Quartz glass melting.

Precise monitoring of viscosity during the melting process is crucial for quality assurance in quartz glass production. In this project, a Sensor Technology TorqSense torque transducer (SGR541) was used to enable real-time conclusions to be drawn about material homogeneity, purity and the progress of material bonding.

In modern glass technology, precise control of melting conditions is of fundamental importance: the viscosity of a melt in particular has a decisive influence on its further processing, quality and homogeneity. In the laboratory, viscosities are often determined using rotational viscometers: a spindle is rotated at a constant speed in the sample, the required torque is measured and the viscous resistance – i.e. the viscosity – is determined.

In their customer's project, this concerns the melting of quartz glass. Viscosity is not only a measure of fluidity but also allows conclusions to be drawn about the internal state of the melt – for example, cavities (air bubbles) or incomplete material bonding. Focusing on precision glass components to improve the manufacturing process for quartz glass in terms of quality and process reliability. The challenge was that the glass is first melted at high temperatures and then has to reach a defined viscosity zone for further processing. Only in this range can it be guaranteed that the melt is homogeneous (no air bubbles), the connection or fusion of different material batches has taken place completely, the transition to the shaping or quenching/pre-forming process starts reliably.

The objective was to reliably monitor the viscosity of the quartz glass melt in order to detect deviations in the melting process at an early stage and to establish process-reliable feedback for control and quality assurance.

The viscosity of molten glass plays a key role in processing, as it determines the flowability and thus the moulding behaviour, bubble removal, degassing and homogenisation. In the case of quartz glass, the conditions are particularly demanding with: high temperatures and viscosities having a strong influence on the viscosity curve.

The TorqSense SGR541 was chosen because of its great robustness against extreme process conditions (temperatures, thermal shocks, possible vibrations) in the melting range of quartz glass with separate sensor unit and electronics. Calibration was performed using reference samples or model melts in order to map the torque ↔ viscosity relationship in detail in the specific process setup.

The sensor was integrated into the process—typically between the motor/agitator (or melt mixing system) and the impeller (or melt stirrer)—and connected to the process control system in real time. Since torque transducers can be sensitive to lateral forces, double bearings should be used to avoid transverse forces.

The relevant target values for viscosity were defined together with the customer: e.g., a range from x to y Pa·s at temperature T, at which the melt is considered homogeneous and no bubbles are mobile.

Reference curves were created using laboratory or pilot melts with known compositions and viscosity values. This allowed the sensor output to be mapped to absolute or relative viscosity (see Basics: “Torque ↔ Viscosity” at constant speed conditions). The sensor continuously provided torque data from which the viscosity was derived. Trend analysis enabled early detection of deviations – for example, if the viscosity did not fall within the target range, which could indicate trapped bubbles or incomplete mixing of the material batches.

As soon as the measured viscosity deviated from the target curve, measures were taken immediately: adjustment of the temperature, extension of the stirring time, addition of degassing (refining), or even return of the batch for reprocessing.

The introduction of monitoring using SGR541 had the following positive effects: The melt could be continuously monitored for homogeneity and freedom from bubbles. Deviations were detected early and corrected. The data obtained (torque/viscosity curves) provided valuable insights into the behaviour of the quartz glass melt, enabling future process optimizations.

This method is also used successfully in other applications—e.g., plaster mixtures, coal slurries, and liquids containing magnetic particles—where conventional viscometers fail and viscosity monitoring is required. In industries such as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals—e.g., in the manufacture of shampoos or medical solutions—it is also important to monitor viscosity during mixing. This allows you to determine when the process is complete and the desired consistency has been achieved.

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@Sevcon #PAuto #viscosity TorqueSense #Transport

Torque Sensors for fastening.

The latest advancement in torque sensing technology – the SGR525/526 Torque Sensors has been launched by Sensor Technology. Designed for precision and versatility, these state-of-the-art sensors feature square shaft ends, making them ideal for a wide range of industrial and laboratory applications.

With decades of expertise in torque measurement, Sensor Technology has engineered the SGR525/526 series to provide exceptional accuracy, reliability, and ease of use. The square drive design allows for seamless integration into power tools, test rigs, industrial machinery and precision fastening applications, ensuring superior torque measurement without the need for additional adapters or modifications.

“We are thrilled to introduce the SGR525/526 torque sensors, which respond to industry demand for more adaptable and robust torque measurement solutions,” said Mark Ingham, Sales Director at Sensor Technology Ltd. “By incorporating square shaft ends, we are offering our customers a practical and efficient way to enhance their torque monitoring capabilities.”

Key Features of the SGR525/526 Torque Sensors:

• Square Shaft Ends – Allowing direct compatibility with precision fastening applications.
• High Precision Measurement – Providing reliable and accurate real-time data.
• Robust and Durable Design – Built for industrial environments and high-load conditions.
• Easy Installation & Integration – Compatible with standard torque measurement setups.
• Wireless & Digital Output Options – Enabling enhanced data acquisition and analysis.

The SGR525/526 torque sensors cater to industries such as automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, and research & development, where precision torque monitoring is critical for performance and safety.

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@sensortech #PAuto #Maintenance

Replacing DIY test rigs!

RTEC Engineering Ltd is on a mission to redefine accuracy standards for dynamometers amid the growing global interest in enhancing engine efficiency and performance. Their cutting-edge technology is grounded in a novel torque measuring technology.

Rob Langton, the Managing Director of RTEC Engineering Ltd and an engineering metrologist with over two decades of experience, sheds light on their innovative approach: "Our sub-division, RTEC Powertrain, is actively engaged in collaborative projects with B2B partners, concentrating on metrology solutions for the automotive industry, including ECM (engine control module) calibration and diagnostics."

Facing the challenge of obtaining a detailed performance profile for a specific engine within a constrained capital budget, Langton took matters into his own hands. Drawing on his extensive engineering expertise, he embarked on designing and manufacturing a dynamometer that replicates the accuracy and reliability of OEM or lab-grade systems but at a more accessible cost for small to medium-sized enterprises.

Striving to surpass the limitations of load cells and RPM sensors commonly found in traditional dynamometers, Langton turned to advanced technology. After researching specialised literature, he discovered Sensor Technology and their non-contact TorqSense transducer.

Engineers from Sensor Technology assessed Langton's requirements and recommended the SGR510/520 series TorqSense. This innovative transducer employs a full four-element strain gauge bridge. A rotor-mounted ultra-miniature microcontroller, powered by a non-contact inductive coil, measures strain values and transmits them digitally to the stator, providing high-precision torque measurements.

Langton highlights the benefits: "The inductive coils eliminate the need for wires with slip ring connections to the shaft, offering the ease of use we desire." 

He underscores TorqSense's remarkable 250% overrange capacity, enabling accurate measurement of sudden load spikes. Additionally, its immunity to noise and signal corruption, common in slip ring setups, along with a 4000/sec sampling rate, aligns seamlessly with their resolution requirements. With Sensor Technology's assistance, RTEC swiftly developed an ideal solution for manufacturing a high-performance dynamometer aligned with their design specifications. Recognising the potential broader applications, Langton explored the market's needs, leading to a realisation of a gap that RTEC aims to fill.

