APPLICATION

REPORTS 2019
Industry 4.0

AS-Interface
Vision sensors

Automotive

Identification
Automation

Real-time maintenance

IO-Link
Software solutions Diagnostics Food industry

ifm.com
APPLICATION REPORTS · 01/2019 · EDITORIAL / INHALT

ifm in action
The focus of “Application Reports 2019” is on showing We will be happy to present your solution in the next
how applications can be solved quickly and easily using ifm issue of “Application Reports”.
products. For example, the O3M camera is used as a driver It’s as simple as that: Send us a short description of your
assistance system that automatically prevents collisions and application. After selecting the most interesting applica-
ensures safety in public streets. Or learn how ifm increases tions, we will visit you on site, take professional photos
the transparency and operational reliability of the waterway and do an interview with you. Based on this, we will
infrastructure in the Netherlands. create an Application Report. It will not only be published
Find inspiration for your own projects! in the next issue, but also in specialist magazines or, on
request, as a special print for you and your customers.
Your application in the focus Present your know-how to a broad audience!
For our next edition, we invite you to participate: Have Of course, this will be free of charge for you. Interested?
you set up an interesting application using ifm products? E-Mail: application.reports@ifm.com
Or have you implemented a clever solution in your plant
Your ifm Application Report team
using our sensors?

NEW
14 NEW
18 22
ifm ecomatic Switzerland DIT
Production line for joining Level measurement Safe collision avoidance
and dosing processes in aseptic process with innovative 3D camera
technology

38 44 50
Private
KLN brewery Starrag
Ultraschall Zwettl Technology
Ultrasonic cleaner Fully automated Digital upgrade
wired with AS-i processes with IO-Link

68 70 74
NOBA GTA
Verband- Maschinen-
mittel Romfil systeme
Efficient, new power supplies Process monitoring for Safety first
in the control cabinet water filtration for tunnel lining
 NEW
4 NEW
8 NEW
10
Lock in
Eefde ASP HeiVi AG
World Class Collision avoidance Chiller with minimised
Maintenance on side loader energy consumption

26 30 34
Hassia
Mineral-
Kusch+Co quellen IVECO
Accurate contour Permanent vibration Condition-based
verification with diffuse diagnostics maintenance
reflection sensors

54 58 62
Wessel-
Werk Gritzke Gritzke
RFID meets AS-i Depth control system for Automatic levelling system
hydraulic excavators for graders

Legal notice Editor:

Editorial staff: ifm electronic gmbh
Andreas Biniasch Jürgen Lukas Friedrichstraße 1 Application examples can be found
Photography: Andreas Biniasch 45128 Essen on our website at:
Telephone +49 / 201 / 24 22-0 www.ifm.com/gb/industries
Type setting and layout:
Telefax +49 / 201 / 24 22-1200
Andrea Tönnes
E-mail info@ifm.com
Production: Michael Hermes
Print: Druckpartner

3
 Lock in Eefde –
World Class Maintenance

Smart
lock Predictable maintenance
Numerous world-wide acting companies
aim for World Class Maintenance. The high
standards in all corporate sectors lead to an
improvement of all processes. These guide-
lines are also followed for the waterway
infrastructure in the Netherlands.

There is a big demand for innovations for maintenance

and infrastructure management. In the Fieldlab project
“CAMINO”, different parties are working together to de-
velop applications to make maintenance of the water in-
frastructure 100 % predictable using sensors and data
analysis. In the context of this project, the Dutch ministry
“Rijkwaterstaat” and the project partner Mobilis TBI have
The lock in Eefde, Netherlands, was built in
initiated a pilot project in the lock complex in Eefde, to
1933 and assumes an important function in the test and apply new or innovative technologies to get
region. It is the entrance from the Ijssel to the more insight into the condition of the lock itself, inclu-
Twente Canal. ding its close environment. The purpose is to make main-
tenance of infrastructure works 100 % predictable.

4
 The lock in Eefde (Netherlands) was built in 1933 and is now
extended by another lock chamber.

Conventional solutions such as corrective and preventive Ruben Ogink, Fieldlab CAMINO Project Manager,
maintenance activities are no longer sufficient. The chal- World Class Maintenance comments: “Sluis Eefde is a spe-
lenge is just-in-time maintenance: just in time to prevent cial project, during which, in my opinion, certainly many
that something goes wrong, but not too early so that partners can learn. Special about this project in the con-
costs are reduced. This requires a smart approach: intel- text of Fieldlab CAMINO is not that there are many new
ligent maintenance, for which new developments such technologies which are not used anywhere else, but
as the use of sensor systems, data prediction models, big rather the fact that existing technologies are integrated
data and the Internet of Things (IoT) are used. ifm as pro- at one location. The partners can learn a lot from the
vider of real-time maintenance solutions is one of the application, but certainly also from the cooperation.The
project partners. positive development of this project at the moment is
All participants contribute with their know-how and ex- already the fact that different partners from different
perience in the fields of maintenance, monitoring and disciplines such as government, commercial enterprises
administration of water systems and structures, measure- as well as scientific institutions such as a university work
ment and analysis techniques as well as data architecture together. So there is investment for everyone to develop
and storage. their own solutions. ifm is playing an important role in
this project because they contribute a lot of knowledge
of sensors, applications of these sensors in other indu-
n Example: Lock in Eefde stries and a lot of experience which can also be used in
The purpose of the project in Eefde is to develop a "smart this context. And I am very happy with it.”
lock" which automatically indicates the actual condition,
analyses it by means of algorithms and automatically sug-
gests improvements of the construction or the required
maintenance.

5
 Lock in Eefde –
World Class Maintenance

„ ifm’s involvement in this project

is very important for us, as they contribute
a lot of know-how and experience

n Avoid failure n Permanent condition monitoring

The lock in Eefde assumes an important function in the To ensure smooth operation to open and close the lock
region. It is the entrance from the Ijssel to the Twente and to avoid unplanned downtime, a condition-based
Canal. Many companies rely on the canal for transport. maintenance solution was installed. In this respect, pro-
An unplanned interruption of the lock would cause con- ject partner ifm has installed a vibration diagnostic unit at
siderable problems. the motors and gears of the lock gates. Imminent
The lock was built in 1933. Rijkswaterstaat (the govern- damage to the bearings leads to changed vibration
ment authority responsible for the infrastructure) wants characteristics. The sensors detect it and signal when
to have a better control of the maintenance of vital threshold values have been reached. So the replacement
plants. of the components can be planned and made before a
defect causes a sudden standstill.
Angelien van Boxtel, Project Manager Rijkswater-
staat Netherlands, explains: „We try to plan the mainte- Ruud Schoenmakers, Asset Manager Mobilis TBI,
nance of the lock as precisely as possible, so that shipping Netherlands explains: “100 % predictability, that's what
can prepare for it. In the event of sudden failures or we want. This means that preventive or corrective main-
unpredicted maintenance this would not be possible.” tenance is a matter of the past. We measure all data, to
optimally plan and implement the required maintenance
works. We call predictive maintenance when we

Two vibration sensors each, installed slightly shifted, The VSE-type electronics for vibration evaluation, an ifm
permanently monitor the condition of the rotating bearings. synchronisation monitor and the radio gateway to transfer
the data to the control station, are installed in
a space-saving control cabinet.

6
measure data, collect data and get information from it The power train to lift and lower the heavy lock gates.
The condition of motors, shafts and gears is permanently
to carry out maintenance at the right point of time. The
monitored by means of vibration diagnostics.
right point of time is determined by a series of predictive
and fixed, measurable factors such as the performance of
objects, components and systems, failure characteristics, can comply with such special requests of our customers
degradation behaviour, but also factors such as weather due to our experience and know-how of many years.“
conditions, water levels and availability of staff as well as Besides the vibration, the temperature of the plant and
operating hours of the locks. On the basis of these the humidity are determined by means of sensors and in-
measurable and objective factors, we can choose the cluded in the condition assessment. The measured values
optimum point of time for the maintenance to avoid and the alarms are transferred to the control station via
unpleasant surprises.” the radio gateway where the data is evaluated and ana-
Before, there used to be regular maintenance. But this lysed. Moreover, the ifm DS2505 synchronous monitor
was expensive and could not completely minimise the risk monitors the left and right chain hoist at the lock gate.
of unplanned downtime. In addition, components the
wear margin of which had not been completely used up
n Conclusion
yet, were replaced in case of doubt. That again caused
unnecessarily high costs. With predictive maintenance, Vibration monitoring is only one small module in World
costs are minimised and operational reliability is maximised. Class Maintenance. However, on the basis of the acquired
data it helps to better understand the processes, to opti-
mise them and to use these findings for other projects
n No intervention in the existing plant in the future so that the water infrastructure becomes
It was important to the operator to leave the historic lock 100 % predictable and failures are avoided.
complex unaffected. Therefore ifm has installed the Ruud Schoenmakers: “At this moment, TBI is
solution without interfering with the plant or affecting building a new lock, in addition to the maintenance of
operation in any way. Vibration diagnostics is, so to speak, the existing lock. We can use the things that we learn
“slipped over” the plant as an autonomous system. here, for the design and implementation of the new lock.
Ruben Boom, Project Manager Smart Industry, Therefore, the findings we make here on the technical
ifm Netherlands, states: “We have placed the sensors with level have a great impact on new objects but also on the
solenoid on the housings of motors and gears instead of renovation task which comes from Rijkswaterstaat.”
screwing them there via a thread to be bored. Because it This project of a “smart lock” shows how all partners
was important to the customer not to make any changes benefit from each other and bring forward their own
to the existing machine. One of ifm’s strengths is that we know-how.

