| Compact Tube Sensor Replaces Ring Sensor |
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Compact Tube Sensor Replaces Ring Sensor for Feeding Small Parts. There are several possibilities of making production more efficient along the route from the raw material to the end product. This applies to machines as much as it does to material flow. |
The significance of sensor technology in this is demonstrated by the example at Böllhoff, where the company has used uprox®+ sensors from Turck to optimise its automatic screwing and rivet machines as well their feeding systems.
Böllhoff is one of the leading suppliers of fastening, assembly, and systems technology in Europe and America where it operates under the slogan of “Joining together”. The range includes over 100 000 items from the standard screw to the fully automated mounting system. The company division Böllhof Schraubtechnik GmbH is represented with its automated screwing systems and the feed technology in a number of production sites around the globe. The high speed supply of screws, rivets or other small parts is the major challenge in this sector.
The small and fast moving parts must be detected reliably and safely in automatic screwing or rivet machines as well as in the “Uniquick Feeder” or “Uniquick Sorter” feeding system and in other sorting devices. Previously Böllhof had used ring sensors for the detection of screws, rivets or similar small parts since this sensor design was for a long time the only one that offered the sensitivity required for small, fast moving metal parts.
Ring sensors reach their limits
However, the use of ring sensors for the detection of small parts does have disadvantages. To start with, this type of sensor has a relatively large space requirement which becomes an increasing problem when used in smaller and more compact machines. As the tube used for guidance has to be fed through the ring, the sensors are also difficult and time consuming to mount. As the feeding tube has to be removed in order to install or exchange the sensors, this involves machine downtimes that system users find hard to accept...
The Author:
Silke Kenzer
is Product Specialist for Position and Proximity Sensors
at Hans Turck GmbH & Co. KG, Mülheim/Ruhr
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