnel. No changes to programming are complete until testing has been done in the tunnel with a Ghost Car to ensure proper functionality.
Backup WBC Settings
IMPORTANT: Before making any changes to your Tunnel Master wbc (WBC) settings, ICS recommends to Backup WBC Settings.
Glossary of Terms
Primary Relay – The relay that activates a piece of equipment in the tunnel when turned on
Secondary Relay – The relay that alternates or disables the activation of the Primary Relay. This can be a virtual relay or physical relay that is wired in sequence with the primary.
TOWARDS – Indicates if the equipment moves towards the center line of the tunnel when activated
AWAY - Indicates if the equipment moves away from the center line of the tunnel when activated
Selective – Relay Type that requires being listed on a specified service list in order to activate the relay for the specified service
Deselective - Relay Type that requires being listed on a specified service list in order to disable the relay for the specified service
Full Retract – Programming that will prevent a piece of equipment from activating at all during a wash service
Partial Retract – Programming to replace the normal active time with an alternate active time for specific vehicles (IE: Trucks, Jeeps)
Retract Programming Example: Full Retract
For this Full Retract Example, we will be program a complete disabling of the Wrap 1 relay (Relay #1.0 in the WBC):
- In the WBC, confirm the Primary relay is programmed, functions as intended, and timing is correct.
NOTE: If troubleshooting a wrap or brush, confirm whether the equipment moves TOWARDS or AWAY from the vehicle when relay is activated. This will affect step C below.
- Create the virtual relay with the same Start, Extend, Look Ahead, and Part of Car as the Primary relay.
- Define the Type for the Primary and virtual relay depending upon the answer from step A.
- If the equipment goes TOWARDS the vehicle/center line of tunnel when active, set Primary relay to Deselective and program the retract service to activate the Primary relay.
- If the equipment goes AWAY from vehicle/center line of tunnel when active, set Primary relay to Selective and program the retract service to activate the Primary relay. Virtual relays are not needed for programming a retract in this situation.
NOTE: Type is the main difference between these two examples.
- In the below example, the equipment goes TOWARDS the vehicle/center line when active:
- In the below example, the equipment goes AWAY from the vehicle/center line when active:
Virtual Relay Programming Example: Pickup Bed Retract
This next example is a Partial Retract for a pickup bed retract. This programming will allow the relay to activate as it normally would, while also disabling the Primary relay timing part way through the normal activation time.
Simply put, instead of washing the entire vehicle length, it will only wash the first half of the vehicle in order to avoid the bed.
- For this to work, add a Virtual relay that will replace the Primary timing.
- Our programming will vary depending on whether the equipment tied to the relay goes TOWARD or AWAY from the vehicle when active.
NOTE: Part of Car PF and PB only works with a Pickup Bed Sensor installed and connected to the WBC. If your site does not have this sensor, please replace the part of car PF with FH if this relay needs to be active during the front half, or if this relay needs to be active during the rear half of the vehicle, replace PB with RH. The front cabin and rear bed of most pickup trucks will have varying distances between different trucks, due to this the programming will not be accurate for every vehicle while using FH and RH.
- This example image assumes the equipment goes TOWARD the vehicle/center line when active; Due to the Primary relay being assigned with the Deselective type it will not activate, but the Secondary relay that is assigned with the Selective type will activate.
- If the equipment goes AWAY from the vehicle/center line when active, set the Primary relay as Deselective Type and the Secondary relay will be set as Selective as the type and PB (Pickup Bed) as the Part of Car.
Wiring in Sequence Example: Mirror Bump
This process involves programming a Second relay to turn off a Primary relay, in order to perform this, the site will need to have a Primary relay wired to a physical Secondary relay. The Primary relay will be used to activate the equipment and the Secondary relay will be used to turn off the Primary relay momentarily.