7
 ASP – Collision avoidance on side loader

Increased safety,
lower cost
Intelligent driver assistance system for rear
and loading areas.
Modern side loader vehicles are used for
waste disposal in an increasing number of
cities. Especially during reversing and with-
out a banksman, the driver needs technical
support to safeguard the rear and loading
area. With the smart 3D sensor, ifm offers a
system that not only avoids collisions in the
rear area, but also ensures monitoring of
the lateral loading area.
Usually, a small team is on the road for emptying waste
bins: Besides the driver, other people are busy placing the
bins near the kerb and later on manually hook them to
the gripper at the rear of the vehicle. To lower costs, the n Collision avoidance
waste disposal company in Paderborn relies on side loa-
This one-man operation is challenging when reversing,
der vehicles. The difference to conventional refuse vehi-
however, for example in dead-end streets: If so far one of
cles: The gripper is located at the side instead of at the
the colleagues could act as a banksman, the driver is now
rear. The vehicle operator manoeuvres the refuse collec-
on his own. Also the process of lateral loading of contain-
tor parallel to the pavement towards the bin which was
ers carries risks, caused by pedestrians, cyclists or simply
placed there before by the residents. The gripper grabs
curious children who could access the hazardous area.
the bin automatically, lifts it until emptying and replaces
it automatically on the pavement. Advantage: Instead of Therefore a technical system was installed at the vehicles
several people, only one person, namely the driver, is re- which is an alternative to the banksman and which is
quired which saves personnel and keeps the waste dis- accepted as an alternative by the German Trade Asso-
posal cost for the municipality and the residents at a low ciation.
level. Dietmar Regener, Dr.-Ing., Deputy Operations Mana-
ger, ASP Paderborn: “The system can support our drivers
during reversing, i.e. the driver is warned in time when
Abfallentsorgungs- und Stadtreinigungsbetrieb somebody is approaching the vehicle. The big advantage
Paderborn (ASP) (waste management and city of this system is that it does not only give warnings but
cleaning) is operated by the City Council of that it even stops the vehicle if the driver does not react
Paderborn and has approx. 150 employees. in time. Besides, the system offers another advantage:
We do not only monitor the rear area but also the

8
 „ The O3M system from ifm
predicts collisions and, if needed,
may actively intervene with driving

This image information is evaluated by predefined algo-

rithms in the smart 3D sensor.
On the basis of different parameters, the sensor can be
set to different installation and operating situations.
As soon as a collision is detected, the sensor provides the
respective signals - optically as visualisation for the driver
but also stop signals, for example to the vehicle controller.

n Conclusion
The smart 3D sensor is a stand-alone assistance system
which supports the driver by reliably preventing col-
lisions.
Dietmar Regener, Dr.-Ing.: “We are now testing a
system which has been in use for 3 months already.
The first results are very good. Both we, the corporate
Safe collision avoidance: management, and the drivers are convinced of the
The arm of the side loader stops automatically if a person systems. The drivers say that it does not impair them in
enters the hazardous area.
their work but, on the contrary, it supports them. There-
fore we have now decided to buy another system for the
second side loader and to use the system also for the
process of loading containers. And the situation is the
other vehicles.”.
same as for reversing, namely that the vehicle monitors
the area, warns the driver and, if the driver does not react ifm provides a cost-optimised solution which assures
in time, stops the emptying process of the container so automated reliability and also decreases personnel costs.
that a dangerous situation does not occur.”

n Smart 3D sensor for mobile applications

from ifm
The O3M system from ifm predicts collisions and, if
needed, may actively intervene with driving. The com-
plete intelligence is integrated into the sensor housing
and can be configured in a few steps via an easy-to-use
operating software. So ifm offers a cost-optimised
solution for more safety that can be used for different
types of vehicles.
The core element of this system is an integrated 3D
camera chip from the automation specialist ifm. It cre-
ates a 3D image by means of the PMD technology which
provides an exact distance value for each image pixel.

9
 HeiVi AG, Switzerland –
Chiller with minimised energy consumption

Thoughts
outside
the box

Cold storage management by means of

HeiVi AG, located in Switzerland, is specialised
in the planning and project management of “zero volumetric flow” control.
heating and air conditioning systems. To lower costs and energy consumption,
the efficient operation of building main-
tenance systems is becoming more and
more important. This means more than just
optimum setting of operating times and
temperatures. The building maintenance
systems are always to be considered in their
entirety. Coordination between the differ-
ent systems is compulsory.

In the course of the reconstruction of the branch of the

Schweizerische Nationalbank in Basel, the entire building
maintenance systems were redesigned. The Swiss HeiVi
AG was responsible for the planning and project
management of the heating and air conditioning
systems. The purpose was to reduce the energy con-
sumption, the investment costs and the interfaces and to
sustainably optimise the building maintenance.

10
 The magnetic-inductive flow meter SM6500 features
high accuracy, repeatability and measurement dynamics.

Peter Heimann, co-founder of HeiVi AG, states: requires. The result: In turndown operation, the charge
“As planners of demanding heating, ventilation, air- mass flow is always much higher than the discharge mass
conditioning and cooling systems as well as sanitation flow. Due to the constant mass flow supplying the chiller,
facilities, we support architects, building owners and pro- the compressor reduces its capacity only in the discharge
ject developers with the implementation of new installa- operation. Fact is that the advantages of the perfor-
tions and optimisation processes. Since our target is mance-controlled compressor cannot be used.
to obtain maximum energy efficiency and economic
efficiency with comfort and ease for our customers, we re-
present innovative planning in the field of building auto-
mation. To achieve this, we often have to think outside
the box.” M02

B03
n Home-made wastefulness M01
Figure 1 shows the conventional operating principle of
the chiller with a performance-controlled compressor. The
chiller compressor (M01) controls the temperature of the
B01 B02
cold water outlet (B01). The storage charging pump
(M02) supplies a constant quantity of water via the cold
storage. Two probes in the storage control switch-on and
M03
switch-off of the chiller. A storage discharge pump (M03)
then supplies the cold water to the consumers.
Since the storage discharge pump (M03) is controlled via
the differential pressure of the consumers, the pump only Figure 1:
transports the water quantity which the system actually Conventional model, storage tank charging without ifm sensors

11
 HeiVi AG, Switzerland –

„
Chiller with minimised energy consumption

Always on board:
the sensors from ifm.

n “Thinking outside the box” n No thermometer needed

“We have asked ourselves”, says Heimann, “if the Besides the SM6500 flow meters, the branch in Gundel-
storage charging pump and thus also the compressor can fingen also uses the TD2237 temperature sensors from
be controlled according to the demand to optimise the ifm. As compared to conventional temperature sensors,
process.” This is a case of “thinking outside the box”. they feature a digital temperature display. Therefore an
“During this process we came across the modules from additional thermometer is no longer needed. Apart from
ifm”, continues Heimann. the fact that the ifm sensors measure quickly and pre-
By means of the ifm volumetric flow sensors of type cisely, their digital display facilitates set-up and operation
SM6500, the cold storage is controlled to “zero volumetric optimisation. Faults in the circuit can be detected at once
flow”. The storage charging pump is newly integrated and be immediately eliminated.
into the system. The storage charging pump (M02) con-
trols the difference between storage charge mass flow
(G01) and storage discharge mass flow (G02). The sto-
rage charge mass flow should, however, be five to ten
percent higher than the storage discharge mass flow. In
addition, it has to be ensured that the mass flow of the
chiller does not drop below the minimum level.
With the “zero volumetric flow” control by means of ifm
flow meters, there are numerous advantages. The com-
pressor works in the turndown operation and the per-
formance control of the compressor is fully used. That
means lower energy consumption. The energy con-
sumption is minimised by high inlet temperatures in the
chiller. Consequently, the chiller can be of smaller
dimensions which reduces investment costs. There is
additional savings potential because the storage charging
pump (M02) in the model (see Figure 2) consumes less
energy.

G01 G02
M02 The TD2237 temperature transmitter is distinguished
by its short response time and its display.
B03
M01

n Conclusion
B01 B02 Success confirms Heimann: By now, HeiVi AG have
equipped several branches of the Basel Kantonalbank,
Cler Bank in St. Gallen and the laboratory of the Bauge-
M03 werbliche Berufsschule at Zurich with the new process.
Always on board: the sensors from ifm.

Figure 2: Model storage charging with ifm sensors.

12
 ifm ecomatic – Production line for
joining and dosing processes

Precise guidance

ifm ecomatic in Kressbronn, a subsidiary of

the ifm group of companies, is specialised in
the development, production and distribu-
tion of control and evaluation systems.

Sensors monitor the application of 2-com-

ponent media.
The heat-conductive paste is exactly dosed
to the millimetre and applied onto a PCB.
The bonding agent is injected into the hou-
sing joint with the same precision, before
it is glued while well-dosed pressure is ap-
plied. Different sensors ensure continuously
high production quality.

A production plant at ifm in Kressbronn. This is where

The 2-component media in the mixer are monitored
the new ecomat controllers of the third generation are
for temperature and level.
produced. These controllers for mobile use have to with-
stand strong stress under adverse environmental condi-
tions, such as in mobile machines where they are exposed
to vibrations and moisture. This means special require-
ments on the production process.
“We had to install a new production system so that we
can manufacture the product”, says Lothar Gschwind,
Industrial Engineer at ifm ecomatic in Kressbronn.
The system comprises four production processes: During
the gluing process, a 2-component glue is injected in the

14
 Application of the 2-component heat-conductive paste
onto the PCB.

Cylinder sensors precisely monitor the end positions

of the piston through the cylinder wall.

groove along the housing rim and permanently bonds n Three companies in cooperation
the two housing parts when they are pressed against The specially developed system is the result of coopera-
each other. This ensures ingress resistance according to tion of three companies: The company Fichter Maschi-
the protection rating IP 67. Then follows the joining pro- nenbau from Eichstetten am Kaiserstuhl has built the
cess, which is also carried out automatically to avoid system. The company Viscotec from Töging am Inn has
errors caused by manual production. In a third step, specialised on the supply of the 2-component media –
the heat-conductive paste is applied onto the PCB. A 2- here the glue and the heat-conductive paste. And ifm is
component heat-conductive paste is precisely applied not only the originator and operator of the system but
onto the heat-producing components of the PCB. It also the manufacturer of the installed sensors.
bonds with the aluminium die-cast housing which, in
Martin Baumann from Fichter Maschinen: “Here we
turn, dissipates the heat. Finally, the housing is screwed.
have designed a machine for the company ifm which

15
 ifm ecomatic – Production line for
joining and dosing processes

„ We have designed a machine for the

company ifm which carries out various
joining processes and two dosing processes
for two 2-component materials.

