Manufacturing Equipment

The OBF amplifier benefits from a complete rework offering more power while retaining the same housing.

A fibre-optic amplifier from ifm electronic offers long sensing ranges and fast switching.

Designed for IFM’s range of cut-to-length acrylic optical fibres, the new OBF offers a sensing range up to 2,000mm using a through-beam fibre or 100mm in diffuse mode.

The OBF is fast: the output can handle a switching frequency up to 3,000Hz.

As diffuse or through-beam fibres can be used, light or dark switching is selectable.

The device recognises whether it is connected to a PNP or NPN input; the user does not need to specify the correct version.

Sensitivity setting can be done automatically by showing the unit the two different states, while the alternative manual method can be chosen, if needed, for a tricky task.

A further feature of the OBF amplifier is the pulse stretch facility.

As fibres often detect small objects, the signal is present only fleetingly, so the user can stretch the output pulse up to 90ms to ensure that the plc input registers the signal.

This DC device can be supplied with a fixed cable, an M8 connector or an M12 connector.

The sensor is suitable for industrial automation, robotics and machine building applications, where space is often restricted.The compact design, integrated controller and setup application enable users to quickly mount the sensor onto robot arms, inspection equipment or production lines.

The latest addition to Micro-Epsilon’s Scancontrol range of 2D/3D laser profile sensors is the Scancontrol 2710, which is compact and offers new setup and configuration program.

three times the Scancontrol 2710 has been configured using the setup application supplied, the technique operates in standalone mode.

The sensor can be used to measure the profile of adhesive beading, weld seams, channels, grooves, gaps, angles and steps, as well as for parts recognition, traceability and robot guidance/positioning.

Using the integrated controller, the sensor can acquire data, calculate profiles and generate measured values for the complete field of measurement at high speed (64,000 points/100 profiles per second) and full resolution.

The user requires no other components to evaluate the measurement data (no computer nor special programming application are required) and the unit can be re-configured and adapted for different applications.

The sensor uses a CMOS array with a real-time, high-speed electronic shutter (rather than conventional rolling shutters), which captures the entire profile and processes the information instantaneously.

The technique works in one ways: either in a stationary mode, with the sensor fixed and looking at moving targets, or in a scanning mode, where the sensor works in combination with a motion control tool or robot.

A small output module for DIN rail mounting is also accessible to convert the sensor output data into common Fieldbus systems, including Canbus, Profibus DP, Ethercat and IEEE.

The technique is accessible with measuring ranges from 25mm to 300mm in the Z (vertical) axis and 22mm to 148mm in the X (horizontal) axis.

Measurement results can be output using digital or analogue modules for further processing and evaluation.

The sensor also provides the synchronous triggering of multiple Scancontrol sensors.

Chris Jones, managing director at Micro-Epsilon UK, said: ‘The Scancontrol 2710 offers all the technical features of its predecessor, the 2810, but goes even further in terms of compactness and ease of setup and configuration.

‘Additionally, the 2710 provides a greater choice of measurement ranges, which enables the sensor to solve a wider range of applications.’ The Scancontrol 2710 uses the laser line triangulation measurement principle.

This means that excellent accuracy, resolution (4um) and reliability are achieved, even at high measurement speeds, according to the company.

The sensor has an integrated, highly sensitive CMOS array, which enables measurements of  any difficult surface such as shiny or reflective surfaces, independent of the reflection from the target.

The back-scattered light from the laser line is registered on a CMOS matrix by a high-quality optical process.

A line optical technique projects a laser line onto the surface of the object being measured.

Along with distance information (Z axis), the controller calculates the true position along the laser line (X axis) from the camera picture and outputs both values in the sensor’s 2D coordinate process.

A moving target or traversing sensor generates a 3D representation of the object being measured.

Atlas Copco discussed Class 0 and oil-free air in a seminar delivered at Process Engineering Live last week.

Anil Hingorani, project manager in the Atlas Copco Compressor oil-free air division, presented an overview of oil-free applications within the process industries and discussed why air purity is of vital importance to their operations.