While calibration of elements like the load cell is typically carried out by UKAS accredited laboratories in larger organisations, RTEC identified a market gap for smaller entities. They are now working on a scalable, modular dynamometer design with TorqSense at its core. TorqSense's factory calibration to NPL standards and its self-contained nature, combined with a plug-and-play design, simplify exchanges during calibration, minimising downtime. RTEC's future projects include crafting bespoke test rigs tailored to users' exact specifications and retrofitting TorqSense into existing dynamometers and test rigs, spanning precision instrument drives to heavy vehicle power trains.

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@sensortech #PAuto #Maintenance

Low torque high band width.

A new benchmark performance standards for optical rotary torque transducers has been set by Sensor Technology, The digital ORT 230/240 series is ideal for applications when the demand is for low torque and/or high bandwidth, providing precise, dynamic measurement of rotary and static torque from 10mNm up to 100Nm and for bandwidths of up to 50kHz.

The ORT 230/240 devices benefit from electronics that deliver significant gains in resolution, frequency response, reduced sensor current consumption and faster digital data throughput.

The high speed capability comes from an inherently low inertia, since the electronics are not fixed to the shaft, while non-contact operation ensures a long and reliable life (backed up by Sensor Technology’s lifetime warranty) with high accuracy. The optical operating principle also ensures excellent noise immunity.

TorqSense ORT 230 series sensors provide fixed voltage or current analogue outputs – one for torque and one for either speed or power. The TorqSense ORT 240 provides two user selectable voltage or current analogue outputs – one for torque and the other for either speed, power or peak torque – plus digital outputs including RS232, CANbus and USB for interfacing with modern instrumentation and laptops. The ORT 240 enables users to connect up to 10 transducers via USB, and transducer configuration software for making changes to transducer variables.

Features of both devices include self-diagnostics to report if the transducer’s torque, speed ratings or calibration date have been exceeded, while inbuilt sensors monitor shaft temperature for better compensation and accuracy. The device also offers a simple ‘sensor status’ output.

Complementing these products is Sensor Technology’s TorqView software, providing an easy-to-use advanced torque monitoring package for Windows PCs to assist with data display and recording. It offers real time chart plotting, and is compatible with both Matlab and Excel. Further, LabVIEW VIs are available for users to design their own process control applications, and DLLs are available for users who wish to write their own custom software.

These sensors are an important extension to the Sensor Technology torque monitoring range, and offer an alternative solution when low torque or bandwidth requirements preclude the use of the TorqSense range.

Optical rotary torque sensors use a pair of gratings attached a short distance apart on a strain-sensitive shaft to modulate a light source. As torque is applied to the shaft, a slight twist results which changes the alignment of the gratings and thus varies the light transmitted through to a detector. The use of this technique results in a transducer which is able to detect torque bi-directionally, and which has a fast mechanical and electrical response, low inertia and complete freedom from brushes or complex electronics.

The absence of brush gear allows high-speed operation with a continuous rating up to 30,000rpm standard. Further increases in rpm are available depending upon shaft size. The torque shaft is of low compliance ½° maximum torsion deflection on the smaller transducers and ¼° maximum on the larger transducers at full-scale deflection. Any full scale torque can be specified within the range 10mNm to 100Nm.

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@sensortech #PAuto

Torque in medicine.

Medical experts and sports scientists are becoming increasingly reliant on engineers as their disciplines become more and more technical. Mark Ingham looks at some of the projects his company, Sensor Technology, has helped behind the scenes.

Mark Ingham

Like most rugby players I took my knees for granted until the day a twisting fall resulted in a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Fortunately, these days it can be fixed with surgery and nine months of physiotherapy, but I took some comfort in the fact that Sensor Technology has contributed – modestly – to the medical knowledge of this crucial joint. With the pending Olympics fuelling increased participation in sport, military personnel returning from active service with knee problems and the wear on tear on joints as people live longer the need for new knowledge is growing.

One research programme used a Sensor Technology TorqSense industrial sensor to analyse the performance of implanted replacement knee joints. To do this Sensor Technology helped develop a rig centred on a 100Nm TorqSense transducer with an extended through-shaft supporting crank arms on both ends.

The researchers very carefully align the axis of the TorqSense with the patient's knee and attach the ankle to the end of one crank. They can then use the other crank to move the knee without the patient having to put in any muscular effort, thus isolating the joint. Data collected from the TorqSense during a test sequence builds up a profile of the knee's performance.

TorqSense is based on a full four-element strain gauge bridge design, the transducers have the ability to accurately measure and record sudden spikes in torque load. This ability is becoming increasingly important in automated machinery, integrated systems, test rigs and continuously monitored plant.

TorqSense measures the torque 4000 time per second and uses high performance signal conditioning to provide a corruption-free, high bandwidth torque monitoring solution. This is further enhanced by 250% overrange and 400% overload capabilities, elimination of side and end load errors and real time temperature compensation. The non-contact signal transmission means the sensor exerts no load on the shaft it is monitoring, while maintenance-heavy slip rings have been designed out.

Drug protection.
Errors in drug delivery are being reduced year-on-year in all branches of medicine, due to advances in infusion and monitoring technologies. Most medical pumps are driven by stepper motors, which can be tested by driving them against a DC motor acting as a brake. In one programme we were involved with a TorqSense was mounted between the two motors to record the instantaneous shaft torque during test sequences. These data were then analysed and a model of the motor’s characteristics built up.

The alternative would be to use a very expensive dynamometer, which would also be slower to set up because it would need hardwiring instead of a radio link. Another drug protection related project was based on the observation that when using diagnostic fluids on ill or nervous patients, hospital staff are likely to be feeling the stress and will not take kindly to bottle tops that prove difficult to open. However, they will want the tops to feel secure enough that they can be confident of the fluid's sterility. Thus tightening bottle caps in pharmaceutical plants is a precision operation To this end Sensor Technology has helped develop specialist capping machines, which not only tighten bottle caps within precisely defined tolerance but also log every detail of every bottle. The machines are essentially simple: filled bottles are presented to a torque head, which quickly screws on a cap to a target torque.

Wireless torque sensor

However a batch size is typically 10,000 bottles, and they will have to be capped at say one per second. Every cap will have to hit target tightness, with the measurement logged for traceability. Sterility will be paramount, so the machine will probably operate in a high vacuum chamber to ensure that no bacteria or other contaminants are present. TorqSense met all criteria for this application, it being simple, robustness, high speed and wireless. Basically TorqSense could be used 'as is'; with a suitable mounting arrangements. Similarly, the associated software was ready to go after a bit of calibration and the addition of some bespoke front end graphics.

The software was required to do two things: run the torque up to 10kgcm within tolerances of 10 percent, and record the actual value achieved. This secures the cap to the bottle at a level of tightness that will ensure security and sterility, yet is at a level that can be opened relatively easily by an adult. The logged values are saved to a hard drive to provide a permanent record for traceability.

Diagnostic fluids are distributed widely, typically to every hospital in the country plus many overseas. But they may be stored for months before use. Tracing each bottle's origin would be practically impossible without full records being automatically produced and saved to a central location.

Sensor Technology helped provide a solution to this complex but critical problem using an out of the box technology.

Wheelchair reliability.
In a more conventional engineering environment a TorqSense is helping ensure the reliability of powered wheelchairs, having been incorporated into a dynamometer rolling road built by PG Drives in Dorset. The rolling road measures the torque between the motor under test and the inertia network it is driving, which is simulated by selective use of both passive and active loads. The TorqSense constantly measures the test motor’s torque at its output shaft, logging it for later analysis.

