Sensors & Industrial I/O
Emerson helps BP Alaska enhance process safety with wireless pressure gauges
Rosemount Wireless Pressure Gauges work to contribute to decreased personnel and environmental risk by providing visibility into well integrity without the need to physically enter the well, protecting personnel from potentially hazardous conditions.
Siemens helps Hoffman Filter reduce wiring with IO-Link upgrade
IO-Link technology is designed to reduce wiring because it is offers point-to-point sensor and actuator connection to the control system.
Yale helps Continental Tire enhance drive process optimization
Continental Tire needed a technology-based solution to provide greater lift truck fleet visibility and drive process optimization. The telemetry solution needed to address four key areas.
Rotork helps Australian sewage treatment plant to enhance flow control
Third generational IQ multi-turn electric actuators have been installed on eight penstock gate valves to control the flow of wastewater entering the STP in Murrumba Downs, a suburb in the country’s state of Queensland.
Micro-Epsilon helps Donfabs & Consillia enhance inspection process
The task was to measure the wear on the power rail to ensure it was not worn beyond the conductor rail. This would cause a loss of connection and stuttering of the train, which in turn leads to disruptions and an uncomfortable ride for commuters. Previously, the track bed geometry was checked through visual inspection by the operator.
TOSIBOX helps Gröninger Cleaning Systems enable remote machine management
Gröninger Cleaning Systems equipped its machinery in remote locations with TOSIBOX Locks, enabling remote control and maintenance. Behind each TOSIBOX Lock there are about 30 to 40 devices such as drives, PLCs, HMIs and control cabinets that are connected and directly accessible via a TOSIBOX Key.
Endress+Hauser helps InnovaGel activate level measurement solutions
InnovaGel, a manufacturer of vitamins and supplements in the nutraceutical and OTC market, was in need of solution for its soft gelatin encapsulation machine application. Endress+Hauser was able to provide a level measurement solution that best fit InnovaGel’s application needs.
Cognex helps GM Canada develop chain drive stretching system based on vision sensors
Working with Cognex, engineers at automotive manufacturer General Motors of Canada Company (GM Canada) developed a chain drive stretching system that measures every link in real time and automatically marks non-compliant links without slowing or stopping the line
Fluke cameras help provide temperature data in Yellowstone National Park
YELLOWSTONE LIVE, shows the Yellowstone park’s ecosystem in real-time over a four night period. With more geysers in the park than any other place on earth, the production team from Plimsoll Productions wanted to tell the story with as much detail as possible. They turned to Fluke infrared cameras.
SAP and Caterpillar: Connecting Live Engineering And Predictive Maintenance
Caterpillar creates machinery that powers businesses, builds communities, and enriches lives, from diesel-powered engines and gas turbines to hydraulic excavators and agricultural tractors. With the help of SAP, Caterpillar has manufactured heavy-duty equipment with IoT sensors for several customers
CAS Dataloggers help Heath Ceramics enable wireless temperature monitoring
Heath Ceramics needed a wireless temperature monitoring system to collect data during the kiln process and to help establish a temperature profile for future runs. This product quality solution also had to feature multiple inputs for temperature sensors, along with professional software to analyze results.
Kistler transducers help Jaguar Land Rover enhance wheel measurements
The method adopted by Jaguar Land Rover uses Kistler RoaDyn Wheel Force Transducers for measuring the three forces and three moments of a rotating wheel under real world operating conditions
NI works with Innovari to enhance efficiency in grid operations
Innovari’s Interactive Energy Platform (IEP) uses artificial intelligence, “big data” analytics, proprietary optimization routines and grid-edge hardware built on NI technology to deliver capacity and address grid demand.
Dell delivers IoT infrastructure to Emerson, Talisen and Innodep
According to a new report published by Dell Technologies and the Institute for the Future (IFTF), emerging technologies such as IoT, along with massive advancements in software, big data and processing power, will reshape society.
ABB helps automate Quebec lithium mine
Nemaska Lithium is developing the Whabouchi spodumene deposit to meet the growing global demand for lithium batteries to be used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems, as well as in various consumer electronics.
Advanticsys wireless sensors help to reduce UK traffic pollution
The project aimed to test the feasibility of developing an integrated data platform for Chester city centre. The focus was on linking a novel air quality network of low cost wireless sensors with the traffic management within the city centre to alleviate air pollution ‘hot spots’ caused by queuing traffic.
Micro-Epsilon's displacement measurement sensors to be used in European telescope project
The European Southern Observatory based in Garching, Germany, is relying on displacement measurement systems from Micro-Epsilon for a project to build the world’s largest mirror telescope in Chile, which also involves French cooperation partner Fogale. The inductive sensor systems used for displacement measurement determine the position of each single mirror segment in three axes to nanometer accuracy.