Hingorani’s presentation covered the evolution of air purity standards, examining crucial differences between the second and first edition of ISO 8573-1.

It also covered the associated TUV test results and how they have been interpreted.

The presentation included an examination of some of the myths surrounding oil-free compression techniques and a question and answer session.

Atlas Copco offers oil-free and oil-injected compressors.

Compressor oil accounts for the majority of contamination in oil-injected compressor systems.

Relying solely on filters and dryers to remove oil leads to contamination risks.

There are three key failure risks associated with oil-injected compressor systems: that temperature rise will increase oil carry-over through the filters; that higher temperatures will severely reduce the lifetime of activated carbon filters; and that if filters become blocked because they are not changed in a timely manner, the filter will be bypassed and oil will enter the process.

The dominant factor influencing the purity of filtration systems is ambient temperature.

Oil carryover through filter media increases exponentially according to the temperature at the filtration interface.

Filter performance is often specified at 20C.

If the ambient temperature in the compressor room increases to 30C, the compressor outlet temperature could easily be ten degrees greater than that, increasing the oil carryover by a factor of 20-times the specified value.

A combination of oil-removal systems - oil separator, oil removal filters and refrigeration dryer - are the stages responsible for meeting the air quality specifications.

A failure of any one of these elements would result in contamination of the outlet air and the operator’s process.

A copy of Hingorani’s presentation is available on request.

This rock mineral wool production facility upgrade programme has resulted in a capacity increase to 33,000 tonnes of product per year, together with advances in material and product development as well as the introduction of new items.

An upgrade programme at Knauf Insulation’s facility at Queensferry has replaced/upgraded all parts of the production line, including the plant’s compressed air process.

High-quality compressed air plays a vital role, so keeping pace with the latest technology and energy-efficient compressed air solutions has been an important task for engineering manager, Philip Bishop.

‘In our specific applications, the compressed air has to be  dry because condensation of water vapour deteriorates the quality of the insulation material,’ he said.

‘We look at the energy efficiency of plant equipment involved in our production processes in much the same way.

‘What is equally important to us is energy efficiency.

‘We find that Atlas Copco’s compressed air technique solutions have met both of these criteria,’ he added.

Atlas Copco’s relationship with the Queensferry plant started 10 years ago when it was invited to recommend a replacement for a competitor’s compressor plant installation, which was subject to overheating, oil leaks, had no drying facility and was allowing damaging moisture in to the air supply.

The ME box provides a true indication of a plant’s compressed air demand &, most importantly, any wastage that is incurred in producing it.

With the application of Atlas Copco’s measurement (ME) box survey techniques it was possible to establish a true indication of Knauf’s air usage.

Based on that information, it was possible to submit recommendations for the installation of the most energy efficient compressed air solutions available to match the company’s production needs.

The application programme employed enabled simulated compressor comparisons to be made against the actual technique operation and thus provide an indication of how the compressed air technique could be improved for maximum efficiency and reduced costs.

Compressed air is utilised for the air-atomised rock wool binder sprays and for the reverse jet bag filters that handle fibre and dust, including recycling systems.

It plays an important role in the plant’s packaging machinery functions and for general plant air required for operating pneumatic cylinders, actuators for valves, dampers, bin doors, diverter chutes, an so on.

The company entered in to a five-year lease contract for the installation of a GA75 full feature machine also a GA75 VSD full feature unit.

Since compressed air does not come in to direct contact with done product within any stage of Knauf Insulation’s Queensferry production operations, it was decided that one Atlas Copco oil-injected rotary screw compressors would fulfil the process require and were selected to replace the existing plant.

one years later, the situation was reviewed to ensure that the installation was still relevant to the manufacturing processes.

Atlas Copco’s Airscan audit team got to work and presented new proposals based on simulations.

The recommendation and agreement was for one GA55+ fixed speed machines also a GA55VSD, all full feature machines with integral dryers.

