12 MARCH 2018
CONVEYOR SENSORS
ALL OPTIONS COVERED!
Smart Sensors
ifm have the most comprehensive range of
digital sensors and smart connection technology,
available today, ex-stock NZ!
Our IP69k, IO-Link (Smart) technology is used
in the most advanced F&B plants, globally.
German quality - supported by local engineers.
Interested to know more? Give us a call.
WARRANTY
years
on ifm products
Order 24/7
www.ifm.com/nz
Phone: 0800 289 436
Flow Pressure Temperature
Industrial
Communication
& Connectors
Vibration
Inductive, Capacitive
and Magnetic
Rotation &
Motion Control
Optical &
Vision
Level
ifm_F&B_Advert_Half Page_2017_08.5.indd 1 17/01/18 10:55 PM
FT441
Never easy for those who do not specialise
in this area. Fortunately, the team at
ifm do, and in the New Zealand market
the company offers the most comprehensive
range of solutions to satisfy
sensing applications and networking
control requirements – all ex stock NZ.
Environments vary from clean room to
wash down. Sensor material requirement
varies from 316SS to ABS/PMMA (plastic).
Targets vary enormously in every
imaginable application…from detecting
tiny product and utilising fibre optics, to
transparent glass or PET bottles, where
ultrasonic sensors or capacitive sensors
are the best choice.
Moving up a gear, let’s consider optical
sensors. These remain by far the best
and most common solution for standard/
simple detection of product being
conveyed. Airports and logistic centres
are full of them. But in New Zealand,
food and beverage factories remain
the most common area where optical
sensors are used.
Applications require different features,
however typically it is ‘retro-reflective’
sensors that are most commonly applied.
These indicate the position of
product during a conveying operation.
‘Retro-reflective’ refers to the use of a
sensor that emits light while receiving
the same light back into a second lens
within the sensor - having been deflected
off a reflector that the sensor is pointed
toward.
Once again there are many options,
some employing ‘polarised’ light and
others ‘infra-red’ light. Each are designed
to overcome specific challenges
encountered in industry. ifm are ahead
of the market when it comes to offering
the widest range of vibration resistant,
robust 316SS and IP69k optical sensors
that are easy to mount and intuitive to
commission.
Recently, ‘SMART’ sensors have entered
the market, allowing fast remote
programming and diagnostic readings
from applications. This means gone are
the days of ON/OFF. “By using SMART
sensors, operators may not only ‘switch’,
but may continuously and precisely
measure, while detecting and reacting
to ‘application drift’. This means averting
quality/count errors, down-time or simply
unexpected quality outcomes – sound
familiar?!” the company says.
These sensors allow outputs to be fed
direct into a SMART IO-block for interface
with common bus system EtherNet/IP,
Profibus, Modbus TCP and more. This
makes wiring via jumpers, fast and far
more efficient.
For more information, please contact ifm
on freephone 0800 803 444 or check its
website www.ifm.com/nz.
The question frequently
encountered in working with
customers and their conveying
applications is which sensor is
best suited to the multitude of
applications.
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