Prolonged and arduous tests are often run, simulating on and off road, every type of surface, steep gradients, gentle gradients, all sorts of extreme weather, heavy loads, shock loads and every other anomalous behaviour you can imagine.

Before the rolling road was built, the analysis regime was based on test driving around the town, but consistency and repeatability were, of course, impossible to achieve. The rolling road has been used constantly since it was built, so its reliability and ease of use are major issues, both of which are helped by the TorqSense.

As development engineers, we at Sensor Technology never know what our next job will be. But it is heartening to think that we are making such a direct contribution to healthcare and medicine.

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@sensortech #Medical #Manufacturing

Breakthrough in powertrain innovation.

University College London's (UCL) HyperMile Racing Team proudly announces a pioneering advancement in automotive technology aimed at revolutionising efficiency in the Shell Eco-Marathon. Harnessing the power of Sensor Technology's TorqSense rotary torque transducer, the team has developed an innovative powertrain system poised to redefine performance standards in the eco-racing sphere.

UCL's HyperMile Racing Team, known for its dedication to pushing the boundaries of sustainable transportation, has partnered with Sensor Technology to integrate cutting-edge torque measurement capabilities into their vehicle design. This collaboration has resulted in the creation of a highly efficient powertrain system meticulously engineered to maximise energy utilisation and minimise waste.

The use of Sensor Technology's TorqSense transducer provides the team with real-time insights into the performance dynamics of their vehicle, enabling precise adjustments to optimise efficiency on the track. By leveraging this advanced sensor technology, UCL's HyperMile Racing Team aims to achieve unprecedented levels of fuel efficiency and endurance in the upcoming Shell Eco-Marathon.

"We are thrilled to unveil our latest innovation in collaboration with Sensor Technology," says Bartol Vahcic, Technical Director of UCL's HyperMile Racing Team. "By integrating the TorqSense transducer into testing our powertrain system, we are confident that we can push the boundaries of eco-racing and set new benchmarks for sustainability and performance." 

The Shell Eco-Marathon serves as the ultimate proving ground for innovations in energy efficiency, attracting top engineering talent from around the world. With the introduction of their groundbreaking powertrain system, UCL's HyperMile Racing Team aims to make a significant impact on the future of sustainable transportation and inspire the next generation of eco-minded engineers.

This years competition takes place on May 22nd -24th at Circuit Paul Armagnac, Nogaro, (F), and Sensor Technology will be willing the UCL team on.

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Deep probing into machinery.

Sensor Technology has extended its new range of torque sensors with a model that has the sensing head and electronics in separate housings. This has two advantages: the sensing head can fit into very confined spaces, and the electronics can be located in a position where they are protected from physical damage, dust, dirt, moisture, electromagnetic forces, etc.

The new TorqSense SGR530/540 series operates on the same principle as all the other SGR510/520 units, namely a full four element strain gauge bridge. This uses four individual stain gauges affixed to the drive shaft; each measures the deflection of the shaft in a different direction as it rotates under load. The electronics collects readings from all four gauges and calculates the torque value.

Sensor Technology launched the TorqSense SGR510/520 range in 2020 as the successor to its RWT range which worked on surface acoustic wave (SAW) measurement and detection. It has specialised in real-time torque measurement for over forty years, and pioneered the development of wireless technologies that use radio frequency pickups rather than hard-wired solutions involving delicate and unreliable slip rings.

Initially launched in sizes up to 500Nm, interest in the SGR sensors was so high that the introduction of larger sizes up to 13,000Nm was brought forward 6-12 months to December 2020.

"Because of our experience with the RWT, we have been able to compress the development times for the new SGR models considerably,” says Sensor Technology’s Mark Ingham. “So, we have been able to react to specific enquiries from individual users and bring forward model launches. "

The new range is designed to meet emerging user requirements, notably accurately recording transient torque spikes. In the past transducers didn’t have the bandwidth to capture these spikes, so they were ignored. However, advances in automation, continuous operation and the increasing need for accurate track and trace data has led to the need for more detailed measurement and analysis, as Mark explains:

"A single spike could indicate say the wrong amount of an ingredient being added to a compound or an over-sized workpiece, both of which could affect product quality. A series of spikes would probably suggest the beginnings of a problem within the machinery, so their detection gives the plant engineers an early warning”.

In use, a rotor mounted ultra-miniature microcontroller, powered by an inductive coil, measures the differential values in each strain gauge and transmits them back to the stator digitally, via the same coil. The SGR510/520 series transducers then use state of the art strain gauge signal conditioning techniques to provide a high bandwidth, low cost torque measuring solution with high overrange and overload capabilities.

An advantage of the design of the SGR torque sensors is that they automatically compensate for any extraneous forces, such as bending moments, inadvertently applied to the sensor. They also offer high sensitivity and have a wide temperature tolerance, attributes that are required more and more and production machinery becomes more and more sophisticated and performance demands increase.

Other advantages of the SGR range include: elimination of noise pickup and signal corruption associated with slip rings and hard wired solutions, a 400% mechanical overload limit with accurate torque measurement even at these extremes, and multipoint calibration to eliminate linearity errors within the sensor.

All units are accurate to +/-0.1% and resolution to +/-0.01% of the transducer’s full scale. Other features include an adjustable moving average filter, power supply range from 12VDC to 32VDC, user settable analogue output voltages, and RS232, USB, CANbus and Ethernet comms options.

"Like the RWT sensors the new SGRs can integrate digitally with TorqView software and LabView virtual instruments," concluded Mark.

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@sensortech #Manufacturing #Torque

Putting the cap on correctly.

A vital role in packing leading edge medical test kits for management of critical illnesses.

Axis-Shield is a world leader in inventing new markers for identifying cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, sepsis, vitamin deficiencies and diabetes. Spotting early signs of such conditions during routine medical check-ups means treatment can be started in a timely manner, which leads to improved patient management, either curing or managing the problem.

The compounds it develops are initially produced in low volumes, where automated processes are not appropriate. This moves to medium volume production once the product has been proven, approved and certified and the medical fraternity begin using it. Some compounds later move into high volume production, but it is in the very nature of medical advancement that in other cases Axis-Shield will keep on improving the formulations and developing new products fairly quickly. Thus Axis-Shield has a need for highly efficient medium volume packaging solutions that guarantee accurate and consistent adherence to performance parameters.

This led the company to commission a bespoke packaging line that could handle multiple products in a variety of different packaging formats at a rate of around 500-2500 units per hour. The line fills bottles or other forms of container with the compounds, caps them, labels them, groups them into multi-packs, applies outer wrappers and overprints key data such as production date, use-by date, storage, handling and usage instructions, etc. “Capping the bottles is a critical part of the process,” explains Dean Harper of the company. “Our line can work with two sizes of cap and each one must be tightened to just the right level of torque to within pretty tight tolerances.”

A cap that is too loose may lead to spillage of the marker, which is usually very expensive, during transit or handling. A cap that is fitted too tightly may cause upset to the patient or medical staff, who are both likely to feel stressed if smooth medical procedures are upset. Equally, forcing open an overly tight cap could result in spillage. “Our packaging line has four capping stations and each one is fitted with a TorqSense transducer,” explains Dean. “These work in conjunction with a computer to ensure the correct level of tightness and record the data for traceability records.” TorqSense is unlike any other sensor in that it does not rely on delicate slip rings to transmit torque readings. It does this wirelessly using radio signals transmitted from a pick-up located near to, but not actually contacting the rotating drive shaft of the capping mechanism.