In this system, heat-conductive paste and sealing compound Different sensors monitor pressures, temperatures
are applied and the product passes through the final joining and positions on the system.
process.

carries out various joining processes and two dosing Lothar Geschwind from ifm adds: “This procedure
processes for two 2-component materials. The heat- had to be developed so that process safety is ensured,
conductive paste we use here is of very high viscosity and that nothing goes wrong because the automatic system
we had to try hard, in cooperation with the company join certain parts and that in the end no reject parts are
Viscotec, to provide the dosing pumps with enough produced which would cause unnecessarily high pro-
material.” duction costs.”
Rolf Aberle from Viscotec explains the special require-
ments this project has on his company: “We deal with the n Efficient sensors
removal of the materials from the delivery container, the
To monitor the complex production process, different
supply, and, if applicable, the treatment up to the
sensors from ifm are used.
dosing head. There is a container pumping system which
fills the material from the container into the supply tank Numerous ifm PN-type pressure sensors in various pipes
via a vacuum and then supplies the material, under con- precisely monitor the supply of the 2-component media
trolled pressure, to the dosing head. During this process, by means of pressure measurement. This ensures a con-
level sensors are used for monitoring tasks. Imagine the tinuously perfect mixing ratio. The ceramic measuring cell
2-component glues as below: The two media are homo- of the sensors is long-term stable and overload protected.
geneously mixed in a static mixer. The 2-component heat- This ensures continuous product quality, even when pres-
conductive paste is supplied to the 2-component mixing sure peaks occur.
head via two separate supply lines. The media are The PQ-type pressure sensors are integrated in the sup-
homogeneously mixed by means of a static mixing head ply lines of the different pneumatically-controlled arms
and then applied onto the PCB.”

16
 Two photoelectric fork sensors with fine light beam during
the reference movement of the fine nozzle.

and grippers. They detect deviations from the intended LMT-type level sensors are installed on the tank to monitor
operating pressure so that the system can be stopped at the contents. They are suited both for liquid and viscous
once. Expensive scrap is avoided. The two-colour LED media. Special feature: They reliably suppress deposits
display does not only clearly indicate the measured value or foam. This ensures precise level detection, even with
on site, but the colour change (green/red) accurately difficult media.
visualises the operating status. Moreover, numerous inductive and photoelectric sensors
The end positions of the pneumatic cylinders are precisely are used for position detection of arms, flaps or other
detected by means of ifm cylinder sensors and transmit- moving elements.
ted to the controller via a switching signal. In short: ifm offers a complete range of high-perfor-
Two photoelectric fork sensors with a fine light beam help mance sensors for ideal process monitoring.
reference the fine nozzle applying the glue. The needle of
the nozzle is moved until it hits the point of intersection
n Conclusion
of the two light beams where the X and Y axes meet.
The starting position is set. The area of application of The perfect teamwork of the companies Fichter, Viscotec
photoelectric fork and angle sensors is the detection of and ifm shows how demanding application requirements
very small parts. An advantage of photoelectric fork or are reliably and efficiently implemented on a compact
angle sensors is that transmitting and receiving elements production machine.
are always perfectly aligned towards each other which is
owed to the design. Maladjustment of the fine light
beam is almost impossible.

17
 Switzerland – Level measurement in
aseptic process technology

On a
perfect
level
Pressure sensors for aseptic level We are visiting a specialist in the field of aseptic process
technology in Kirchberg, Switzerland. In the 80s, they
measurement. started to build filling stations for dairies, beverages and
food mainly for their own needs, but also for OEMs
The hydrostatic level detection in tanks is
(original equipment manufacturer).
not new. Use in a hygienically demanding Since April 2012, the company has been part of an in-
environment or even for aseptic processing ternational group which is one of the biggest system pro-
viders for the food-processing industry with 19,000
of viscous media is particularly challenging. employees and an annual turnover of about EUR 5 billion.
Together with the parent company, the entire product
The pressure sensors from ifm provide exact
range in the field of valve technology is covered.
measured values even under these adverse
conditions. They are a clever alternative to n Leading specialist in aseptic technology
commonly used rod probes or float ball Aseptic process technology is a field in which absolute
precision and reliability are imperative. Highly-sensitive
technology. products such as baby food, dairy produce or clinical
products are processed using aseptic valves. For this
reason, the high quality of the systems and components
is very important. “Right from the start, we specialised
on the aseptic process technology and have developed
products suited for exactly this area with its special
requirements,” emphasises the managing director of
the company.

18
 PI27 „ Since we started using ifm sensors,
we have not experienced
any production losses any more

A pressure sensor on the tank bottom measures the hydrostatic

pressure. Based on this, the precise level can be determined.

“Owing to the very special requirements, we constantly specialists often criticise that the frequently used level
have to develop special solutions which we use for measurement by means of rod probes or float ball tech-
further development.” nology is not reliable enough, susceptible to failure and
cleaning of such systems is often only possible with com-
plex, highly-hygienic processes. They were looking for a
n From the valve to the system solution solution providing significantly better values with respect
The company mainly develops and produces aseptic to measurement accuracy, hygiene and reliability. This
valves for process systems which are used above all in the solution was found with the PI27-type pressure sensor
food industry. The valves are used, for example, in ultra- from ifm.
heat treatment of milk and other dairy produce. Accor-
ding to the managing directors, the solutions are
distinguished by functionality, long-life quality and user- n Pressure sensor for hygienic areas
friendly operation. It is a full-metal pressure sensor with display. The mea-
Moreover, the company also provides system solutions in suring cell is installed flush without dead space. Deposits
the field of aseptic filling systems, for example for fully are prevented and optimum cleaning is possible.
aseptic filling of intermediate bulk containers with a It consists of high-purity ceramics (99.9 % Al2O3). The
capacity of up to 1,000 litres. other materials in contact with the medium are PTFE and
stainless steel 1.4435/316L. Together with the surface
characteristics of RA < 0.4 / RZ4, the sensor meets all
n Alternative to the rod probe requirements for aseptic applications.
Extraordinarily high demands on function, design and
Thanks to the high protection rating IP 68/69K, the
characteristics apply to components which are used in
hygienic design and the high temperature resistance, the
sterile or aseptic processes. When it comes to the subject
sensor is also resistant to high-pressure cleaning with
of level measurement in containers for filling systems,

19
 Switzerland – Level measurement in
aseptic process technology

„ We do not use any

rod probes any more
Pressure sensors of the PI27 series have a robust stainless steel
housing and are resistant to high-pressure cleaning with aggressive
cleaning agents.

aggressive cleaning agents common in the food, used. “When the system has to be refilled and cleaned,
beverage and pharmaceutical industries. you have to account for a loss of time of at least four
The parameters are set via the buttons on the sensor. hours. That means a production loss of half a day. Since
The highly visible display, combined with a user-friendly we use ifm sensors, we have not had these problems any
interface, enables fast and easy set-up. more“, adds the managing director.
In addition, the considerably lower investment sum
The units feature two switching outputs which can be
for an ifm pressure sensor as compared to common
programmed as normally open or normally closed.
rod probes, the five-year warranty and ready-to-work
To provide the measured value, one switching output can
functionality of the modules is emphasised.
also be configured as a scalable analogue output.
“We do not use any rod probes any more”, he concludes
Moreover, the sensor has an IO-Link interface. It permits at the end of the visit.
external parameter setting or digital measured value
transfer. Sensor diagnostics via IO-Link is also possible.
This provides additional reliability in application monito-
ring.
The G1 Aseptoflex Vario process connection with four
sealing options and, if required, different adapters,
is used for the connection to the process.

n Maximum reliability
“In principle, it is a pressure measuring device”,
reports the managing director of the company and he
explains “but we measure very exact levels with it.”
Since the level has to be exactly maintained, the conse-
quences would be very serious if measurement were not
precise. It is important that there is neither overfill nor The high-purity ceramic measuring cell is installed flush without
underfill which occur quite often when rod probes are dead space and meets the requirements for aseptic applications.

20
 DIT – Safe collision avoidance
with innovative 3D camera

Collision avoidance
in reverse gear
Automatic collision avoidance:
3D camera at the rear automatically warns
of obstacles and possible collisions.

