Editor’s choice


Smartening up temperature


control Here, Erick Rios, product manager for controls at industrial technology company Watlow, explores why smart power control is vital in heating applications.


for all applications and a new selection and ordering method that is customer-application focused. It enables complete, correct configuration and even pre- calibration of the specific sensor required - for any application, whether for liquids or bulk solids. “Ultimately, it’s not the sensor that counts, but what


the users can achieve with it in their individual processes,” says Florian Burgert, who, as a product manager, has been closely involved in product development from the very beginning. “Just knowing that they’ve chosen the best possible measurement solution and that they’ll reach their goal faster with it, makes a big difference in their everyday operations.” With over one million instruments in use


worldwide, the success story of VEGA began 30 years ago. Over the decades, VEGA’s sensors have optimised millions of industrial processes. The story includes milestones such as the world’s first two-wire radar instrument and the first 80-GHz radar sensor for liquids on the market, which revolutionised radar level sensor performance for customers. Behind this success are the many people who share a common passion: “At VEGA we don’t do a hundred different things, we concentrate on what we do best: Radar.”, says product manager Jürgen Skowaisa.


all-Round pRotEctIon The new VEGAPULS 6X offers the best that is technically feasible today: a self-diagnosis system that immediately detects damage or interference, that ensures significantly high availability and safety, it also has new radar-chip technology, with expanded application possibilities and simpler operation. The radar features SIL certification, and the matter


of cyber security has also been fully taken into account: Compliance with security standard IEC 62443-4-2, which specifies the strictest requirements for secure communication and access control. The value lies in making it easier for users to select


their device and monitor their industrial processes. The ultimate purpose of VEGAPULS 6X is just that - through maximum simplification. It is one sensor that can handle virtually any application. In the future, the customer will no longer have to


worry about the technology, frequency or instrument version. Even setup and commissioning has been reduced to a minimum, requiring now just a few clicks and basic application parameters. In many cases, all application-specific settings can be made in VEGAPULS 6X before it leaves the factory, so it is just left for the user to install, connect, done: it does not get any simpler.


VEGA Controls www.vega.com/radar Instrumentation Monthly March 2022 T


here are many types of power switches that are used in commercial and industrial applications. Mechanical relays and


contactors are ideal for applications where they are not switched very often because they are relatively inexpensive and do not produce much heat. But for precise control of electric heating, these switch types are a poor choice because they wear out and fail quickly if switched frequently. In this instance, smart power controllers are a sensible choice.


ImpRovEd pERfoRmancE Being able to control the output based on the measurement of power delivered to the load improves temperature control performance because it compensates for line voltage fluctuations or even partial load failures faster. This means that there is significantly less deviation from the temperature set point than would occur with the same temperature controller paired with a traditional solid-state power switching product. The temperature controller and power


controller work together. The temperature controller measures the temperature with a sensor and determines how much of the available power is necessary to achieve set point. The power controller interprets the output from the temperature controller and controls the delivered power accordingly. Finally, the power controller adjusts the power delivered for voltage fluctuations and to the best of its ability when there is a partial failure of the heater.


pRocEss and EquIpmEnt cHaRactERIsatIon The smart power controller measures the line voltage and the current through the load. With that information it calculates the load resistance and how much power is being delivered by the heater. Equipment manufacturers can use this information during commissioning to identify if there is a problem. For example, abnormally high resistance could indicate a poor connection that might eventually cause a premature


failure or even a fire if not corrected. For instance, power controllers can


help companies monitor the load parameters during equipment installation and compare the profile with previous known good start-ups. By doing this, they can receive warning of issues localised to the heated zone, allowing preventative action to be taken before a failure occurs. End users can similarly monitor these


parameters overtime and correlate them to good and bad production results.


IntEgRatEd communIcatIon Integrating a smart power controller with other automation equipment allows process variables to be monitored remotely and allows operators and line maintenance personnel to quickly locate problems. Consider this example, from a Watlow


customer. A manufacturer of power transmission cables once relied on employees to periodically check the current gauges visually for each zone of extruders that coat the cables. On shifts with lower staffing, faulty product was often the first indication of a problem. The customer replaced the solid-state power controllers in the extruders with the ASPYRE DT power controllers from Watlow, so they could determine if cable needed to be scrapped or whether production could continue until the scheduled maintenance. Watlow’s range of heating equipment,


including its ASPYRE controllers, is frequently used by heavy duty industrial companies in petrochemicals, heat treatment and power generation. The ASPYRE model is available between a range of 35 to 2,100 amps to support a wide variety of applications. For example, a single high amp ASPYRE unit is ideal for applications using multiple small units with low range amps. Overall, the smart features and


functionality of smart power controllers enables users to minimise scrap and unscheduled down time - improving operations and output.


Watlow www.watlow.com 13


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