“The capping process is essentially simple,” says Dean, “but you have to allow for a fast cycle time and the need to guarantee torque while ensuring total sterility.” TorqSense met the design criteria of robustness, simple high speed operation and non-contact for sterility.

Mark Ingham of Sensor Technology gives the details: “TorqSense was ideal for this application; we just needed to work out mounting arrangements. We supplied the sensor with our standard TorqView software which both displays readings in real time and archives them should analysis or track and trace be an application requirement. Being wireless, TorqSense does not need to physically contact the bottle caps or shaft of the torque head it is monitoring.

Digital Inductive telemetry is used to transfer strain gauge sensor data from the rotating shaft. This method enhances reliability and precision of the torque measurement by digitizing the strain gauge signals very close to the sensors on the shaft which eliminates much of the noise associated with millivolt signals, slip rings and long cable runs. This also improves the temperature coefficient by removing the thermocouple effects of the cable. The digital data is also integrity checked using a checksum so only valid data will be presented to the end user.

For Axis-Shield, the software was required to do two things: run the torque up to a set level within tolerances, and record the actual value achieved. This secures the cap to the bottle at a level of tightness that will ensure security and sterility, yet is at a level that can be opened relatively easily by an adult. The logged values are saved to a hard drive to provide a permanent record for traceability purposes. 

Dean explains: “Diagnostic fluids are distributed widely, often globally, so they may be stored for months before use. Tracing each bottle’s origin would be practically impossible without full records being automatically produced and saved to a central location. TorqSense provided a solution to this complex but critical problem using an out of the box technology.”

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• See also Top Ten Torque Tips (8/2/2024)

@sensortech #Automotive #Torque

High perforamnce Formula EV for students.

High performance electric cars are being developed across Europe for Formula Student, an engineering education competition like no other. The team from Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon, Portugal may have a secret weapon in the form of a test bench based upon a wireless torque sensor.

Formula Student (FS) aims to develop enterprising and innovative young engineers and encourage more young people to take up a career in engineering. It is designed to test students’ abilities and demonstrate their capabilities to deliver a complex and integrated product in the demanding environment of motorsport.

Entry into the competition usually forms part of a degree-level project and is viewed by the motorsport industry as the standard for engineering graduates to meet, transitioning them from university to the workplace. Many FS participants go on to have amazing careers either in motorsport or elsewhere.

Sensor Technology Ltd has supplied a TorqSense system to the Formula Student team at Lisbon’s renowned technical university, the Instituto Superior Técnico, so that they can develop a high performance electric motor for their car. Their efforts will be doubly impressive as the power/weight ratio will far exceed any previous electric motor development undertaken in Portugal.

FST Lisboa is one of Portugal’s most successful Formula Student teams, having been actively involved since 2001. With seven prototypes from past events, the team has achieved national recognition for its innovative engineering and project management. In fact the team’s fourth car was the first ever high performance electric car developed in Portugal, while its 2017 design was the first four-wheel drive electric prototype completely developed in Portugal.

This year the team, composed of students from several engineering courses (Mechanical, Naval, Electrical, Aerospace, Informatics and Industrial Management), is pushing to even greater heights and developing its own electric motors.

Henrique Motta, who is studying industrial engineering and management and is also Sponsor Manager for FST Lisboa, explains that this year’s entry is based on the team’s previous electric car which was the first to have all-wheel drive transmission. Thus much of the focus is now on developing, testing and refining the electric motor.

He gives some details: “TorqSense has an important role with us. We have been developing our own electric motors for the past two years and now we are starting to build production units that will be fitted into the car, which is designated FST 08e. As a very important part of the motors’ development, we need to test them rigorously and log huge amounts of performance data so that we can analyse it and work toward an optimised final design.” The TorqSense sensor will allow the team to measure the motors’ torque to predict its behaviour once installed in the car. They will be testing motors to their limits in the test bench, so should eventually be able to predict completely how it will perform in all circumstances.

The testing regime has been developed so that the TorqSense will be used in all bench tests to fully model all the performance characteristics of the prototype motor. The tests will go a maximum speed of 20 000rpm and maximum torque of 30Nm.

TorqSense has often been used in dedicated test benches, for prototypes as varied as wind turbines, industrial fans, windscreen wiper motors, unmanned drones and model aircraft as well as for many electric vehicle projects. It is often the preferred solution because, being wireless, it is easy to set up for each new test run and does not require a large amount of wiring and slip ring setting each time.

However FST Lisboa says it was primarily attracted to TorqSense because of its connectivity, as Motta explains: “TorqSense allows us to easily connect other hardware and software solutions using USB or CAN bus. We also like the ease of use of Sensor Technology’s software products such as TorqView and the ETD Transducer display, which make the visualisation and logging of data a simple one-step process.”

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@sensortech @istecnico #Automotive #Torque #Portugal

Ensuring safe fire protection.

Ultra-reliable is the only standard acceptable when it comes to building, testing and maintaining water pumps for fire fighting. To ensure all of its pumps are fully able to provide maximum performance instantly, under all circumstances, Ruhrpumpen has built a dedicated fire pump centre in Lancing, West Sussex (GB) and fitted its test-rig with "the best torque sensors it could find on the market".

David Gentle, Ruhrpumpen Industrial Europa Product Line Manager for EU Fire Systems, says: “We are a very high tech industry, but there is also a lot of human intelligence and input into our operations. We really value the support from the team at Sensor Technology and know we will always get a quick response from them, no matter when we call. TorqSense transducers are lightweight, easy to use and we have recommended their adoption by our group subsidiaries around the world, all of whom are FM/UL certified."

Ruhrpumpen is a global leader in high technology pump systems and is a major player in industries such as oil and gas, water distribution, chemical production, continuous processes, and nuclear power. Identifying fire fighting as a crucial sector, it set up Ruhrpumpen Industrial Europa Ltd (RPIE) a Factory Mutual (FM) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) certified manufacturing facility for fire water pumps in Britain. The FM and UL Approvals Bodies audit the facility quarterly, inspect calibration certification and carry out flow, pressure, power, NPSH (net positive suction head) and other relevant tests as required, ensuring that the facility maintains world-class standards at all times.

Ruhrpumpen Industrial Europa Ltd’s state-of-the-art fire pump manufacturing centre is fully equipped to design, assemble, test and package fire pumps for European market requirements. It can also produce standard and highly-engineered pumping systems for a wide range of other applications industries, often using the technical requirements of firefighting to set benchmarks in other industries.

In addition to pumps and systems for use in Britain and Europe, the facility also provides parts and support for highly-engineered pump equipment to other Ruhrpumpen companies around the world, and offers product and system testing, training and specialist consultancy services.

With the test-rig TorqSense transducers measure and record instantaneous torque levels in rotating pump drive shafts, with analysis of the data confirming real-time performance standards, in testing operations.

TorqSense comes in a range of sizes for measuring torque, both rotary and static, from 10mNm up to 13,000Nm. Different ranges are based on different technologies, including full four element strain gauge bridges and optical measurement. None of these require hard wiring with slip rings, instead being designed for use with wireless radio frequency pick-ups which make set up and adjustment fast and simple.

Working with clients, experts from Sensor Technology can recommend the best transducer for each application.

