PID control kit Rancilio Silvia w/ RTD screw sensor

This PID controller kit is designed for retrofitting into the Rancilio Silvia espresso machine made after 2000 and before September 2006.   By adding a PID controller to the heater control circuit, brewing water temperature can be controlled to ±1 F° accuracy. Thus, it will significantly improve the taste of your espresso. Users can also easily adjust the brew water temperature to suit their own tastes.

The kit includes:

·        Custom manufactured PID temperature controller with parameters set for the machine.

·        Controller box with stainless steel panel that matches the brush finish of  the machine.

·        Solid state relay with mounting hardware and heat conductive paste.

·        Platinum RTD temperature sensor with tip made for the thermowell on the machine

·        High temperature resistant wires, color coded, cut to length and terminated with proper connectors

·        Instructional CD with text and photos.

 To install the kit, users will need the following:

·        Knowledge of electronics wiring and safety.

·        Screw driver, pliers, a socket wrench and small amount of alcohol.

·        40-60 minutes of time.

No requirement for special tools. No requirement to learn how to set up the PID controller (usually, this is the most challenging part of the project for espresso drinkers with no control engineering background).

 Unique features.

1)      The PID controller in this kit is specifically modified for home espresso brewing applications. Two additional parameters are included to balance the requirement of cold start speed, shot recovery speed and long term stability. (this is a different controller than our universal controller SYL-1512) Fig 1 is the temperature response curve.

2)      A platinum RTD temperature sensor is used which is more accurate and has greater long-term stability than thermocouple sensors.  Temperature variations within the controllers environment will not affect the accuracy of its reading.  The sensor is built inside of a screw and will fit into the existing thermowell on the boiler’s top surface. Our test results show that this provides more accurate temperature measurement and control results than that from a sensor mounted on the boiler’s top surface.

3)      All the cables in the kit have higher temperature endurance than the original cables used by the manufacture. We use color coded cables with either fluoropolymer or silicone insulation. This will prevent the potential electrical shock resulting from PVC insulated wires touching the boiler during operation.

4)      The size of this controller is one of the most compact on the market.  With a custom made enclosure, we can mount the controller between the group head and steam wand without interfering with their function. This mounting makes "it almost looks like it came with the Silvia!"...... as one of our customer wrote to us.

Compared with buying the controller and components separately, this kit is a great value. It not only offers better performance but also saves you time and money. The kit includes 20 different types of parts that would cost substantially more if purchased separately (26 pieces total). In order to save customer’s time on assembling and reduce the chance of making mistake, we also pre-assembled these parts and set all parameters for the controller. The only work needed to be done by the customer, either has to be done during installation or is difficult to ship pre-assembled. This reduces the project time from days (or even weeks considering ordering these parts separately) to less than an hour.

Please note that this kit will not work for Rancilio Silvia manufactured before 2000 and after September 2006.  The manufacture date of  Silvia is printed  in the last row of the  label on the bottom of the machine.  If it says 0506, it means it is made on May 2006. The newer machine does not have the threaded thermowell. If you have a newer machine, you can purchase our regular kit with thermocouple sensor or a top mount RTD sensor.

90 days warranty and 7 days money back guarantee is offered.

The kit works for both 115 VAC and 240VAC. The PID parameter setting is for Fahrenheit units if it is shipped to a US destination.  All units shipped outside US will be set for Celsius temperature unit. Please specify if you want it set differently