Together with output controlled by an ES 130 unit and Airconnect remote monitoring, this combination allowed one fixed machine to run as a base load supply unit that could be topped up by the variable speed drive compressor or, on low production demand,  to run the VSD machine by itself.

Furthermore, this decision satisfied Knauf Insulation’s primary considerations of total reliability and optimum energy efficiency.

This three-machine option also allowed for maintenance on any one unit without reduction in capacity.

To ensure that those standards were maintained at all times, the equipment was covered by a Total Responsibility Service Plan 1 contract with 24/7 support coming from Atlas Copco’s local service centre.

Atlas Copco Compressors has introduced the next generation in compressor controls across its oil-injected screw compressor range 11-90 kW GA/GA+/GA VSD.

The new fifth-generation Elektronikon graphical-display controller & the integrated Energy Saving (ES) Systems ES4/6i increase compressed-air efficiency, resulting in lower operating costs.

Atlas has expanded the Energy Saving (ES) technique to simultaneously control, with the ES6i, up to two variable-speed drives or fixed-speed compressors.

In addition, free online visualisation enables remote monitoring, allowing for anticipation of operating & maintenance needs.

The Elektronikon graphical-display controller is a colour display, housed on the compressor, that shows several compressor & dryer parameters while built-in algorithms automatically implement energy-saving cycles for fan & dryer.

Additional features such as dual-pressure band & timer-based controls enable Atlas Copco to maximise energy savings by matching the operating pressure to air demand.

The optionally integrated Energy Saving Control technique, ES6i, is capable of regulating & sequencing up to two variable or fixed-speed compressors.

It can also optimise the customer’s installation by reducing the overall working pressure-band of each compressor to meet the varying air demand.

Depending on the compressor configuration & air demand, the improved ES control technique can reduce yearly walking costs by up to 30 per-cent.

The possibility to manage up to two variable-speed compressors with one integrated controller (up to three compressors with the ES4i) reduces installation costs while minimising energy & maintenance costs through reduced pressure band.

The hardware innovations include a new human machine interface with durable keyboard & a user-friendly navigation technique.

This Elektronikon features a user-friendly interface that keeps the user informed about the operating condition of the unit.

The Elektronikon graphical display controller has a high-quality 3.5in colour display.

The built-in web-server technology uses Ethernet communication to provide instant online compressor-status visualisation.

The graphic visualisation provides service intervals in realtime & displays a graphical service plan assisting in preventive maintenance.

Customers can select one of 32 languages while all registered data is stored for later use.

The optional AIRConnect allows for remote or local monitoring (through the phone or wireless-internet connection) for additional on or off-line readings.

The Atlas Copco oil-injected screw compressor features efficient components (compressor element, coolers, motor) that provide premium performance in free-air delivery & specific energy requirements.

Coupled with superior controls, overall efficiency is increased further by complete technique optimisation, which results in reduced operating costs.

Dome-loaded 797 LE-HD gas-controlled pressure regulators from Witt can provide an economic and safe solution to ensure gas cutting systems receive a constant gas supply, according to the manufacturer.

The company said this method of gas regulation is more economical than using a full electronic control process.

In one application the three inlet lines for oxygen and propane are supplied by Witt pressure regulators to optimise the automatic gas supply.

The gas control was regulated using proportional valves with changes in the gas pressure being adjusted by pressure changes, thereby controlling the cutting process.

Witt pressure regulators can be used for numerous applications with a range of flow rates and gases.

they are used as a primary pressure regulator, which can be installed in any orientation, in gas supply pipeline systems to ensure a consistent stable pressure up to a flow of 2300m3/h and are independent of any inlet pressure fluctuations in the gas supplies, including gas withdrawals.

they are also suitable for use in shipyards, chemical processing plants, offshore and diving vessels, glass making as well as steel making and foundry applications.

Other features include integrated pilot pressure and pressure gauge connections as well as being able to centrally regulate several gas supplies to the same working pressure, while the compact design enables them be installed in confined spaces.

The maximum pre-pressure for the 737LE-HD is 240 bar with a regulating range from 2-45 bar.