As is a requirement in all fire pump testing, the torque transducers are all regularly calibrated by an independent ISO 17025 accredited calibration laboratory.

There is also a full range of data display, recording and analysis interfaces. Again, it is the work of moments to integrate these with the sensor heads. However, with fire water pumps being such a specialised and highly regulated field, Ruhrpumpen decided to use bespoke data systems developed to directly address the needs of the industry. With these, data is recorded and analysed in Ruhrpumpen’s own performance test app before the final pump Test Report is made available. Naturally everything is tested and verified by qualified independent bodies on a regular basis.

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@sensortech @ruhrpumpen #Pauto

To guarantee valve actuator performance.

Rotork Controls has established a global reputation for robust and reliable valve actuators, operating in some of the world’s most demanding and critical applications. Thorough testing of the motors used in the actuators is one of the keys to this assured performance, with TorqSense transducers from Sensor Technology playing a vital role in the test process.

Rotork is the world’s leading manufacturer of electric, pneumatic and hydraulic valve actuators and associated control systems, valve gearboxes and valve accessories. The company’s electric valve actuator division offers an electrical solution to industrial valve control and actuation applications of virtually any size, description and complexity.

Its capabilities encompass actuators and control systems for new plants, plant extensions and upgrades, together with life-of-plant support. The division’s unrivalled range of products offers a robust and economic solution for every valve duty and operating environment.

Rotork Controls chief development engineer Geoff Beeho comments: “If you look at something like an oil line, then any failure of the valve actuator could potentially be costing millions of dollars a day. We have to be able to guarantee the performance of the actuators in the most demanding conditions, so testing is vital. TorqSense torque transducers from Sensor Technology are a key element of our test rigs.”

Companies and businesses around the world rely on Rotork actuators, in applications as diverse as power generation, water and sewage, industrial processes, subsea, marine, HVAC, incinerators and cement plants. Common features in many of these applications are challenging environmental conditions, extremes of temperatures, and high costs associated with any downtime. Because of this, absolute reliability of the valve actuators is vital.

The company designs custom actuator designs built around motorised gearboxes, using non-standard open frame motors. “We use a variety of motors depending on the particular application, including DC motors, single-phase motors and three-phase motors, but we don’t rely on off-the-shelf products. Instead, we use open frame motors that we integrate directly into our own systems.

“Performance testing is very important,” he continues. “The duty cycle is atypical – our motors are not in continuous use, only running intermittently and for short period. What is important to us is the short term ratings, and this data isn’t always readily available. We have to have performance data that will tell us exactly what we need to know about the motors in these most demanding applications.”

They designed their own rig to test the motors, with Sensor Technology TorqSense transducers at its heart. “We needed non-contact torque sensors in the rig. The early design used magnetically coupled torque sensors but we were never completely happy with these. So when we upgraded the rig to be able to perform a wider range of tests, we took the opportunity to look around the market and we found the TorqSense transducers.” 

“The TorqSense transducers immediately struck us as being a much more robust solution, better suited to handling the torques we were subjecting them to,” comments Beeho. The common practices of over-specifying a motor that guarantee reliable operation in standard applications simply don’t apply in valve actuation. “Motor sizing is critical,” he continues. “If we put in a motor that is too big, then we can risk damaging the valve. We can use motors that appear to be under-rated, but because our duty-cycle is so short we can get better performance from the motor. But the performance data to support this sort of motor use isn’t always available, or isn’t always reliable, so we need to perform our own tests. We also need to know how our motors will handle extremes of temperature in given applications so that reliability is never compromised. The TorqSense transducers allow us to make all the required tests.”

An advantage of the TorqSense transducers in the Rotork test rig is that they provide both analogue and digital outputs. “This has proved to be a real bonus,” says Beeho. “Not only can we use one output to check the calibration of the other, but it also means we have the flexibility to use both outputs performing different tests. For example, we might use the analogue output to feed torque and speed data into the power analyser during a performance test, and then use the digital output for a temperature test. Here, we run the motor for 15 minutes at constant torque and see how hot it gets. The output from the TorqSense transducer allows us to close the loop so that we can keep the torque constant.”

In any application, the fundamental considerations are the actuator’s ability to overcome the resistive forces of the valve, and the dynamic performance requirements to enable the valve to adequately meet the process demands. With its comprehensive testing procedures built around the TorqSense transducers, Rotork Controls has the confidence that its electrically operated valve actuators will always meet the application requirements.

@sensortech @rotork #PAuto  #TandM

But who'll do the washing up?

Real time process control for food manufacture has come a significant step closer, thanks to pioneering research work at University College Dublin (IRL) into viscosity measurement techniques for characterising the flow and mixability of highly non-Newtonian fluids. At the heart of the researchers' experiments is the TorqSense transducer made by Sensor Technology, which monitors the constantly changing flow characteristics of materials as diverse as tomato ketchup, chocolate, pasta sauce and chicken tikka massala as they are mixed.

Ireland's national economy has always had a strong agricultural element and more recently considerable value has been added to this by becoming one of Europe's foremost manufacturers of processed ingredients and ready meals.

Many foods are presented in a sauce or as what physicist could describe as a neo-liquid and can be produced in a process-type environment. But to date real time control has been virtually impossible due to the non-uniform nature of the food, which may contain particulates, fibres, vegetables, meat, nuts, raisins, biscuits etc.

"Real time process control is vital if food processors are to achieve the ultimate in product quality," says PJ Cullen, who leads the research team. "To achieve this the sensor has to be pretty special to detects the changes with sufficient sensitivity, yet be robust enough for regular wash-downs and general industrial abuse. Of course it must not compromise hygiene standards and regimes either. We tried a number of sensors and TorqSense stood out as by far the best at meeting all our needs."

PJ and his colleagues have simulated food processing techniques in a number of different laboratory rigs, one of the most used being a helical ribbon mixer similar to those employed by manufacturers for mixing ingredients together. Often the key requirement is to mix sufficiently to achieve a uniform dish, but not to waste time and energy by over-mixing.

"We do this by monitoring the torque on the mixer's shaft, as it will move to a steady state (within the characteristics of the given recipe) once fluid uniformity is achieved," says PJ.

Summing up he continued, "It has given us exactly what we needed at low cost, and it is simple to use and reliable - key requirements in a busy lab - but also very attractive to full scale process control environments. The only drawback of our research programme, is all the washing up after working so closely with so many different dishes all day!"

@sensortech @ucddublin #Pauto #Food #Resaearch #Ireland

Tested but not touched.

TorqSense, a non-contact digital torque monitoring system that could guarantee an infinite lightness of touch has proven to be the only way to test the seals of super high performance vacuum systems.

The ultimate fields of precision manufacture, such as electronics, biophysics and thin film deposition where tolerances are measured in atoms, are often conducted in hard vacuum to remove airborne contaminants and avoid the performance reducing effects of tiny air movements.

However the vast majority of vacuum chamber designs require seals for rotary drive shafts (called rotary feedthroughs) and ‘feedthroughs’ for the passage of materials, components, tools and finished products. In high vacuum applications conventional seals are unlikely to be able to achieve the performance specifications required, so magnetic fluid seals are used.

A ferrofluid is a stable colloidal suspension of sub-domain magnetic nano particles in a liquid carrier. The particles, which have an average size of about 100Å (10 nm), are coated with a stabilising dispersing agent (surfactant), which prevents particle agglomeration even when a strong magnetic field gradient is applied to the ferrofluid. With over thirty years of experience producing seals for the world's most demanding applications, Ferrotec of Woolwich in London is able to optimise ferrofluid materials for the most extreme performance requirements and incorporate them into bespoke vacuum system designs.