The driver’s eyes look straight ahead when moving the

Container handling on ships, trains and HGVs: 14 m wide and up to 40 ton containers attached to
Duisburg Intermodal Terminal (DIT) in Duisburg- booms through the narrow container stacks. Even when
Rheinhausen. manoeuvring in reverse the driver must keep an eye on
the transverse container to avoid hitting the containers
stacked on top of each other like a wall.
3D sensors:
Again and again this brings about critical situations, for
Safe manoeuvring instead of colliding example when two reach stackers move towards each
other while being manoeuvred in reverse, when trucks
Gigantic, weighing dozens of tons and con- cross the way or objects or people are in the manoeu-
fusing: In all container ports worldwide vring range. With an ordinary rear view camera the driver
can look behind but such a camera is passive, i.e. it does
reach stackers are used to stack and handle not warn in critical situations.
containers. To avoid collision within the
container terminals during narrow and n Automatic collision avoidance
ifm’s O3M camera provides active protection: The inte-
rapid manoeuvring ifm electronic offers grated 3D sensor not only displays obstacles behind the
automatic collision avoidance: A 3D camera vehicle on a screen in the cockpit but also determines the
obstacle’s size, position and movement, if any. Based on
at the rear monitors the rear area, detects this detection of the environment and the reach stacker’s
own movement the O3M system assesses the critical
objects in the travel path and warns the
relevance of objects. It warns the driver of the obstacles
driver of possible collision. that are in the path or on a collision course. This prevents

22
 „ ifm offers a cost-optimised
solution for more safety
(not only) in port logistics

the driver from being irritated by too This overlay is completely generated in the O3M – so
many warnings of objects in non- neither additional hardware nor complex set-up or pro-
critical areas. Another advantage of the gramming is needed. Visualisation can be easily and
intelligent O3M system is that if another conveniently adapted to the application conditions with
vehicle moves into the travel path from the ifm “Vision Assistant” software (colour, symbols,
the side the, risk is detected much faster than with a language, etc.).
distance-based warning.
n Graded warnings
n Camera image with overlaid 3D objects Parallel to the visual representation, a warning is trans-
The O3M system has two integrated cameras: mitted to the CAN bus which is used to produce an ad-
A conventional 2D camera and a 3D camera that deter- ditional acoustic signal or even to intervene with braking.
mines the exact distance to each pixel. This reaction can be graded depending on the distance to
The advantage for the user: Detected objects are high- the obstacle, i.e. at first an acoustic and visual warning
lighted in colour in the produced 2D image. Critical is given. If the driver does not react and the situation
obstacles can be highlighted, for example, in red, less becomes more critical, the vehicle can brake gently.
critical objects in yellow or green. Furthermore, an ad-
ditional warning symbol can be provided in this case.

Example for a critical situation Challenge when reversing:

because of a moving object. Keep an eye on the container ahead, watch traffic behind.
 DIT – Safe collision avoidance
with innovative 3D camera

„ The O3M system has two integrated cameras:

A conventional 2D camera and a 3D camera that
determines the exact distance to each pixel

n Example for a graded reaction n Smart functions

The integrated PMD 3D chip from ifm detects scenes and The mobile 3D smart sensors feature some integrated
objects three-dimensionally with only one image capture. evaluation functions which besides the collision avoid-
This avoids the motion blur that can occur with line scan- ance described here, enable a multitude of other appli-
ners. ifm’s award-winning patented PMD technology cations to be solved, e.g. line guidance or area
forms the basis for a sensor system that can cope with monitoring. A highly developed algorithm from the
the harsh operating conditions of mobile machines. automotive industry is used, ensuring reliable automatic
Besides the robust and compact design the O3M sensor object recognition of up to 20 objects.
system is specially designed for outdoor applications with In just a few steps the parameters of the system are set
changing light conditions or bright sunlight. via the easy-to-use “ifm Vision Assistant” for Windows.
The ifm 3D sensor has no moving components in To do so the user only needs to enter some parameters,
contrast to other sensors such as laser scanners. There- e.g. regarding the vehicle's geometry. Usually this set-up
fore it is particularly robust and not subject to wear. The only takes a couple of minutes and the system is then
operating principle of the PMD technology is based on ready for operation.
the time-of-flight principle. The scene is illuminated by
modulated, invisible infrared light and the reflected light
hits the PMD sensor. This sensor is also connected to the n Communication interfaces
source of modulation. Each pixel of the PMD chip deter- The preprocessed function data is output via the CAN
mines the distances to the scene due to the phase shift bus using CANopen or SAE J 1939. If needed, the com-
between the transmitted and the received signal. plete 3D information can be processed via Ethernet UDP
The integrated, active suppression of background illumi- and an external process unit. This provides developers
nation almost completely prevents saturation of the with an open system.
image sensor by extraneous light. That means that the
PMD 3D sensor can be operated in bright sunlight up to
120 klx. The integrated 2 x 32-bit processor architecture
ensures rapid and reliable calculation of the 3D data
directly in the system with up to 50 images per second.

Critical objects are marked Camera image with a clear warning

in the camera image. in the event of objects on a collision course.

24
 O3M system: 3D camera (right) and
infrared illumination unit (left).

n Conclusion
The O3M system is a stand-alone assistance system for
mobile use which predicts collisions and, if needed, may
actively intervene with driving. The complete “intelli-
gence” is integrated into the compact sensor housing.
Parameters are set in a few steps via easy-to-use opera-
ting software. Therefore the system can be used for
different types of vehicles. So ifm offers a cost-optimised
solution for more safety (not only) in port logistics.

Example for a critical situation

because of a moving object.

Example for a non-critical

situation in a curve.

25
 Kusch+Co – Accurate contour verification
with diffuse reflection sensors

Precise photoelectric
sensors for perfect
edges

The medium-sized enterprise Kusch+Co from

Hallenberg, Sauerland, is a manufacturer of
design-oriented seating and tables for fur-
nishings. The furniture can be found in numer-
ous international architectural objects world-
wide. In the field of airport seating Kusch+Co
is one of the worldwide leaders furnishing
waiting areas in more than 200 international
airports.

Optical contour detection

High-performance diffuse reflection sen-
sors are used for contour detection during
the processing of veneer top surfaces thus
ensuring highest quality during the sanding
process.

53 lowerable pressure shoe segments adapt to the surface of

the workpiece geometry during sanding. That avoids undesired
rounded sanding edges.

26
 „ The high-performance
photoelectric sensors of the
O6 design ensure optimum
sanding results

The controller receives an image of the workpiece from

the sensors and controls the lowering of the individual
sanding segments.

One of the numerous processing steps during the manu- n Sensor replaces mechanics
facture of furniture is smoothing and levelling of veneer The problem of this longitudinal sanding machine used to
surfaces. A sanding machine from the company Heese- be the scanning of table tops because this scanning was
mann optimised by Kusch+Co is used for large furniture effected by mechanical switches. The table top was de-
panels such as table tops for conference tables. tected via levers with rollers and evaluated by an old PLC.
The challenge during the sanding process: The edges of The PLC inputs only require a small current of approx.
both the outer ends and the cut-outs of the high-quality 1 mA. There used to be problems with the switching con-
veneer must not be rounded by sanding. Therefore no tacts of the mechanical switches since they did not switch
pressure must be applied by the sanding shoe segments reliably when the contacts were worn away in the course
where there is no veneer underneath. For this reason the of time. Another big problem was the detection by the
contour and cut-outs of the workpiece, if any, are detect- rollers. The sanding dust took its toll on the rollers’ bear-
ed during each cycle and transferred to the controller. ings thus causing the rollers to fail more and more often.

27
 Kusch+Co – Accurate contour verification
with diffuse reflection sensors

The rollers caused stress marks on the veneer so that the area, has to be suppressed. Depending on the thickness
table top could no longer be used. So they were looking of the furniture panel this means a range of a few
for a solution using non-contact detection without millimetres. Therefore sensors with precise background
mechanical switches. The technical service at Kusch+Co suppression are required.
found it from their long-standing supplier, ifm electronic.
The company ifm provided its diffuse reflection sensors of
the O6 design free of charge and after tests such as the
n Small photoelectric sensors
reaction of the diffuse reflection sensors to dust and with high performance
to the different colours of the veneers, showed that the The sensor specialist from Essen supplies the suitable sen-
sensor met all required criteria. sors – its diffuse reflection sensors of the O6 design. The
In this context the PLC was also completely updated and O6H201 diffuse reflection sensors feature an adjustable
the sensing of the diffuse reflection sensors was visualised range from 2 to 200 mm. The maximum range is colour-
on a 19" display to show any wrong detection at an early independent. It applies, for example, both to white
stage. surfaces with 90 % remission and black surfaces with just
6 % remission. Readjustment for surfaces of different
reflectivity is not necessary for these ifm sensors.
n Optical contour detection The diffuse reflection sensors suppress background inter-
Now 51 compact ifm diffuse reflection sensors of the O6 ference effectively. Depending on the distance and the
design detect the contour and cut-outs of the furniture degree of remission of the object surface distances of
panel from the front and another 51 from the back, both only a few millimetres can be reliably differentiated. In
when the panel is moved forward and backwards under- addition the background suppression is extremely inter-
neath the sanding belt. Depending on the workpiece ference immune: Even highly reflective backgrounds such
geometry and the individual cut-outs they control the up as stainless steel or reflections caused by moving machine
and down movements of the individual pressure shoe parts do not influence the detection.
segments via a PLC. This avoids excessive pressure on the
The clearly limited round light spot of only 8 mm diameter
edges caused by the neighbouring pressure shoe seg-
(at maximum range) provides a homogeneous light
ments. The result are precise, right-angled edges.
distribution in the light cone. Scattered light around the
The requirements on the photoelectric sensors that are light spot potentially disturbing other photoelectric sen-
aligned like a scanner strip are high: Different veneers sors due to reflections is avoided. This ensures additional
with light, dark, matt or glossy top surfaces have to be reliability in particular in this application where the sen-
reliably verified without the sensors having to be read- sors are mounted closely to each other.
justed. Simultaneously the background, i.e. the contact

n Conclusion
The high-performance photoelectric sensors of the
O6 design ensure optimum sanding results – a perfect
example of two leaders on the worldwide market com-
bining their competences.

O6 miniature photoelectric sensors with high-performance.

Setting of ranges via potentiometer and a rotary switch is
intuitive and simple (light-on / dark-on selection).

28
 Hassia Mineralquellen –
Permanent vibration dignostics

Permanent
vibration
diagnostics

Permanent vibration diagno-

stics in mineral water bot-
tling
To avoid unplanned machine downtimes
Hassia Mineralquellen rely on permanent
electronic vibration diagnostics in bottle
filling. The investment already paid off in
the pilot phase: Imminent damage to a
Sensors allow vibration diagnostics in places that you could
never access during operation for safety reasons. drive was detected in time and eliminated.
Unplanned downtime could thus be pre-
vented.