Senix helps Murray Irrigation automate level measurement
Murray Irrigation, Australia's largest privately owned irrigation company, is automating its 3,000 kilometers of gravity-fed irrigation channels in New South Wales with over 2,200 Senix ToughSonic REMOTE 14 ultrasonic sensors
OleumTech helps Synergy automate wellhead and storage tank monitoring
For the wellhead, eleven (11) IO MAX Transmitters were installed. For the tank battery, a combination of fourteen (14) Liquid Level Sensors and Transmitters were installed.
Stahlin's enclosures provide protection for ECS compost temperature sensors
Engineered Composted Systems needed a strong corrosive resistant NEMA 4X enclosure that could survive this environment and protect their RF TeleProbe system. Stahlin Non-Metallic Enclosures was able to put together an enclosure package that met ECS needs.
Westermo's SCADA control system connects railway stations in Croatia
The project involved implementing a SCADA remote control system to connect railway stations, sectioning facilities and substations on the Moravice-Rijeka-Šapjane, and Škrljevo-Bakar lines in the far north-west of the country with the Remote Control Centre in Rijeka.
Microscan Visionscape Performs Precision Measurement of Apertures at FoxConn
Foxconn, a component manufacturer, searched for a precision measurement tool for their production. They turned to Microscan Visionscape to help.
Photowatt uses Keyence LK-G sensor to detect wafer thickness
Photowatt uses Keyence’s LK-G displacement sensor for high-precision detection of wafer thicknesses. A wafer is a thin slice of semiconductor material, such as silicon, which generally measures between 200 and 300 microns in thickness.
PSA using Keyence laser displacement sensors to inspect piston rings
PSA uses two different models of LK-G sensor – two LK-G32s, which have small spot diameters (30 microns) to inspect the oil rings and upper sealing rings, and two LK-G82s to inspect the compression rings.
Micro-Epsilon laser sensor waxes accurately at Blayson Olefines
Blayson Olefines uses the laser sensor to measure the distortion and contraction of wax materials used in investment casting.
Condition monitoring of fan units prevents unplanned downtime at thermal paper plant
At Mitsubishi HiTec Paper Europe in Bielefeld, Germany, 26 FAG SmartCheck systems from Schaeffler monitor fans for any signs of abnormal vibration.
Bluetooth Temperature Datalogger Protects the Magna Carta
The best-surviving copy of the Magna Carta, currently on exhibition in Britain’s Salisbury Cathedral to commemorate the document’s 800-year anniversary, is stored in a glass display case--along with an Onset data logger.
Keyence makes Micron-level inspection of lead frames
TM-3000 optical micrometer from Keyence conducts detailed inspections of every single part Possehl France produces with a tolerance of ± 0.005 mm.
NI keeps London Underground running smoothly
By Sam Etchell, London Underground Limited
The scope of this project consisted of designing, integrating and installing an intelligent remote condition monitoring system to predict and prevent failures and subsequent loss of passenger service.
LabVIEW speeds up turf harvesting machine
By Steve Aposhian, FireFly Equipment
Using LabVIEW software and CompactRIO hardware in ProSlab 155 helped the smart machine harvest turf 25 percent faster and use half the diesel fuel that other machines on the market burn.
Moxa networks Bonfiglioli solar systems
Bonfiglioli is deploying Moxa Modbus gateways, network switches, Ethernet I/O, and serial-to-Ethernet controllers in its turnkey solar solutions.
Keyence inspects French PVC extrusions
At SPPF in France, a Keyence IM Series measures the dimensions of extrusions without any risk of variability.
How sensors enable information-based decisions
Control Design
By Gary Highley
These three applications illustrate how sensors are used to optimize production, eliminate manual intervention and incorporate quality checks.
Instron ElectroPuls linear-torsion tester uses Renishaw encoders
RESOLUTE encoders provide position feedback and control accuracy in Instron’s ElectroPuls systems for fatigue testing.
Vibration sensors help keep high speed trains on tracks
The sensors provide curve detection and derailment protection for trains traveling 186 mph.
German racing team uses optical sensors to measure downforce
The Tuning Akademie racing team uses the sensors to measure the distance between the vehicle and the road surface to determine the aerodynamic balance and respective downforce at the from the rear axles.
Sensors drive paper tissue system
Packaging World
Winkler & Dünnebier’s Flowtos is the fastest two-lane paper handkerchief production and packaging system in the world. It’s capable of producing and flow wrapping up to 4,600 sheets per minute. More than 40 sensors are tightly integrated with about the same number of servo motors
A.G.T. measures metal thickness with lasers instead of radiation
AGT uses Keyence LK-G Series laser sensors to provide continuous, high speed, accurate and reliable thickness measurements.
Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing Technology in the Motor Racing Industry
Using sensors made from low-cost optical fiber, with almost no limit to the number of sensor designs available results in a cost-effective and versatile testing platform.
Keyence system inspects parts at Fastener Depot
Inspectors at Fastener Depot use a Keyence Image Dimension Measurement (IM) System to quickly and accurately check and gauge parts.