“About half of our work is to bespoke design,” says Jeff Lewcock of Ferrotec, “and we have to test every seal to the nth degree to meet out customers specifications. To test the feedthrough it is mounted onto a vacuum chamber that is connected to a helium leak detector. Helium is then spayed onto the feedthrough and the leak rate observed during static and dynamic running.”

As part of the test the starting and running torque of the seal are measured and the power loss through the seal is calculated. These readings allow Ferrotec to troubleshoot the individual seal, analyse the design’s performance and add to their knowledge base. “With the sort of tolerances we work to we needed a torque sensor that didn’t add any extra drag to the whole seal mechanism, so we were delighted to discover Sensor Technology’s non-contact TorqSense,” says Jeff.

@sensortech  #PAuto #Torque #Vacuum

Lighting the Thames!

"And they'll set the Thames on fire, Very soon!" wrote W.S.Gilbert in one of the songs in Castle Adamant in the nineteenth century. This was in a list of impossibilities but maybe this venture is something that would make him think again. 

A small section of the Thames is to be illuminated using power generated by the flow of the river itself, as Kingston University (GB) tests prototypes of a new hydroelectric turbine design.

The turbine will sit on a pontoon and will provide a floating test and measurement laboratory. On this will be an array of sensors and monitors, including a TorqSense the wireless torque sensor from Sensor Technology Ltd.

"To say that this is a harsh environment for laboratory equipment is a bit of an understatement," says Rod Bromfield, Senior Lecturer, of the Faculty of Engineering, Kingston University. "We can only use robust kit with a proven industrial pedigree." The turbine under test has been developed by Hales Marine Energy near Eastbourne on the English south coast and is expected to be deployable in tidal seas as well as rivers. The design application of this turbine is to sit on a submergible tank that will sit on the sea bed and can be floated up to the surface when required. Significantly, the design is almost infinitely scalable: the unit under test is 1m diameter and produces about 1kW; 5m turbines suitable for inshore deployment would generate round 20kW; smaller units would be ideal for river use. With access to the test site being by small boat, Rod knew that his test regime had to be both simple and comprehensive.

"The critical measurement is torque, as this indicates the power we can derive from the system. We had to be certain that we would get continuous measurements over an extended period of time, because we need to map power production against actual river flow. Also for this technology to succeed in the emerging green power market it must be capable of continuous and predictable energy production." 

One of the engineering issues that Rod faced was the relatively slow revolution of the turbine, in this test below 50rpm. This helped define the choice of the TorqSense, but it is also a key feature of the Hales turbine - the slow speed means less stress on moving parts and therefore less servicing. It also minimises habitat disturbance, so that the ecological impact is low.

"When I contacted Sensor Technology I was very concerned about vertical mounting and harsh environment performance," recalls Rod. "Fortunately there have been TorqSenses installed vertically, including several high up on vertical axis wind turbines, where they have to withstand gales, hurricanes and lashing rain."

Turbine
The design of the Hales turbine is reassuringly simple, and therefore likely to survive underwater installation with long service intervals. It was developed by Paul Hales, a design engineer who has spent a career associated with the sea. 

  "It’s based on the traditional water wheel, but mounted on a vertical axis - on its side," he explains. "Using modern engineering and materials it is possible to take this effective early turbine and by turning the output shaft to the vertical to immerse the whole turbine into the tidal flow. To overcome the high resistance on the wheel blades that on one side are trying to move against the water flow, they are shaped and hinged to present a minimum resistance. The large blade area on the drive side produces very high amounts of torque (rotational force) at low speed, in the range of 10 -20rpm. Coupled with modern permanent magnet generators that can start producing electricity rotations as low as 2rpm, my turbine can offer the possibility of tidal generation worldwide.”

Paul continues: "Water is nearly 800 times denser than air so it carries far more energy, making water turbines a very attractive alternative to wind energy. Notably seabed systems are not an impediment to shipping, nor do they have any visual impact and ecological issues are minimal for low speed systems."

Paul says that he could envision an array of his turbines on every headland along the English Channel and at intervals down the Thames.

"Of course, that is just the start. The simplicity of the design, its robustness and low maintenance, relative ease of installation all add up to making it suitable for deployment in remote and less developed areas. Its low ecological footprint addresses many of the issues raised by environmentalists. Its continuous and utterly predictable power output overcomes the intermittency associated with wind, wave and solar power.

"When, over the test period, people stand on Richmond Bridge and watch a modest array of lights bobbing about on a buoy, they may not know it but they will be seeing the future!"

@sensortech @KingstonUni #Power #Energy

Revving electrical vehicles.

Saietta Group Ltd is a research and development company which designs motors for light-weight electric vehicle (EV) propulsion. The company’s latest innovation is the ‘S-AC’ which is an ultra-efficient brushless axial-flux AC motor. It boasts extreme efficiency levels at high torques from low speed onwards.

S-AC is designed for mass manufacture and is optimised for light-weight electric vehicles such as scooters, motorbikes, quadbikes, rickshaws, small cars and marine applications. The primary target market is Asia where Governments are mandating the rapid transition for all forms of transport to electric propulsion to combat chronic pollution.

The unique motor architecture was designed by Saietta’s engineering team, based on Saietta’s DC axial-flux motor, which was originally developed by Cedric Lynch (Saietta’s Chief Scientist) who is internationally recognised as a pioneer in electric motor design. Saietta motors have been used to achieve multiple world-firsts on land, sea and air, including winning the first Isle of Man TT Zero all electric motorcycle race.

Saietta works with vehicle manufacturers to firstly understand in detail the specific motor requirements for individual EV applications and then engineers the S-AC technology to deliver tailored solutions. Saietta also provides engineering and integration consultancy for entire electric drivetrains.

Saietta’s Applications Engineering team is heavily reliant upon a set of test rigs that it has developed in conjunction with its Oxfordshire (GB) neighbour Sensor Technology Ltd. A lot of Saietta’s work is based on constantly refining and testing motor designs, moving toward an optimum solution for each application field. As engineer Chris Lines explains: “The switch from DC motors to AC means we are able to improve efficiency still further and reduce maintenance requirements because there will be zero brush-wear.”

The test rigs at the heart of Saietta’s development work are based on the principle of running two motors back to back, adding power to counter the losses and measuring efficiency. For this the engineers selected a TorqSense transducer from Sensor Technology, which operates wirelessly so that setting up between test runs is minimal because there is no need to reset delicate slip rings.

The operating principle of TorqSense is based on bouncing a radio signal off the rotating shaft of the motor under test and measuring the distortion in the return wave. To do this two tiny piezo electric combs are glued onto the shaft at right angles to one another. These are pulled slightly out of shape as the shaft rotates and thus disrupt the radio waves as they are reflected back.

“The amount of twist in the shaft is proportional to the torque of the moment,” says Chris, “so we get a direct reading. The fact that we do not have to hardwire the transducer to the shaft through slip rings means we can set up a test very quickly and reset everything just as quickly. If we had to adjust slip rings every time, our test programme would take far, far, longer to complete.”

TorqSense offers CANbus output options for in-vehicle applications, so is popular with many organisations developing drive trains for electric vehicles and also in other low carbon developments such as wind turbines and tidal flow energy.