High-performance drives transport the bottles across

With an annual output of about 765 million several hundreds of metres through the individual
litres the Hassia group is one of Germany’s stations – from rinser, filler, capper, labelling to packaging
and dispatch.
largest mineral springs offering mineral wa-
When the bottles pass from one conveyor belt to the next
ters and non-alcohol beverages in the upper
and when bottles touch the guide rail and each other,
price classes with various subsidiaries and these stress points add up – via hundreds of bottles –
brands. In the parent plant in Bad Vilbel, to strong irregular vibration at the drive. Therefore the
Hesse, alone there are six filling stations par- bearings on the gear and motor have to be monitored to
allel in three-shift operation. predict the wear limit in time so that maintenance can
be carried out.

30
n Manual detection of sounds n Electronic vibration diagnostics
A common method to monitor vibration characteristics There was urgent need for another solution for machine
is the manual, acoustic detection of sounds using a diagnostics. The automation and sensor specialist
stethoscope. ifm offers vibration diagnostic systems under the name
Gerhard Simon, Maintenance Manager at Hassia “efector 800”. Quickly a meeting was agreed.
Mineralquellen, says: “In the past we used to monitor Gerhard Simon: “We have decided to make first tests
manually. A person was sent to the machine to listen to with the electronic vibration diagnostics on one of our
the sound of its motor. That was, however, a rather sub- returnable PET bottle plants. Some machines such as
jective feeling. Three people listening to the drive, motor Spiragrip, the machine cleaning machine, de-labelling
or gear feel completely different things. This manual machine, decapper and the filler-rinser area were equipped
listening has one decisive disadvantage: There are never with the sensors.”
the same operating states when listening three times.
I must listen to the machine when it is rotating, but I can-
not do it during the filling process, e.g. filler / rinser areas,
Sensors detect in time that the wear limit on the motor
for microbiological reasons: You cannot enter this clean and gearbox has been reached.
room during filling. That means you can only do it at the
weekend when there is no filling. During idling opera-
tion there is, however, a different vibration characteristic.
And then there are areas, for example at the labelling
machine, where drive shafts are running, where the
motors and gears are very close to each other. You can‘t
get in there when it’s running.”

31
 Hassia Mineralquellen –
Permanent vibration dignostics

„ In the beverage industry we are

probably the first bottling plant
that has started to work with the
ifm vibration diagnostics

The system consists of type VSA001 vibration sensors and The pre-alarm and main alarm are provided via switching
type VSE100 evaluation units. outputs and, as is the case at Hassia, via light indicators.
The cylindrical sensors are screwed directly into the motor The evaluation unit communicates for example with
or gearbox via bore holes. They continuously detect the machine controller or the process control level via
vibration on non-rotating machine surfaces. Ethernet TCP/IP.
They operate according to the capacitive measuring Gerhard Simon: “Here I have a value-free system
principle and are free from saturation and tribo-electrical where I can define my own limits and say “OK that is my
noise interference thanks to their special microelectro- level, I do not want to exceed it, there I must intervene
mechanical design (MEMS). An integrated self-test pro- and make some mechanical improvement, for example
vides additional protection. by lubrication or replacement of components”. Before
this was not possible.”
The type VSE evaluation unit monitors up to 32 accele-
rometers (objects) on up to 4 different measurement
points where a type VSA vibration pick-up is installed. n Crucial test passed
Shortly after installation the vibration diagnostics was
The vibration characteristics can be visualised on the PC in the
already successful in a major challenge.
control room; furthermore the operator can set limits (yellow “After just a few weeks we had first successes when
and red lines for pre-alarm and main alarm).
an imminent plant downtime was detected by the vibra-
tion diagnostics on the basis of a mechanical disturbance
value. We could make a repair in time thus preventing a
plant failure. The yellow light indicators signalled a pre-
alarm. Then the machine was thoroughly inspected at
the weekend and it was found that a bearing had
increased tolerances at a transfer starwheel where the
bottles are transferred from the rinser to the filler and
also a shaft that drives the rinser and the capper block
was off-centre causing vibration in the entire system. We
could repair these sources of interference thus prevent-
ing an unplanned stop in the middle of production which
would have had fatal consequences in a 3-shift opera-
tion and meant immense cost.” said Gerhard Simon.

Vibration sensors on the drives detect The VSE100 evaluation unit evaluates the signals
even smallest vibrations. from up to four vibration sensors.

32
n Full protection
Besides local display of the vibration status by indicator
lights the evaluation unit can also be networked with the
control desk via Ethernet TCP/IP.
Here Hassia plan a further extension of their plant.
Maintenance Manager Simon: “At the moment only
one single line is networked through to a staff working
station. We will gradually extend this. The other three
lines are at present monitored by operators who inform Gerhard Simon, Maintenance Manager
at Hassia Mineralquellen in Bad Vilbel.
the maintenance staff about a yellow pre-alarm or a red
main alarm displayed on the indicator lights. Then
we can react in time. But the system is being gradually
extended. The goal is that we in maintenance can per- n Pioneer praised
manently monitor the live state of our systems. So far
The decision to secure process reliability by means of
we have been monitoring four machines in our pilot
permanent vibration diagnostics was particularly pointed
plant.
out at the annual IFS (International Featured Standards)
In the future we want to monitor the entire plant by audit, a certification common in the food industry.
means of vibration diagnostics and to document what
Gerhard Simon: “In the beverage industry we are
had to be replaced in what kind of damage event so that
probably the first bottling plant that has started to
the plant can be further optimised, if necessary. We also
work with the ifm vibration diagnostics. The final report
want to record the cost to prove that the investment into
particularly mentioned that in maintenance we are
the diagnostic system has paid off. I have many more
starting with monitoring such systems in the plant which
ideas for the system: We have numerous pumps in such
logically has effects on the product safety. Because if
plants that should be monitored and very many sub-
they have a standstill in their plant this plant has to be
systems and auxiliary drive systems that could be moni-
emptied. This emptying process is necessary to avoid
tored to be able to intervene any time before a standstill
germs in cleaned bottles that are standing on the belts in
is about to occur.”
case of repair or germs in the clean room should work
be carried out there. This means that a repair that only
takes 30 minutes can cause a standstill of up to 2 hours.
This would entail unnecessary costs.”

Visual status monitoring on site:

The light indicators for “pre-alarm” and “main alarm”. n Conclusion
The wear of machine parts cannot be prevented. Per-
manent vibration diagnostics, however, ensures that such
damage is reliably detected in time. Maintenance can
now be planned. Expensive plant downtime can be
prevented with comparably little investment which in the
end has positive effects on the product quality.

33
 IVECO – Condition-based maintenance

Diagnostics
in the body shop
Sensors allow condition-based maintenance An initial analysis was carried out to determine which
parts were most susceptible to mechanical wear and
In the body shop the body is assembled from failure. Conveyors or lifting platforms: or more precisely
on their bearings is where the most intensive mechanical
pressed steel parts with the help of welding
stress arises. Damage at that spot of the plant would
robots. Each body must pass along a 100 m entail considerable production stop.
production line. A critical spot because a Amodio Cioffi, Maintenance Engineering Robot
IVECA SPA: “We have decided to implement condition-
standstill here would stop the whole pro- based maintenance on the most important line in the
body-in-white shop since all versions of the van are pro-
duction.
duced there. In this production line the side panels are
Therefore IVECO have installed a compre- transported to the underbody production. Then the
crossmembers are fixed, and finally the roof is attached.
hensive diagnostic system together with the Transport to the welding stations is fully automatic. Then
ifm automation specialist allowing condition- the different bodyshell types are sent off for further pro-
cessing.”
based maintenance thus effectively prevent-
To ensure maximum uptime of the system imminent wear
ing unintended production losses. of the machine components must be detected at an early
stage.
Fabio Piccinelli, WCM Plant Support IVECO SPA:
IVECO is a worldwide manufacturer of for
“We are always looking for new technologies for con-
example trucks and utility vehicles. tinuous improvement to increase efficiency and pro-
In the Suzarra works near Mantua in northern ductivity. As far as maintenance is concerned, we have
Italy 250 “Daily” vans roll the assembly line changed from cycle-based maintenance to condition-
based maintenance which meant considerable cost
every day.
savings.”

34
 „ The ifm software
LR SMARTOBSERVER
monitors and
administers the
measured data
from all the sensors

Robots weld pressed steel Vibration sensors monitor bearing and gear.
parts to a body. Wear and tear is detected in time.

n Vibration diagnostics n Monitoring of fluids

In practical terms this means: ifm vibration sensors were Condition-based maintenance, however, is much more
installed on all mechanical system parts. The cylindrical than just monitoring mechanical components. An example
VSA-type sensors are directly screwed to the housing of is monitoring of the cooling water in the welding guns.
the respective bearing or gear. The separate VSE evalua- Possible error sources are clogged filters or leakage.
tion units permanently analyse the vibration characteris- ifm SBY-type flow meters for small volumetric flow quan-
tics. They detect imminent damage due to unbalance and tities monitor the flow and PN-type pressure sensors the
send an early warning. pressure in the pipes.
Guiseppe Sotira, Body Shop Technical Engineering The central cooling circuit system is monitored by the
IVECO SPA: “The sensors help the maintenance staff to SM flow meter. The compressed air system is reliably
detect the wear status of each component in real time monitored by an SD sensor. Even tiny leakages are reliably
and to introduce any necessary maintenance work detected.
before a real damage occurs.”
All sensors transmit their measured values digitally via
IO-Link.

Bottleneck: Malfunction
at this spot would stop
complete production.

