Electricity + Control September 2015

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STANDBY + BACK-UP ROUND UP
Superior interlocking and position monitoring for industrial applications
Banner Engineering introduces its SI Se-
ries Safety Limit Switches, designed to
effectively monitor the position of a wide
variety of guards, gates, covers and other
moveable machine fixtures and tooling.
The SI Series is available in three models
– SI-LM40, SI-LS31 and SI-LS83 – offer-
ing various actuating systems, contact
arrangements, housing and mounting
configurations to satisfy diverse industrial
applications. Banner’s SI Series feature a
limit-switch style, complying with Type 1
per ISO 14119 standards, with actuating
elements integrated with the enclosure.
Configured with a positive-opening design
of the normally closed contacts, per IEC
60947-5-1 standards, these switches pro-
vide reliable monitoring regardless of en-
vironmental conditions and withstand any
attempt to override the switch and defeat
the system. “With a unique limit-switch de-
sign, the SI Series Safety Limit Switches are
ideal for safety or non-safety interlocking
and position monitoring applications,” said
Mike Carlson, technical marketingmanager
(safety products), Banner Engineering.
“The switches are ideal for monitoring
sliding gates and guards on machines
in safety fencing systems, in addition to
solving simple position monitoring such as
end-of-travel and home-position.”
The SI Series offers multiple actuat-
ing systems, including plunger, roller,
spindle-mount lever and two lever styles.
The switches’ actuator head is rotatable in
90-degree increments to ensure thorough
monitoring. When properly interfaced, or
used with an appropriate safety controller/
module, two safety switches monitoring an
individual guard can achieve a category 4
level of safety, per ISO 13849-1.
Enquiries: RET Automation Controls.
Email brandon.
Digital converter
To provide accurate control of, for exam-
ple, the speed of a conveyor motor, often
requires a feedback of the actual speed of
the adjacent machine. If this is only avail-
able as a pulse sequence, the DW2503
digital converter from ifm electronic offers
a solution. The upgraded DW2503 can ac-
cept high-frequency incoming pulses up to
a maximum 10 kHz, from as low as 1 pulse
per minute.The user can scale the conver-
sion of these pulses into the desired 0/4 to
20 mA or 0 to 10V signal. If needed, the DW
will also invert the signal.
As a bonus the DW also features a
switched output in the form of a relay and
a solid-state transistor, allowing the user
to set an alarm signal.
The output can be set to stay on for a
chosen time. ifm electronic has upgraded
the original DW frequency converter to
cover an extended operating temperature
range down to 40ºC below zero.
The newly developed luminous OLED
display is not only clearer but also brighter,
and the menu-guided parameter setting is
designed for maximum user friendliness.
The DW2503 will operate on a wide
range of voltages, ac or dc, and provide
dc supply to input sensors. As a market
leader in the field, ifm electronic can advise
on and supply suitable sensors, such as
inductive or magnetic pulse pick-ups, or
shaft encoders.
Enquiries:Tel. 27 12 450 0370
or email:
SENSORS, SWITCHES + TRANSDUCERS
Q3X Laser contrast sensor – fixed background suppression
RET Automation Controls is now stocking a version of the
Q3X laser contrast sensor with fixed background
suppression from Banner Engineering. Featuring
contrast detection, plus fixed background sup-
pression, the Q3X LD50 reliably detects targets
within the desired sensing range while ignoring
objects in the background.
Out of the box, the Q3X LD50 operates like a
fixed-field laser sensor and detects targets within
its 50 mm sensing range.
However, the sensor can be programmed for low-
contrast sensing within this range, while ignoring
objects at least 60 mm away.This allows the sensor to
accurately detect its target without background objects
affecting its performance.
“With fixed background suppression, the Q3X overcomes the
main problemof standard diffuse-mode sensors where objects in
the background affect the application,” said Dennis Smith,
Technical Marketing Manager at Banner Engineering.
“The Q3X LD50 is an innovative solution for our
customers’ hardest detection and error-proofing
problems.”
Featuring high-speed part detection as fast as
250 μs, Banner’s Q3X laser contrast sensor can
capture up to 2 000 events per second. This,
along with background suppression, makes the
Q3X ideal for solving applications with small
contrast changes where a background needs to
be ignored.
A typical application is label detection on a bottle
where contrast differences between the label and bottle
provide reliable detection but the sensor must ignore
the shiny metal rail in the background.
Enquiries: RET Automation Controls.
Email
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