@sensortech @DriveSaietta #Automotive #Test

Virtual real world torque measurement!

Student engineers are using a newly launched torque sensor for predicting the energy efficiency of a competition-grade electric car.

Young technologists from the University of Sheffield alleviated their disappointment at the Covid-cancellation of Shell Eco Challenge Rally by instead developing a computer simulation tool for predicting electric cars’ energy efficiency.

The university has a long association with the Shell Eco Challenge, in which student teams from around Europe compete to see whose car electric will cover the greatest distance on a single charge. So, when Covid shut down the event, rather than abandon their efforts Team Sheffield shifted their focus and set about a related project.

“We have been developing our own computer simulation tools for predicting our electric vehicle’s (EV’s) energy efficiency,” says student Lucy Edwards. “This has let us calculate our vehicle’s competition score for the 40 minute/15km competition run.”

To put the competition into context, Shell Eco EVs achieve upwards of 800 km/kWh, whereas the EVs on the road today may achieve only 15 km/kWh (at the same 25 kph). The competition EV are of course ultra lightweight, very aerodynamic single seaters and the drivers chosen by weight, whereas their road-going counterparts are better adapted for say a family day out. However, the competition demonstrates the potential of electric propulsion and, over the years, has undoubtedly helped development of the technology.

Sheffield’s involvement is extra-curricular but provides a great opportunity for the students to apply what they have learnt in lectures in a practical context.

To build the simulation tool, the students used their knowledge of engineering theory to create a mathematical representation of all the energy losses present in the car. A key piece of data was the motor efficiency curves, which were derives using a dual-purpose powertrain test rig and motor dynamometer. This was developed in-house and based around a TorqSense SGR521, the latest product from from Sensor Technology Ltd.

In fact, Sensor Technology is a regular supporter of Shell Eco Challengers; over the years it has supported several teams from mainland Europe and now one from Britain. “The student teams basically need to run lots of tests on their drive motors and map out the results,” explains Mark Ingham of the company. “As such they are really no different from motor test engineers the world over.

“We are far and away the most active supplier of torque measuring technology and expertise to the Eco Challenge. It is very gratifying to know we give young engineers at the start of their careers a solid grounding in such an important subject, which they will be calling on for decades to come.”

Like their professional counterparts, the young engineers tend to want to develop a test rig that is accurate and easy to use. Usually, they also have space and time constraints, so want a compact design which is quick and easy to set up for each test.

“Our new SGR510/520 range fulfils all these requirements,” says Mark. “It’s only been on the market for a couple of months but is already proving itself to be a favourite in EV test labs around the world – and that is a rapidly growing market at the moment.”

For the Shell Eco Challenge, teams across Europe have to design and build their own electric cars and motor controllers in-house. Typically, powertrains are based on either a brushless DC, or PMSM motor - and complex control algorithms are needed for precision control. This requires custom electronics, typically based on MOSFETs and other carefully chosen low power loss components.

In fact, the rules of the Challenge are such that the controller is included in the motor testing that is done on each teams’ entry. In effect, the capabilities of each piece of hardware are quantified so that the teams can see how they compare with each other.

Lucy sums up the team’s year: “With the tools and hardware we have developed we have posted competitive competition scores. Of course, we are all hoping that soon Covid restrictions allow us to meet our competitors face to face and compete car against car. That will be real world engineering at its best.”

@sensortech @shell_ecomar @sheffielduni #Education  #Transport 

Test rig technology that talks the torque!

The Bifold Group has adopted radio frequency based torque transducers from Sensor Technology Ltd for two of its specialist test rigs to analyse the long term performance and reliability of hard working valves and pumps.

An inter-generational commitment to advancing science and engineering has seen Bifold transform from a 19th century mining lamp maker into a leading manufacturer of instrument valves and accessories, piping valves and pumps for the oil, gas and wider industrial markets. It has particular expertise in subsea and wellhead control systems and has also developed market leading technology in areas such as solenoid valves with ultra-low power requirements.

Its corporate development is just as impressive as its technical advancements. Over the last 10-15 years it has consistently grown profits by 50% a year, and is on course to clear £33m this year. During this period it has moved into bespoke premises, created about 250 high value jobs, developed new products and technologies and entered high tech markets around the world. Today 95% of its output is exported.

By using the power of computer aided design many of Bifold’s products are built to custom designs, yet they are produced to very short lead times thanks to the efficiency of internet communications. To maintain this standard, sample products and components are comprehensively tested so that their reliability and capabilities are never in doubt.    

Bifold is as innovative in developing its test regimes as it is in advancing its product technologies and business systems. So when it wanted to assess the effects of wear on its long-life valves it set about designing a special test rig. Engineer Andrew Laverick recalls: “We wanted to measure the power required to operate the valve to see how it changed over time and with long term use. It was clear that the best way to do this was to measure the torque input over an extended period.”

“We were open to any design concept for the test rig, but soon found ourselves gravitating towards a TorqSense solution because the Sensor Technology engineers were so helpful and really knowledgeable about test rigs.”

TorqSense transducers lend themselves to test rig uses because they are non-contact measuring devices. Attached to the surface of the transducer shaft are two Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) devices, when torque is applied to the shaft the SAWs react to the applied strain and change their output. The SAW devices are interrogated wirelessly using an RF couple, which passes the SAW data to and from the electronics inside the body of the transducer.

Sensor Technology’s Mark Ingham explains: “All you have to do is set up a TorqSense transducer in the test rig and fire it up. The SAW frequencies reflected back are distorted in proportion to the twist in the test piece, which in turn is proportional to the level of torque. We have some clever electronics to analyse the returning wave and feed out torque values to a computer screen.

“TorqSense has been used on many test rigs over the years and I was delighted to hear the Bifold engineers say how easy it is to use and how robust the software is.”

Laverick again: “As a test engineer you are almost resigned to long set up procedures and software that falls over at the drop of a hat. But Sensor Technology has designed these problems out of their TorqSense equipment, with the result that we were able to complete our long term test procedures with the minimum amount of fuss and heartache and well within the allotted time schedule.”

In fact Bifold has since bought a second TorqSense which is being fitted to a new test rig used to assess the performance of mission critical chemical injection pumps, as used at oil and gas wellheads and on process pipelines.

“This project is proceeding well,” says Laverick, “and is allowing us to further develop our abilities to quickly provide bespoke equipment for ultra demanding applications, safe in the knowledge that it will perform faultlessly over a long working life.”

@sensortech @BifoldGroup48Hr #Pauto #TandM

Pay as you sense!

Rentals helping in boosting companies in uncertain times.

The current phase of the economic cycle, recovery from a slowdown, is always difficult and frustrating. Equipment rentals are however, increasingly helping companies overcome the hurdle of finding investment capital to fund development and verification projects.

Mark Ingham of Sensor Technology comments that though, “companies are seeing their markets improve, they don’t have the reserves to finance all the activities that will kickstart their sales. What money there is has to be used carefully, which usually means funding some projects but not others. As a result opportunities have to be missed.”

Typically projects may include verification or reverification of a product range to an international standard, development of a new sized unit within a product range to address an emerging market requirement, modification of a design or a whole new development.

“The devil is in the details: enterprising companies can usually see new gaps in their markets and envision a product to suit. But these need to be tested and proven, and that often involves acquiring sensors and test equipment.”

