Multi-application ultrasonics

Level control in a water tank is one of the classic applications for ultrasonic sensors. A sensor in a M30 sleeve can measure heights of four or six meters without any problems. If the pump is controlled by means of a PLC, sensor installation is limited to mounting and wiring the sensor to the controller. The measured value is transmitted via IO-Link or analog output and processed further in the controller.

With stand-alone solutions, a few additional steps are required to parameterise the sensor. Empty or full threshold, hysteresis value for activating the pump, and possibly an averaging system for providing a more accurate measured value during filling, can be adjusted easily using parameterisation software. Interfering objects such as a ladder can effectively be suppressed by reducing the sound cone width. Intuitive parameterisation software allows you to adapt the sensor to specific tasks.

Alternatively, there are simple tasks that ultrasonic sensors can perform with great reliability. One example is the detection of PCBs in a mounting machine. The sensor has the task of accurately detecting the edge of an approaching PCB. Recesses in the PCB and different colored, shiny surfaces do not pose a problem for small ultrasonic sensors in F77 miniature design. The flat projection cone of the sensor ignores recesses and reliably detects the edge. Simply teaching in the position of the PCB is sufficient to configure the sensor for the relevant task.

Two decades of intensive development at Pepperl+Fuchs have transformed ultrasonic technology into a technology that is easy to use in many applications. Ultrasonic sensors can be adapted precisely to specific tasks and conditions using intuitive parameterising tools. In order for simple, cost-effective ultrasonic sensors to reliably fulfill the tasks assigned to them, only their operating distance has to be taught in.