35
 IVECO – Condition-based maintenance

Roberto Militello, Body Shop Maintenance IVECO

„ Thanks to this
cooperation with
SPA: “IO-Link transmits the data digitally for reliable pro- ifm IVECO is
cess control. The measured value is converted into digital ideally prepared
data in the sensor and forwarded. Moreover, we can pro-
gram the switching points of the sensor for early warnings
for Industry 4.0
and alarm directly from the server without having to
approach the sensor locally. We can see the sensor in the
server and calibrate it. Programming after replacement is
no longer required.”
The LR AGENT is used as software. It collects the sensor
data and stores it in a Microsoft SQL database. The ifm
software LR SMARTOBSERVER analyses and displays this n Conclusion
data. ifm installed the system for IVECO during operation
Once again Guiseppe Sotira: without the production having to be stopped. The new
“The ifm software LR SMARTOBSERVER monitors and system could be thoroughly tested in parallel operation.
administers the measured data from all the sensors. The It has proved its worth. Imminent damage is now
parameter display shows a clear image of the complete detected at an early stage and eliminated without any
production plant. Each result can be seen clearly. The production standstill.
system sends alerts such as early warnings or alarms To conclude, Guiseppe Sotira puts it in a nutshell:
by email.” “Thanks to this cooperation with ifm IVECO is ideally
This ensures condition-based maintenance which is per- prepared for Industry 4.0.”
fectly suited for the concept of Industry 4.0.

On the left the evaluation units for the vibration sensors, on Retrofitted during operation:
the right the IO-Link masters which transmit the sensor signals ifm IO-Link pressure sensors replace
to the higher-level systems. mechanical manometers.

36
 The ifm software
LR SMARTOBSERVER
indicates if limits have
been exceeded or not
reached.

The ifm software LR SMARTOBSERVER

provides transparency right up to the
inside of each individual sensor.

37
 KLN Ultraschall –
Ultrasonic cleaner wired with AS-i

A clean
job

Ultrasonic cleaner completely wired with

AS-i
Water set to 30,000 pulses per second
removes even microscopically small dirt
particles from surfaces or very thin gaps by
means of ultra-fine cavitation explosions.
And this at locations which are inaccessible
from the outside, for example, with a water
Multi-stage ultrasonic cleaner from KLN.
jet.
In numerous production areas ultrasonic cleaning is used.
KLN Ultraschall from Heppenheim is a specialist Often after mechanical machining processes to ensure
for building such equipment for use world- that the part is absolutely free, for example, of abrasive
wide. particles or other deposits for further processing or
finishing. One example is the removal of the fine abrasive
dust in glass processing, for example when optical lenses
The design of the plant’s control system is are made. Ultrasonic cleaning is also used for cleaning
equipment itself. The system shown here serves to clean
as clean a job as the cleaned parts. Instead
microscopically small nozzles which are used to make
of complex cable harnesses the slim bus plastic fibres.

system AS-Interface is used.

38
„ ifm’s product range is
ideal for our applications

All sensors are connected to the bus system AS-Interface (AS-i)

using modules.

complex and confusing cable harnesses communication

is carried out at sensor level using a flat two-wire AS-i
bus cable.
Dieter Bickelhaupt, Manager Cleaning Technology at
KLN: “For us size, flexibility and very quick decentralised
installation at any location of the plant are major
advantages of AS-i”.
As with the sensors, KLN also relies on solutions of
ifm for fieldbus communication. The automation specialist
supplies all components for a comprehensive communi-
cation solution with AS-Interface from insulation displace-
The range of equipment is as wide as the area of appli- ment connectors, I/O modules to master gateways.
cations: from small, standardised compact devices to “At the time we were one of ifm’s first customers who
individual equipment as big as a garage. used AS-i with resounding success. ifm’s product range
The cleaning equipment is often an integral part of a pro- is ideal for our applications,” said Dieter Bickelhaupt.
duction process. A failure would stop the whole process.
Therefore, maximum reliability is needed. And in case of
n Manufacturer-independent standard
a problem quick fault location should be possible. Besides
reliable sensors and actuators wiring is also important for AS-i is a manufacturer-independent standard for con-
reliability and diagnostic capabilities. nection of actuators and sensors of the first field level. It
is the only wiring system which is accepted worldwide
Here, the fieldbus system AS-Interface (actuator sensor
and based on the IEC 62026-2 standard. With over
interface, in short AS-i) shows its strength. Instead of

39
 KLN Ultraschall –
Ultrasonic cleaner wired with AS-i

15 million installed slaves it proved a low-cost and robust

field bus system for all industrial controllers.
Thanks to the standardised system, little wiring and
„ For us size, flexibility and
very quick decentralised
the toolless quick-connection technology AS-i ensures installation at any location
simple “plug & play” for installation and set-up. Another
advantage which is not to be underestimated: Fewer
of the plant are major
terminals lead to much less documentation. advantages of AS-i
Dieter Bickelhaupt: “In the past we wired conven-
tionally, i.e. using a terminal box system and directly via
the inputs and outputs of the PLC. Wiring was complex
and needed much space in the plant and control cabinet.”
With AS-i, however, data and energy for the connected
sensors / actuators are transmitted via a two-wire flat inserted and then brought to the cleaning facility.
cable. The keyed insulation displacement connection Process sensors monitor the temperature and level of the
technology helps avoid installation errors. The modular liquids in the cleaning stations. Binary switching signals
design and the freely selectable network structure and analogue process values, for example, temperature
smoothly fit to the plant structure and provide a maxi- values, are transmitted to the controller via the AS-i bus.
mum of flexibility to the plant developer.
An example of sensors with combined actuators are the
safe AS-i door switches with guard locking.
n Everything via a yellow cable If they receive an “enable signal” from the controller via
For the process control different sensors and actuators AS-i, locking is released and the pull-out can be opened.
are installed in the cleaning facility: For example, induc- This prevents the user from unintentionally removing the
tive and photoelectric sensors are used to monitor the pull-out from the facility while cleaning or placement of
position of the trolleys where the parts to be cleaned are the clean parts is in process.

Thanks to these safety-

related AS-i door switches
with guard locking the
pull-outs cannot be opened
unintentionally while
cleaning is in process.

40
“Safety at Work”: This fail-safe inductive sensor for position
monitoring is connected to the controller via AS-i.

n On the safe side with AS-i n From the sensor to the plant controller
The system also integrates safety-related devices. Besides The sensors and actuators are connected via the input /
the door switches with locking actuators these are mainly output modules, also called slave in the AS-i network.
e-stops and fail-safe inductive sensors for position Normally these modules are installed at a decentralised
detection. location near to the sensors.
Here AS-i plays another trump card: Thanks to the They connect sensors / actuators to the AS-i bus via
extended AS-i standard “Safety at Work”, safety-related standardised M12 connections. The bus is inserted into
signals can also be transmitted via the yellow flat cable. the module lower part in the form of a yellow two-wire
A separate cable for safety-related signals is not needed. flat cable.
Special safety modules monitor the communication on The insulation displacement technology ensures a reliable
the bus. Safety components up to the highest control connection. The advantage of this installation:
category 4 to EN 954-1, SIL 3 to IEC 61508 and The modules can be connected to the bus cable at any
EN ISO 13849-1 / PL e can be connected via AS-i. location, also at a later point in time. Thanks to AS-i
additional sensors and actuators can be installed in the
plant simply, quickly and at low cost.

Different AS-i modules for normal (orange) and safety-related Passive flat cable insulation displacement connectors for the
(yellow) communication. connection of intelligent AS-i sensors / actuators to the yellow
flat cable.

41
 KLN Ultraschall –
Ultrasonic cleaner wired with AS-i

Safe AS-i input modules can be used

in control cabinets or local boxes for the
connection of conventional safety sensors,
e.g. e-stops or door switches.
All status indications are displayed
via LEDs on the front panel.

ifm offers different modules for control cabinets, field

installation or as PCB solution. They are available with n Conclusion
different configurations on digital inputs and outputs, It’s the end result that matters: Thanks to AS-i wiring,
analogue inputs / outputs or special connections such as documentation and set-up times are considerably re-
for Pt-100 temperature sensors. duced. The decentralisation of the AS-i participants leads
ifm also offers “intelligent” sensors and actuators with to smaller and less expensive control cabinets.
integrated AS-i bus connection, e.g. pneumatic valves, Confusing cable trays are avoided. Simple diagnostics
inductive AS-i sensors or the e-stops used here. They and a clear plant set-up lead to high machine uptime,
need no special AS-i module and can be directly con- reducing cost for installation and diagnostics.
nected to the AS-i cable as a slave via a flat cable insula-
Dieter Bickelhaupt: “The connection of the switches
tion displacement connector.
and valves with prewired cables saves much time and
prevents error sources. The cost saved with AS-i cannot
n Master / gateway be determined exactly. But I think that all things consid-
The heart of each AS-i network is the master. This is a ered, i.e. also the size of the control cabinet, the space
stand-alone controller which manages the “bus traffic”. needed in the plant, decentralised installation and flexi-
At the same time, it offers a powerful PLC functionality bility as well as integration of ifm’s safety system plus the
and can be programmed by the user to process sensor good creation of the documents 10 to 15 %. Plus less
and actuator signals, thus operating as a stand-alone working time during installation, documentation and
decentralised controller. troubleshooting!”
Also, the master often integrates a gateway functionality
to communicate with the higher-level controller or
control level via Profinet or Profibus.
Depending on the version one or two AS-i cables with
up to 248 binary sensors and 186 actuators can be
connected to these masters.

42
 „ At the time we were one of ifm’s
first customers who used AS-i with
resounding success

The heart: Dual AS-i master for two AS-i lines with Profinet gateway.
For energy supply ifm offers suitable AS-i power supplies.

43
 Private brewery Zwettl –
Fully automated processes

Zwettler
Beer
Fit for the future
The private brewery Zwettl invested about 15 million euros to expand and
modernise their facility in the town of the same name in Lower Austria. So
they are uniquely positioned in the European market for highly flexible and
automatic brewing of high-quality beers.

