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13/07/2022 PLUS Automation Ltd (Contrinex)
Modern-day food production and packaging very heavily rely upon factory automation to help achieve high efficiency and also to ensure high quality. For example, a food processing plant trusts Contrinex Fork photoelectric sensors and its inductive sensors to ensure that plastic ketchup bottles are hermetically sealed and capped.
Before fitting plastic caps, a long-distance inductive sensor positioned over the packaging line confirms the presence of an aluminium-foil seal over the top of every container. Next, the cap is fitted and then a Contrinex Photoelectric fork sensor confirms the presence of a cap on each bottle, triggering an alarm if a cap is missing before it can be transferred to the labelling station.
In the continuous production of fast-moving items, line stoppages are both costly and time-consuming. After filling, sealing and capping, bottles of ketchups and sauces are labelled and packaged. Previously, if the seal or plastic cap was missing it could go undetected, risking an entire batch of production potentially being rejected.
Before fitting plastic caps, a Contrinex long-distance inductive sensor positioned directly over the packaging line confirms that an aluminium-foil hermetic seal is present over the top of every container
Next Contrinex’s highly versatile Photoelectric fork sensor, positioned over the conveyor, senses and confirms the presence of a plastic cap on each bottle before labelling, triggering an alarm if a cap is missing.
The fork-sensor’s IO-Link communication functionality enables it to be switched between four operating modes depending upon the production batch. IO-Link also provides information such as for preventative maintenance from both the inductive and the fork-sensor - Contrinex offers the largest selection of IO-Link sensors in the World, providing machine designers lots of additional functionality in a consistent and easy-to-use manner. IO-Link also makes the connection of these sensors to the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4 simpler to implement.
CUSTOMER SOLUTION – Inductive Sensor
Aluminium-foil closures are commonly used to seal plastic food containers filled for example with ketchup, mustard and other table sauces. Occasionally, equipment malfunctions can occur which risks containers leaving the sealing station without closures in place. If unsealed containers are not detected before capping, entire batches of the product may require manual inspection, resulting in lost production, downtime or potential rejection by customers.
The in-line sensor system uses a Contrinex ‘Extra Distance’ inductive sensor to inspect each container to confirm the presence of a foil closure, rejecting any faulty items. The long sensing range of the M30 sensor, with its 40mm sensing range, accommodates containers whose heights vary by up to 20mm, without needing to adjust the sensors position between production batches.
A single sensor, located immediately after the sealing station and positioned directly above the production line, provides reliable, repeatable and fast detection of the aluminium foil closures. With a switching frequency of up to 100Hz, this Extra Distance unit is well suited for fast-moving production where high-speed sensing is required.
This Contrinex inductive sensor has an industry-standard PNP normally-open interface and an integral M12 cable connector, allowing easy removal and replacement of individual sensors for maintenance. Robust construction with chrome-plated brass bodies and PBTP sensing faces ensures that these devices are suitable for a busy production environment.
The Contrinex Extra Distance inductive sensors deliver exceptionally reliable test results at production-line speed, without interruption.
CUSTOMER SOLUTION – Fork Sensor
Contrinex’s new generation of LG fork light-barrier photoelectric sensors were chosen because they combine simplicity of installation, with a choice of four modes of operation. The compact sensors provide high-resolution and high-speed sensing, plus the convenience of a push-pull output and IO-Link connectivity. Ideal for detection of the lids, these robust die-cast metal sensors provide high-performance and reliability
The choice of four preconfigured operating modes, enables the new Contrinex LG fork sensors to fulfil a wide spectrum of application needs - ‘Standard mode‘ provides switching frequencies up to 5,000Hz with a resolution of 0.3mm, while ‘High-resolution mode’ ensures precise detection of small objects down to 0.1mm in size.
Where the production batch requires it, switching to ‘Power mode’ increases the transmission power of the sensor, reducing its sensitivity to dirt or other contamination. For high-speed applications, ‘Speed mode’ raises the switching frequency as high as 14,000Hz, ensuring reliable sensing of fast-moving targets.
The implementation of the industry-standard IO-Link communication protocol enables remote set-up and adjustment of the fork-sensor between production batches.
IO-Link stores the sensor’s configuration on a local IO-Link Master, which enables plug-and-play operation, eliminating the need to stock pre-configured sensor variants in spare inventory. The compact design and placement of the photoelectric emitter and receiver in a single housing saves space, ensures precise alignment and removes the need for on-site adjustment.
Fast and easy installation is provided by the choice of clearance mounting holes for M4 fixings. and an integrated M8 connector. Robust and highly versatile, these metal-cased devices are backwards compatible with previous Contrinex LGS models.
PLUS Automation can help you #MakeSenseofSensors to solve applications, improve machine performance and reliability, and reduce costs using Concentration, Inductive, Machine Safety, Photoelectric, Pressure, Ultrasonic and RFID sensors from Contrinex, ReeR & Satron.
Click to download a flyer to find out more about the sensors, or Click to download Contrinex’s Product Overview brochure
For more information, please contact: PLUS Automation Ltd (Contrinex) Lyth Farm Ombersley Worcester Worcestershire WR9 0LG Tel: +44 (0)121 5822258 Email: sales@plusautomation.co.uk Web: https://www.plusautomation.co.uk
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