Wiring in Sequence
In our example, we will be referring to the 1st wrap relay as the Primary relay, and the relay in sequence as the Secondary relay:
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Primary relay Wrap 1 (Relay 3.0) needs to turn off momentarily to avoid the driver side & passenger side mirrors (A.K.A. Mirror Bump). The site has wired the normally open wire of the equipment into Normally open on Primary Relay 3.0 and the Common wire from the equipment is connected to the Common port of Secondary Relay 71.0. Site has wired the Normally Closed from relay 71.0 to the Common on relay 3.0
Wiring in Sequence Diagram
- You do not need to use relays in numerical order, you simply need to ensure that the piece of equipment has two wires going to the WBC. The wire carrying power should be wired to the normally open port of the Primary Relay, while the Common wire should be going to the common port on the Secondary Relay.
Wiring in Sequence Programming
After the wiring is in place, program the Secondary relay to turn on in order to disable the Primary relay. You will need to know when the Primary Relay activates (Start time) along with how far into the action, and for how long to disable it.
Example: Primary Relay turns on at 200 inches past the photo eyes and turns off at 230.
- Set the Secondary Relay to activate at 230.
- Change the part of car to the Front Bumper to ensure it does not activate for long.
- Test with a Ghost Car, and then make adjustments, as needed, to the start time until satisfied with the amount of time that the Secondary Relay disables the Primary Relay.
- Is this mirror bump retract going to activate for every wash or only certain vehicles?
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- If programming to retract for every wash, set both relays with the type of Mandatory.
- If the retract needs to activate for certain vehicles/washes, set the Secondary relay as selective and add it to a retract service.
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Wiring in Sequence Programming Example:
Example: Primary relay 3.0 is set to Mandatory, but could be set to Deselective. The Secondary relay 71 is listed on the service, when it activates at 230 inches into the tunnel it will turn off relay 3 which will disable the wrap; it will stay disabled for 5% of the detected vehicle length.
Part of Car Considerations
In order to program any relay properly, we must understand how the Part Of Car setting affects when a relay is activated. Refer to the following example using a 300 inch Vehicle:
| All of Car (AC) | Would activate for 300 inches (100%) |
| Rear Bumper (RB) | Would activate for 15 inches (5%) |
| Front Bumper (FB) | *See Exception* When a relay has the front bumper part of car AND an extend set, the extend acts as a negative value for the start time and the stop timing for the piece of equipment will be the start setting. |
| Front/Rear Half (FH/RH) | Would activate for 150 inches (50%) |
| Pickup Front/Rear Half (PF/PB) | Dependent on Truck bed sensor, would activate for the area before (front) or after (rear) the truck bed sensor detected the “pickup bed drop” as defined in the WBC Pickup Bed Retract settings |
| Tire All (TA) | Would activate in accordance with the tire signals detected during vehicle measurement |
| Upper Side (US) | Dependent on Truck bed sensor, would target the area the ultrasonic sensor detected as the highest points while the vehicle was being measured |
| Oversized Vehicle (OV) | Dependent on Truck bed sensor |
| Windshield (WS) | Dependent on Truck bed sensor, would target the area between hood and top of a vehicle as defined in the WBC Vehicle Upper/Lower Output Settings. |
Front Bumper Example
If Part of Car is set to Front Bumper, Extend is set to 20, and Start is set to 120. Relay will activate at 100 and turn off at 120.
The above examples demonstrate the two main methods for programming retracts; however, the details and variables involved will make it so every retract will be different. Please work with the installer/distributor for your site as needed.
Additional Retract Notes
- It is NOT recommended to make Service or Relay changes while the wash is in operation.
- Backup settings before AND after programming changes.
- If a relay already exists AND the type of relay needs to be changed (IE: Relay 1 is changed from Deselective to Selective). Be aware that multiple service lists may need to be adjusted to account for this change and each service should be tested to confirm desired operation.
- In addition to the variable of type of retract, there may be times where a single relay needs to be retracted in multiple ways (IE: Wrap relay needs to be able to perform front bumper, rear bumper and full retracts)
- In these situations the site will need to program selective “#.1”, “#.2” and “#.3” relays for each function and then assign each to their own respective retract service.
- There WILL be issues if you there are two or more retracting functions for a single relay assigned on a single wash.
Example: If a Wrap 1 full retract and a Wrap 1 mirror bump retract are assigned to the same service, the piece of equipment will not turn on at all as the full retract will override the mirror bump.
References
Refer to the specific Tunnel Master wbc Settings Guides for each configuration:
Please contact ICS Technical Support if any assistance is needed:
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