The new energy-saving installations help reduce the need Detailed engineering was implemented by M&L Con-
for resources, enabling the brewery to operate in an even sulting from St. Gallen and the company Corosys from
more environmentally sound way. Many sensors ensure Hofheim with an individual construction and the
process feedback and diagnostic data for the brewing complete automation equipment.
equipment up to the control level. As leading OEMs for the brewery and beverage industry
the companies M&L Consulting and Corosys rely on the
wide product portfolio of sensors and control systems
from ifm, guaranteeing maximum process reliability and
machine uptime.
This is important to comply with the required standards
and directives. In particular in the food industry high
temperature, cleaning resistance and protection rating
IP 68 / 69K are required.

Temperatures, pressures or levels:

Different sensors monitor the process.

44
Complex valve manifold: Founded in 1708 and today one of Austria’s
Sensors ensure transparency. most state-of-the-art breweries:
The Zwettl private brewery in Lower Austria.

n Sensors in the cold area

The process chain in the brewery is roughly divided into
three areas: brewhouse, cold area and filling. From the
point of view of process sensors the cold area is the most
interesting part. Countless pressure, flow and tempera-
ture sensors are installed on the tanks and pipes.
All valves are equipped with inductive sensors for position
detection.
The examples below show how Corosys has solved the
application in the Zwettl brewery by means of ifm sensors.

n Electronic manometer in the

diatomaceous earth filter
Following the fermentation and storage process the un-
filtered beer reaches the diatomaceous earth filter. Here
the yeast cells and sediment are filtered out. 2 in 1: The fully electronic PG contact manometer combines
a pressure sensor and manometer display in one unit.
The condition of the filter is monitored via difference
pressure measurement. The fully electronic PG2894
contact manometer is used for this process. It combines

45
 Private brewery Zwettl –
Fully automated processes

„ Thanks to the know-how of many

years the sensor specialist ifm offers
a comprehensive product portfolio

the advantages of an electronic pressure sensor and At the tanks, temperature transmitters of type TA34
a highly visible manometer display. transmit the temperature value to the plant controller via
The pressure pick-up has a hygienic flush design, option- an analogue signal (4...20 mA).
ally with conical G1 thread or Aseptoflex Vario process The hygienic G 1/2 process connection and the high-
connection. This process connection also allows hygienic grade stainless steel (316L /1.4404) housing material
flush installation using the available adapters. mean that direct contact with the medium is no problem
at all. The high-precision Pt1000 measuring elements of
In combination with the ecolink socket of the EVT series
accuracy class A provide precise measurement results.
in M12 design protection rating IP 68 / IP 69K ensures
Temperature probes of type TM4501 with hygienic
highest ingress resistance in the wet area. Thanks to
G 1/2 process connection are integrated in the pipes. The
its temperature resistance the fully electronic contact
sensor signal is evaluated and transmitted by the separate
manometer is also perfectly suited for CIP (cleaning in
TP3231 temperature plug.
place) / SIP (sterilisation in place) processes.
It is very compact and has two standardised M12
The large pointer display, the integrated digital process connections for both the connection of the sensor and
value display and the LED bar graph for switch point and the output. This reduces the installation complexity
trend display provide the operator with user-friendly as compared to a common head / DIN rail transmitter
readout. With its high total accuracy of 0.2 % the device to a minimum.
can also be used for sensitive processes.

n Self-monitoring temperature sensor

n Temperature monitoring during in flash pasteuriser
the production of mixed beverages
To kill microorganisms and to preserve the beer, it is heated
In addition to the pure beer Zwettl also produces mixed to a defined temperature by means of flash pasteurisa-
beverages such as the popular “Radler” – beer with tion. High precision is of highest priority.
lemonade. At the mixing station additives from various
A special sensor is used for this purpose: The ifm TAD991
tanks are mixed. To ensure an optimum process, defined
temperature transmitter uses two different sensor
medium temperatures are required.
elements monitoring each other in the process. This self-

Typical tank monitoring: LMT point level sensor and hydro- Position feedback: The IFT203 inductive sensor monitors the
statically measuring PI pressure sensor on the tank bottom. valve stem and signals to the controller if the valve is open.

46
Small, compact, cost-effective: Perfect pump protection:
The TP temperature plug converts the sensor signal into The LMT point level sensor (top) determines if the pipe is
a standardised analogue signal (4…20 mA). full or empty. The PI pressure sensor (bottom) monitors the
conveying pressure.

monitoring system ensures that an occurring drift of the As a result of this, the process can be finished safely with
sensor is detected at once and reliably diagnosed. the second measuring element (backup function) if one
The deterioration of the sensor accuracy is known as drift. element fails.
Drift is caused by thermal stress. Especially in the food The electronics of the TAD temperature sensor calculates
industry the regular cleaning processes (CIP, SIP) create the mean average of the measured temperatures and
extreme temperature shocks that stress the sensor and provides a temperature-proportional 4...20 mA analogue
therefore inevitably cause a drift. output. During operation the difference between the two
temperatures is compared with two adjustable threshold
To detect occurring temperature drift the off-set with the
values. The first threshold value is called drift warning
reference has to be automated. This exactly is the
limit, the second one drift alarm limit.
approach with the calibration-free TAD temperature
sensor. To guarantee wire break monitoring there is a 24 V sig-
nal on the diagnostic output in normal operation. If the
Standard temperature sensors have a resistance measur-
drift warning limit is exceeded, the diagnostic output
ing element which in the food or pharmaceutical industry
clocks at a frequency of 2 Hz. Via a timer the signal can
very often complies with the accuracy class A to
be evaluated in any controller. If the drift alarm limit is
DIN EN 60751. A resistance measuring element (Pt1000)
also exceeded, the diagnostic output switches and a 0 V
is integrated into the TAD temperature sensor. This resis-
signal is continuously provided.
tance element is specially measured and preselected by
the manufacturer and its accuracy is therefore higher by Advantage: Compared with the common temperature
about factor 4 than class A which is normally used. sensors that are cyclically calibrated the use of the TAD
temperature sensor increases process reliability.
To have a signal to compare, the probe of the TAD addi-
With cyclical calibration an occurring drift is detected, how-
tionally has an NTC measuring element with long-term
ever a drift-prone sensor had already been used for an
stability which is matched with the characteristics of the
uncertain period of time in the production. Since the TAD
Pt element in the production process of the sensor. By
generates a signal the moment the set drift thresholds
this you understand the matching of two components or
are exceeded and you do not have to wait for the end of
characteristics.
the calibration interval, process reliability and conse-
So in normal operation the TAD temperature sensor quently product quality are considerably improved during
works with two different measuring elements. the demanding flash pasteurisation process.

47
 Private brewery Zwettl –
Fully automated processes

Maximum process reliability:

The self-monitoring TAD temperature transmitter
for especially sensitive processes.

n Level monitoring on tanks Depending on the sensor type, their pressure range
Tanks are used in many places in the brewery: For example is between 100 mbar and 25 bar. High-purity ceramic
in the bright beer cellar as a buffer between filtration and measuring cell as well as easy handling via the integrated
filling, in water purification or in the central CIP installa- pushbuttons and the LED display are other features.
tion. The exact level of these tanks is needed for plant Electrically the sensor can be connected as a 2, 3 or
control; furthermore the permissible min. and max. levels 4-wire unit. This makes it easier to exchange units in
should be detected and signalled. existing installations. Furthermore the sensors of the
Pressure sensors of the PI28 series are installed on the PI28 series are distinguished by a high overall accuracy
tank bottom for hydrostatic level measurement. The exact (0.2 %) and electronic temperature compensation. Due
tank level can be derived from the measured hydrostatic to their high temperature resistance they are also ideally
pressure. suited for CIP and SIP processes.

The housing of these sensors is completely made of high- The second sensor system on the tank is the LMT point
grade stainless steel (316L /1.4404). Together with the level sensor that reliably monitors the maximum and min-
high protection rating IP 68 / IP 69K and the process- imum level. As opposed to other solutions such as mechan-
oriented design this series is particularly suited for hygienic ical tuning fork probes it does not need any mechanical
applications. components thus operating without wear. Special
feature: It is insensitive to foam and other deposits which
The new G1 process connection Aseptoflex Vario made
it reliably suppresses. Besides the factory preset the LMT
of high-grade stainless steel (316L /1.4435) provides four
can be set to different media and deposits via IO-Link.
reliable sealing options. The metal-to-metal as well as
This also ensures reliable limit level detection even with
the new PEEK seals are maintenance-free and thus cost-
difficult media.
saving during their life time. The latter is distinguished by
high resistance to chemicals and temperature. A variety of adapters allows various installation options.
Elastomer O-rings are another hygienic sealing option The sensor operates independently of the installation
(EPDM / FKM). Different process adapters (such as clamp, position.
DIN11851 pipe fittings, etc.) are available as accessories, High-quality housing materials such as high-grade stain-
and are of course also made of high-grade stainless steel less steel (316L /1.4404) and the sensor tip of food-grade
(316L /1.4435).

48
 „ Its compact sensor tip
allows integration of the LMT
even in small DN25 pipes

PEEK meet all hygienic requirements. A lasered type label used feature high-quality housing material (high-grade
for durable legibility as well as the high protection rating stainless steel, PEEK) and the high protection rating
IP 68 / IP 69K for cleaning processes are natural. IP 68 / IP 69K so that they withstand regular high-pressure
cleaning processes without being damaged.
n Applications in pipes
The point level sensors of the LMT series are also used in n Manway and cover monitoring
pipes. They detect if the pipes are full or empty and are Another application for inductive sensors is position mon-
therefore used as run-dry protection for pumps. Its com- itoring of manways or covers, for example on tanks. The
pact sensor tip allows integration of the LMT even in sensors of type IIT212 provide sufficient sensing range
small DN25 pipes. (15 mm) to signal the status “cover open” or “cover
To monitor the conveying pressure in pipes the above- closed” to the controller even in the event of mechanical
described PI28 pressure sensor is used. It transmits the tolerance.
measured value as an analogue signal to the controller.
n Conclusion
n Inductive sensors monitor valve Thanks to the know-how of many years the sensor
manifold specialist ifm offers a comprehensive product portfolio to
To guide the medium valves on manifolds of different reliably automate the brewing process and to ensure con-
sizes are used in different places in the brewery. Electro- tinuously high beer quality. Due to similar requirements
mechanical rising stem valves ensure an open or closed the example application solutions can be transferred to
pipe thus allowing the controlled distribution of the other areas in the beverage and food industries to make
media. Inductive sensors are used for position detection them fit for the future.
since they detect if the valve is open or closed by means
of the position of the valve stem. The type IFT203 sensors

Cover closed?
An inductive sensor
monitors the tank cover.

