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FEATURE TRANSDUCERS, TRANSMITTERS & SENSORS THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THE SMARTEST OF SENSORS


Andy Walker, of ifm electronic, says the future belongs to smart sensors that offer outstanding performance and reliability as well as delivering added value through features such as I-O Link interfaces


T


he food industry often presents challenging environments for


components and, in particular, for the sensors used in process control applications. In combination with this, users’ expectations of sensor technology are continually increasing. Automation systems in the food


manufacturing and processing sector depend on data from huge numbers of sensors. The most important parameters monitored by these sensors include pressure, temperature, flow and level. In the food sector, hygienic design is often an additional and critical requirement. And in some cases, the sensors must also be suitable for use in hazardous areas. Many sensor products are now available


in hygienic versions designed specifically for food industry applications, and manufacturers of these sensors are increasingly focussing on developing innovative technology to provide added value for users of their products. A good example is the next generation


of level sensors that operate on the guided wave radar (GWR) principle. GWR sensors are installed vertically at the top of a tank and emit high frequency electromagnetic pulses that are guided downwards along a stainless-steel rod. These pulses are then reflected from the surface of the medium back towards the sensor. The transit time of the pulses is used to evaluate the distance to the surface and thus the level in the tank. The benefits of GWR sensors mean they


are unaffected by changing media (provided that the dielectric constant >5), changing temperature, gas blankets or vapours, or by build-up of product on the probe itself. In addition, they can accurately and reliably measure liquid levels in many foaming applications. The probes for the food-industry


versions of these sensors are made of high-grade stainless steel and all other components follow hygienic design principles to meet the requirements of EHEDG. Probes with different lengths are available and can be easily interchanged by the user to meet the needs of the application. The probes can also be cut to length if no suitable standard length is available. This modular design maximises versatility and reduces costs. Some sensors also have an IO-Link interface. Another example of sensors that offer


30 JUNE 2020 | PROCESS & CONTROL


added value is provided by temperature sensors that incorporate two sensor elements with opposing temperature characteristics. The elements – Pt1000 and NTC thermistor – operate independently and are continuously monitored by a microprocessor within the sensor. This verifies that the measured temperature value is valid based on a user defined temperature differential or “drift” between the two sensors. If the internal drift is exceeded then it is signalled immediately via a separate diagnostic output. Both measured temperature values, the differential value and the diagnostic value, are available via IO-Link. The use of these sensors in temperature


critical processes provides assurance of measurement, and therefore process performance, between calibration intervals and may reduce calibration requirements. With the growing interest in and


adoption of Industry 4.0, communication between devices and systems has never been more important. Communication at sensor level is the basis for communication infrastructures that extend all the way up to corporate level and beyond. For many users of industrial automation


systems, sensor level communication means IO-Link and latest generation of sensors use this digital protocol as well as providing conventional analogue interfaces such 4...20 mA. With IO-Link, interference on the connecting cable to the sensor has no effect on the accuracy of the measurement. This is a big benefit compared with analogue interfaces, where measurements can be severely affected by interference. Further, with IO-Link, multiple values from a single sensor can be transmitted simultaneously. IO-Link also has benefits during


maintenance and repair. Since sensors can


A range of sensors from ifm electronic are suitable for the food industry and meet the hygienic design requirements


be configured via IO-Link, should it become necessary to replace a sensor, the configuration data can be transferred directly to it. The time-consuming process of setting up the sensor on site is eliminated, so the plant is back up and running quicker. Users can even access self-diagnostic data from sensors that have an IO-Link interface, making the location of faulty devices faster and more certain, again reducing plant downtime. Another important aspect of the digital


sensor communication is the transmission of sensor data to ERP and other corporate systems. A convenient way of achieving this is to use an agent connectivity port, which is a software gateway that supports bidirectional communication for a range of different interfaces. This makes possible communication between ERP systems and devices at the field, control and process control levels. Implementations specifically designed


Many processes in the food industry require accurate control of the temperature of fluids. ifm sensors can provide assurance of measurement and process performance


for the capture and transmission of data from IO-Link sensors are available and allow data to be transmitted directly from sensors to the ERP system without the need for it to pass through a PLC. This direct path for sensor data which


bypasses the control level is referred to as "Y communication" because the data splits like the letter Y, flowing via one branch to the PLC and via the other branch to the ERP and other corporate systems. Data logging, condition-based maintenance and improvement of energy efficiency are just some of the benefits. Smart sensors offer many advantages in


the food industry and can reduce costs. Today, many automation solutions still use analogue sensors, but the adoption of sensors with IO-Link interfaces is increasing rapidly, as more and more users become aware of their added value.


ifm electronic www.ifm.com


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