Ultrasonic Position Sensor Directly Monitors Workpiece Clamping
Ultrasonic sensors from Balluff are versatile, whether detecting position, measuring distance, or detecting solid, powdery or liquid media. With the BFD ultrasonic position sensor with media contact, Balluff are expanding our portfolio to add sensors that directly monitor hydraulic short-stroke cylinders.
This reliable and economical solution for workpiece clamping monitoring is a real milestone in the field of metalworking.
Direct Response To Increasing Production Requirements
Existing solutions for monitoring workpiece clamping are based on indirect methods: they measure the volume flow of the hydraulic fluid or monitor the piston end position. However, such solutions are either cost-intensive, inflexible or less reliable.
In addition, conventional products cannot detect and monitor the clamping state and the clamping travel equally. As a result, they are not only not particularly economical, but also cannot always meet the increasing demands on machine safety.
The new ultrasonic position sensor provides a remedy: By emitting ultrasound into the hydraulic fluid, the BFD monitors the clamping process of the workpiece directly, continuously and quickly. This generates reliable information on the clamping status and lets you detect deviations early on, like problems with the oil supply, casting errors, contour deviations, insertion errors and deformed workpieces. By monitoring the entire clamping process, you can also spot pressure fluctuations in the hydraulic unit, defects in the swivel mechanism and defective seals in ample time to take action.
In short, with the new BFD ultrasonic position sensor, Balluff is directly addressing customer needs and expectations–a solution that is innovative and yet has the potential to establish itself as a standard.
Easy Integration and Scalable Use
Thanks to its small form factor, standardized interfaces that can be configured as required, and continuous automated compensation, the sensor is easy and flexible to integrate and can be used “plug & play” in different media. Together with standard system components from Balluff, this makes for an exceptionally economical, complete solution.
Relevant additional information is provided through IO-Link. Functions include, for example, device status monitoring, device temperature or signal quality. This allows you to detect critical changes in the medium, e.g. due to air or particles in the hydraulic system.
For more information: www.balluff.com