Having survived more than one downturn and recovery, Sensor Technology already has a rental option in place for its TorqSense range of torque sensors. Potential users can choose to rent the equipment, rather than purchase it, thus circumventing the bottleneck of raising capital purchase approval. And to help companies along, if they decide that they want to hold onto their TorqSense for longer than they had anticipated, Sensor Technology are happy to convert the rental to a sale, with a percentage of the hire fee already paid offset against the purchase price.

Interestingly, Mark says that rentals are a popular option at all times: “Many of our customers have a project where they need to measure torque, but know that when the project is concluded they will have no further need for a TorqSense. For them, renting is very attractive.”

This is particularly true in academia and the high tech industries. Brunel University has used Sensor Technology’s rental service on a developmental project for a motor sports client, while Oxford University is a regular and canny user. Another is a West Country satellite technology developer which had a need to test ballscrews to the point where they could be confident that they would work once blasted into orbit.

“A regular comment we hear is that customers would like to rent equipment from other suppliers too. There is definitely a fundamental need in the market; it probably increases in the recovery phase of the economic cycle and tails off later on, but it is always there.

“I am aware that some other companies are following our lead in this. Others are finding other creative ways to seed their markets, for instance energy saving equipment can be paid in instalments at a rate related to the reduce power bills."

@sensortech #Pauto

Securing caps on bottles.

TorqSense transducers from Sensor Technology, are used to ensure caps are being properly fitted to pharmaceutical bottles in a high speed packaging line run by the Almac Group at its global headquarters in Craigavon in Co Armagh.

The Almac Group is a pharmaceutical and biotech development and manufacturing organisation. Founded fifty years ago, it now has operations around the world and has just announced a major investment plan for new facilities across the border in Dundalk, Co Louth. Strict international rules apply to the manufacture and packaging of pharmaceutical products and require that the correct environment is maintained within the bottle following capping. To this end, Regulation USP 671 provides a guide to the torque range to be used for screw type containers with varying closure diameters. By ensuring that bottle caps are successfully applied to the bottles within the required torque tolerances, the integrity of the product can be maintained.

Sensor Technology, which makes TorqSense, has worked with many OEMs to develop high precision, high speed capping machines for use in pharmaceutical plants and a range of other applications. One of these, Cap Coder, an Oxfordshire neighbour of Sensor Technology, incorporates TorqSense units in its CC1440 and CC1440T Bench top Cap Coder machines, both of which are used by the Almac Group.

TorqSense is wireless in that it does not need to physically contact the bottle caps or shaft of the torque head it is monitoring. Instead sensing is achieved through a radio frequency link. Attached to the surface of the transducer shaft are two Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) devices, when torque is applied to the shaft the SAWs react to the applied strain and change their output. The SAW devices are interrogated wirelessly using an RF couple, which passes the SAW data to and from the electronics inside the body of the transducer.

“All you have to do is set up a TorqSense transducer in the capping machine and turn it on.” explains Mark Ingham of Sensor Technology. “The SAW frequencies reflected back are distorted in proportion to the level of torque.”

The Almac Group use a number of Cap Coder machines, both standard designs and purpose built at its global headquarters, some of which have been in service for five years.

When in use, if a torque value outside the acceptable range is encountered, an alarm will trigger the capping machine to identify unacceptable product for immediate rejection.

Mark Ingham of Sensor Technology added, “Fast and accurate torque measurement is becoming more and more important as all sectors of manufacturing automate their physical processes and also need to improve the recording of their production performance data. TorqSense is now used in many industries from automotive to materials handling, test and measurement, FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) production, power generation etc.”

@sensortech @AlmacGroup @CapCoderLtd #PAuto #Pharma #Ireland

Software successfully caps a problem!

TorqSense transducers are playing a vital role in packing leading edge medical test kits at Axis-Shield in Dundee (Scotland), which develops new diagnostic compounds that help with the early identification and management of critical illnesses.

Axis-Shield is a world leader in inventing new markers for identifying cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, sepsis, vitamin deficiencies and diabetes. Spotting early signs of such conditions during routine medical check-ups means treatment can be started in a timely manner, which leads to improved patient management, either curing or managing the problem.
The compounds it develops are initially produced in low volumes, where automated processes are not appropriate. This moves to medium volume production once the product has been proven, approved and certified and the medical fraternity begin using it.

Some compounds later move into high volume production, but it is in the very nature of medical advancement that in other cases Axis-Shield will keep on improving the formulations and developing new products fairly quickly. Thus Axis-Shield has a need for highly efficient medium volume packaging solutions that guarantee accurate and consistent adherence to performance parameters.

This led the company to commission a bespoke packaging line that could handle multiple products in a variety of different packaging formats at a rate of around 500-2500 units per hour. The line fills bottles or other forms of container with the compounds, caps them, labels them, groups them into multi-packs, applies outer wrappers and overprints key data such as production date, use-by date, storage, handling and usage instructions, etc.

“Capping the bottles is a critical part of the process,” explains Dean Harper of the company. “Our line can work with two sizes of cap and each one must be tightened to just the right level of torque to within pretty tight tolerances.”

A cap that is too loose may lead to spillage of the marker, which is usually very expensive, during transit or handling. A cap that is fitted too tightly may cause upset to the patient or medical staff, who are both likely to feel stressed if smooth medical procedures are upset. Equally, forcing open an overly tight cap could result in spillage.

“Our packaging line has four capping stations and each one is fitted with a TorqSense transducer,” explains Dean. “These work in conjunction with a computer to ensure the correct level of tightness and record the data for traceability records.”

TorqSense is unlike any other sensor in that it does not rely on delicate slip rings to transmit torque readings. It does this wirelessly using radio signals transmitted from a pick-up located near to, but not actually contacting the rotating drive shaft of the capping mechanism.

“The capping process is essentially simple,” says Dean, “but you have to allow for a fast cycle time and the need to guarantee torque while ensuring total sterility.”

TorqSense met the design criteria of robustness, simple high speed operation and non-contact for sterility.

Mark Ingham of Sensor Technology gives the details: “TorqSense was ideal for this application; we just needed to work out mounting arrangements. We supplied the sensor with our standard TorqView software which both displays readings in real time and archives them should analysis or track and trace be an application requirement.

Being wireless, TorqSense does not need to physically contact the bottle caps or shaft of the torque head it is monitoring. Instead, sensing is achieved through a radio frequency link using Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) sensors. A shaft twists very slightly when it rotates, the amount of deformation being proportional to the torque. TorqSense measures the deformation so that it can calculate torque. To do this two tiny piezoelectric combs (SAW sensors) are glued to the surface of the shaft at right angles to one another; shaft deformation will expand one comb and compress the other. A radio frequency signal emitted by the TorqSense is reflected back by the combs, with its frequency changed in proportion to the combs' deformation."

For Axis-Shield, the software was required to do two things: run the torque up to a set level within tolerances, and record the actual value achieved. This secures the cap to the bottle at a level of tightness that will ensure security and sterility, yet is at a level that can be opened relatively easily by an adult. The logged values are saved to a hard drive to provide a permanent record for traceability purposes.

Dean explains: “Diagnostic fluids are distributed widely, often globally, so they may be stored for months before use. Tracing each bottle’s origin would be practically impossible without full records being automatically produced and saved to a central location. TorqSense provided a solution to this complex but critical problem using an out of the box technology.”

@sensortech  #Medical