Tool identification using Balluff Industrial RFID increases efficiency, as it makes incorrect tool allocation or missing tools a thing of the past. All the tool-relevant data are stored without contact on a data carrier embedded in the tool holder. Automatic loading into the system memory means all the data are always correct and up-to-date. Because the data are continuously updated when the tool is loaded and unloaded. In modern production facilities this ensures maximum tool utilization and high machine uptime.
Cambridge, UK – Manufacturers of ceramic molds for aerospace superalloys have to conduct regular furnace surveys to verify that reheat furnaces comply with the NADCAP AMS 2750 specification. Requirements for temperature sensors and analysis systems are also laid down by the industry standard. Datapaq is one of the few providers of temperature monitoring solutions who can ensure AMS 2750E compliance. The company has designed a dedicated solution for reheat furnaces that provides exact, real-time temperature data from inside the process. A high-temperature barrier protects a Tpaq21 data logger with an internal radio transmitter. The customized thermal barrier is suitable for repeated use in the furnace surveys which take up to eight hours and reach maximum temperatures of 1,250 °C. The accompanying software generates AMS 2750E compliant process reports. The Datapaq solution enables energy savings through the optimization of furnace parameters. Maintenance efforts and downtimes are also reduced.
Cambridge, UK – Pipes used in the oil and gas industry need to withstand high pressures. Manufacturers must verify temperature uniformity during heat treatment which is performed in a special furnace while the pipes are rotated. Depending on the thickness and grade of the steel, a cycle lasts up to 90 min at about 950 °C with maximum temperatures reaching 1,000 °C. Since rectangular thermal barriers designed with conventional thermal protection cannot be installed in the pipes due to size and performance constraints, an entirely new approach was required. Based on its unrivaled experience in the development of specialized thermal protection solutions, Datapaq has designed a cylindrical vapor phase barrier for this application. The TB4095 thermal barrier is combined with a Tpaq21 data logger, and the Furnace Insight software. Through thermocouples placed at various points across the pipe surface, temperature uniformity of the product can be proven. After the system had been in operation for a short time at a pipe manufacturer’s site, changeover time for differently sized pipes was reduced and process faults within the furnace were identified and corrected, thereby reducing waste.
Fill levels must be recognized in countless storage, buffer and holding tanks in the process industry, food industry, and even in wind power plants or other fields. The level switches used are normally as different as the various media being monitored. With the CleverLevel LBFS/LFFS switch, Baumer has developed a true all-rounder that uses frequency sweep technology. This method capitalizes on the fact that every material, regardless of its consistency, has a dielectric constant specific to that medium. This makes the new level switch suitable for practically all media, including liquids, granulates and even electrostatic media. At the same time, it is unaffected by adhesive substances or foams that may lead to switching errors with other technologies. Furthermore, it can distinguish between different media. This makes the CleverLevel more than merely a replacement for the traditional vibrating fork used in level control. Configuration is possible using Teach-in. It is more convenient with Flex Programmer software, which enables visualization at the same time. The displayed information can be communicated to a higher-level controller if required and interpreted there in accordance with the operation phase.
Mumbai, 12.09.2013. Machines with reduced cabling are faster to install: Kollmorgen demonstrates the advantages of single-cable motor power and feedback connection technology for servo motors at Automation 2013 in Mumbai, India.