Sensors & transducers
are transferred to the control. The option to duplicate PROFINET devices in the engineering tool saves time. Users only have to specify the parameters once and can then copy the settings as needed. Integrated connectivity even helps when a device is replaced: If a damaged sensor has to be replaced, the system automatically transfers all the parameters stored in the controller to the new device. The sensor is immediately ready for use.
KEEPING AN EYE ON QUALITY
Integrated connectivity not only provides support during commissioning but also with machine monitoring, i.e condition monitoring. For efficient operation, system operators need answers to questions such as: is the plant operating correctly? When do I need to schedule maintenance? The answers are provided by the integrated interface. Via industrial Ethernet communication, it not only transmits the actual process values but also diagnostic data which are available in the controller. As a result, all identifying data can be read out via a barcode reader to manage the device. This includes the serial number or the software/hardware of the sensor. Moreover, there are quite a number of diagnostic parameters, such as the number of OK and NOK readings. In particular, the system with the bar code readers, the system also supplies a quality indicator for each individual code reading. This provides information about the quality of the readings. The value is generally between 90 and 95 per cent and can be monitored to detect deviations during operation (for example, caused by contamination or mechanical damage). Remote monitoring can also be implemented as an additional communication channel via OPC UA. The control can be used for this purpose, but Leuze sensors provide a much easier solution, as they can be accessed directly via the OPC UA. As a result, system operators can monitor their devices while the process is running. This gives them real-time information on the performance of the system. If required, the data can also be transferred to a cloud - there are no restrictions whatsoever.
SIMPLE PROCESS OPTIMISATION
How can processes be optimised on the basis of the collected data? This is demonstrated by two representative practical examples using barcode readers. First example: The scanning window of the sensor can become contaminated. In some systems this does not happen for years, in others, it occurs more quickly. In order to determine which sensor is contaminated, data evaluation via OPC UA can be used. Based on the data, a software program records the reading quality of each individual decoding process. This indicates maintenance for bar code readers with impaired reading performance. Second example: The label itself can also cause problems - for example, if the code is damaged or printed incompletely. In this case, it is not enough to monitor an individual sensor to determine the error. Instead, the faulty label has to be traced along different reading stations to identify it. This makes it possible to detect similar evaluations and use the identification number to determine the label involved.
MORE EFFICIENT ON THREE LEVELS
Integrated connectivity offers advantages on several levels. It contributes to easier commissioning and provides additional information for machine monitoring. This information is particularly useful for process optimisation, resulting in optimal system performance. All sensors developed by Leuze for Fieldbus-controlled automation, for example in intralogistics, are equipped with integrated connectivity. This allows system operators to save time and money. The Sensor People from Leuze are able to provide you with support to select and implement the optimum solution.
Leuze Electronic Instrumentation Monthly May 2023
www.leuze.com
INNOVATIVE TECH REVOLUTIONISES 3D MEASUREMENT
remaining highly cost-efficient. For the first time, high-performance distance measurement technology is combined with MEMS technology. This forms the basis for the R3000 3-D LiDAR/MEMS sensor.
F
COMBINING THE BENEFITS OF TWO TECHNOLOGIES The 3D measurement is based on Pulse Ranging Technology (PRT), a distance measurement method developed by Pepperl+Fuchs that can be scaled to meet a wide range of requirements. Based on over 250,000 emitted laser pulses per second, it measures distances from a few centimetres to several hundred meters with millimetre accuracy. Ambient light and other environmental influences are effectively suppressed. As a result, PRT delivers fast, precise, and reliable measurement results. To reach the third dimension,
Pepperl+Fuchs combines PRT with a micro-electro-mechanical system from Fraunhofer ISIT for the first time as part of the R3000 product study: A small, economical, and mechanically robust MEMS mirror is integrated into the sensor. Through the motion of the piezoelectrically driven element, the emitted laser beam is deflected in two axes by 40° x 30°. Unlike conventional 3D sensors, no pixel grid is created during the process of measurement. Instead, the R3000 uses a particularly small light spot and seamless scanning to produce ultra-high resolution 3D point clouds with exceptional detail.
INTUITIVE OPERATION DUE TO INTELLIGENT USER GUIDANCE To make communication between man and machine as simple as possible, the R3000 is equipped with additional functions. The sensor not only generates a 3D point cloud, but also a superimposed intensity image that can visualise the scene and therefore facilitate programming and operation. In addition, each measurement point can be displayed with a visible laser beam. The synchronous laser projector allows the R3000 to be precisely aligned and adjusted without additional tools, ensuring easy commissioning. This function also enables interaction between the user and the service robot, for example.
POWERFUL 3D MEASUREMENT FOR THE AUTOMATION OF THE FUTURE With its innovative technology, the R3000 LiDAR/MEMS sensor will herald a revolution for solving complex automation tasks. Precise 3-D images of unknown environments are essential for the next generation of autonomous driving - from driverless transport systems in industry to automated transport of patients in retirement and nursing homes. With the combination of PRT and MEMS, such complex, dynamic scenes can be captured in detail in real time. This creates a comprehensive database for completely new evaluations using artificial intelligence (AI) tools. As a compact and cost-effective sensor, the R3000 will make high-precision 3-D measurements available for a vast range of applications. In combination with advanced algorithms, the sensor will significantly drive development in the field of autonomous vehicles and service robotics - not only in manufacturing plants, hospitals or nursing homes, but in all areas of life.
Pepperl+Fuchs
www.pepperl-fuchs.com 35
rom industrial automation to autonomous vehicles to care robots, mastering the challenges of the future will require powerful 3D sensors that capture their surroundings quickly, comprehensively, and with millimetre precision. A technological innovation from Pepperl+Fuchs in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology ISIT enables maximum precision and performance – while
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