49
 Starrag Technology –
Digital upgrade with IO-Link

Digital
upgrade
with
More information from the sensor
Starrag Technology GmbH is a
The implementation of Industry 4.0 is,
company based in Bielefeld that
among other things, about creating a digital produces machine tools and extensively equips
silhouette of a plant, thus allowing for pro- them with IO-Link sensors from ifm electronic.

cess optimisation.
The essential information is provided by The FOGS-series portal machining centre from Starrag
Technology GmbH is a machine that has these features.
many sensors that are already installed for It is used in mechanical engineering and in the aviation
machine control anyway. Thanks to IO-Link, and automotive industries, for example, to manufacture
body shell parts. The machine in the picture is used to
these sensors provide much more data than process chassis components (landing gear) in the aviation
mere switching signals or analogue values. industry.
These complex machine tools require sensors to monitor
all media (e.g. coolants and lubricants, hydraulics,
The Droop+Rein product area of Starrag Technology GmbH machine temperature control). Tight tolerances are
in Bielefeld manufactures portal milling machines for the required for medium temperatures, pressure values and
international market.
volumetric flow quantities to ensure that tools are used
with optimum efficiency in fully automated production
processes.

n Sensors with digital interface

IO-Link is a robust digital interface based on 24 V signal
levels that, in addition to mere switching signals, enables
bidirectional communication with the controller via the

50
IO-Link sensors provide data
for optimum machine control.

regular sensor cable. The sensors transmit digital measured commissioning phase of a machine, the previously
values and diagnostic information via IO-Link to the projected sensor parameters can be transferred quickly,
IO-Link master, such as an IO module, gateway or a PLC easily and reliably to the sensor. If necessary, for example
equipped with IO-Link ports. The sensors are connected in case of small lot sizes, IO-Link makes it possible to store
with standard M12 connectors. Screened cables and different parameter sets for different products separately
associated grounding are no longer necessary. on the sensor. Moreover, thanks to the controller-based
Starrag Technology GmbH opt for fluid sensors from parameter setting, subsequent process optimisation via
ifm electronic. The reason: The sensor specialist offers the remote maintenance is easy with IO-Link.
largest product range of process sensors featuring IO-Link. All in all, one can say that IO-Link is a key technology for
Industry 4.0 applications.

n Remote sensor parameter setting

One of the greatest advantages of IO-Link is the possibi-
lity to transfer all necessary parameter data via the
IO-Link connection cable to the sensor. The sensor param-
eter data (e.g. switch points, switching hysteresis,
display colour) can be transferred from the controller to
IO-Link compatible sensors, either when the sensors are
set up or later during operation and to adjust them to a
specific situation. Benefit for the customer: During the

If necessary, the parameters of the process sensors

can be set separately for each tool.

51
 Starrag Technology –
Digital upgrade with IO-Link

„ One of IO-Link’s great advantages is

the automated backup of the sensor data
that takes place in the background

fault. At the same time, this reduces the workload of the

service and maintenance staff.”
Sensor parameter setting mistakes are a thing of the past.
Replacing a sensor only requires the mechanical instal-
lation. The customer can replace it without needing
any support. The maintenance staff does not need to be
trained with regard to sensor parameter setting since it
takes place automatically in the background. Thanks to
this, technical problems can be solved much faster and
much more efficiently. This saves costs.

n Error-free digital transmission

of measured values
Up until now, analogue sensor signals are digitised
via A/D converters and scaled in the PLC. This leads to
inaccuracies of the actual measuring value.
The user can access each individual sensor IO-Link, however, provides the measured values from the
from the control panel. sensor digitally to the controller. Transmission errors and
conversion of analogue signals are ruled out.
The digitally transmitted measured values can be directly
displayed in the control room. The transferred value is
always identical with the measured value. There are no
n Double data backup longer any deviations between the local display and the
In addition to controller-based sensor parameter setting, value that the PLC derives from the analogue signal.
IO-Link from version 1.1 or higher ensures double data Thanks to IO-Link, even interference with the analogue
storage of sensor parameters on the device and the signal, for example caused by electromagnetic fields, is
IO-Link master. a thing of the past.
Dietmar Wallenstein, e-construction and commis-
sioning department manager at Starrag Technologies, n Two measured values – one sensor
says: “One of IO-Link’s great advantages is the auto-
Modern process sensors from ifm often provide more
mated backup of the sensor data that takes place in the
than just one measured value.
background. Each sensor (device) sends its parameter sets
automatically to the IO-Link master. There, they will be Dietmar Wallenstein says: ”Often, a sensor processes
mirrored and stored as a backup. As soon as a sensor is more than just one physical value. In addition to volu-
replaced, the data is exchanged automatically with the metric flow quantity or pressure, for example, it is also
new device. The parameter data will then be transferred possible to read the medium temperature via the IO-Link
automatically from the IO-Link master to the IO-Link interface. In the past, we needed two sensors for this.“
device. This makes it a lot easier to replace a sensor and This saves money for hardware, wiring and mounting
it reduces machine downtime significantly in case of a since instead of two sensors you only need one.

52
The numerous IO-Link sensors enable
centralised parameter setting.

n Diagnostic data n Conclusion

Apart from the process data, the IO-Link sensor can also Sensors offer a considerable additional value if they are
provide diagnostic data about the status of the device. equipped with IO-Link.
Example: The level sensor detects critical deposits and Dietmar Wallenstein summarises the advantages
signals them to the controller. Photoelectric sensors for Starrag Technology: “Everyone is talking about
detect if a lens is soiled and signal it automatically. Industry 4.0, and of course we at Starrag are not ignorant
Pressure sensors store minimum pressure losses and of this megatrend. When it comes to mechanical
maximum pressure peaks from the process and totalise engineering, we think in particular about digital machine
the number of times that limit values are exceeded or upgrading. This is why we opt for IO-Link. Thanks to
not reached. This additional functionality supports the low-cost robust interfaces, the sensors provide us with
user decisively when it comes to condition-based main- more information about the process which then can
tenance. This extended information about the condition be more efficiently evaluated and optimised. This is one
minimises expensive downtimes while increasing process of the great advantages of IO-Link and a sensor feature
reliability. contributing to Industry 4.0.”

Two measured values (volumetric flow quantity

and temperature) with only one sensor.

53
 Wessel-Werk – RFID meets AS-i

Transparent installation monitoring

The constant increase of the degree of
automation in modern production plants is
more and more often supported by identi-
fication systems. Their tasks include, for
example, the control or release of produc-
tion steps or the assignment of information
about each product. This is particularly easy
to achieve if the RFID components commu-
nicate via the AS-Interface fieldbus.

RFID me When it comes to assembly technology, the worldwide

leader in the development and production of vacuum
cleaner nozzles, Wessel-Werk, counts on solutions from
ifm electronic who is a global player for automation
technology and the first supplier of AS-i based RFID
systems worldwide. The result is lean and transparent
installation monitoring of the nozzle production.

n High-quality vacuum cleaner nozzles

A high-quality vacuum cleaner nozzle consists of at least
a dozen different components.
The world market leader develops and build its own
assembly machines in order to be able to promptly and
flexibly implement innovative technologies. Inside these
Assembly machine for the production machines, workpiece carriers pass several assembly
of vacuum cleaner nozzles.

54
 „ Setting up the
system is much simpler
than expected

The Wessel-Werk is based in Reichshof-

Wildbergerhütte. The company is world
market leader in vacuum cleaner nozzle
development and production.

ets AS-i
stations. On these carriers, different vacuum cleaner
nozzles are assembled from chassis, brush strips, rollers
and other parts.
Wessel-Werk produces flexible lots of different types in
n RFID with AS-i
The industrially compatible DTS125 RFID system from ifm
is used for a problem-free process flow. It is a compact and
easy alternative for applications where, for example,
mixed operation. Conveyors transport workpiece carriers optical identification cannot be used due to the ambient
to different processing stations. Depending on the nozzle conditions.
type, different assembly steps and conveying routes are It is also the first RF identification system for AS-Interface
required. worldwide. It allows reading and writing of code carriers
Each workpiece carrier can be clearly identified via a (ID tags), benefiting from the advantages of AS-Interface.
special RFID code. The code is read at each processing It can be easily integrated into existing AS-i networks and
station and sent to the controller via AS-Interface. is immediately ready for operation.
Depending on the nozzle type, the corresponding pro- The highlight of the AS-i solution is the easy wiring. Up to
cessing step is carried out and the distribution gates on 31 read / write heads can be connected to 100 metres
the conveyor path are set. The clear identification reliably of AS-i cable. The cable can be branched as you like and
prevents processing failures in mixed operation.

55
 Wessel-Werk – RFID meets AS-i

laid according to the layout of the production line. It is Not only RFID read / write heads but other sensors, such
especially suited for modular structures since both data and as light barriers or inductive sensors can be connected via
energy run over only one cable. AS-i modules with the controller. This reduces even more
For reading, the RF identification system uses the common wiring.
AS-i analogue protocol 7.4 for data transfer. Special Being the head-end, the AS-i master collects all data for all
software modules are not required. The read / write head common superior fieldbuses. Because of the integrated
stores transmission errors which can be retrieved for a PLC functionality it can pre-process the data, supporting
targeted fault analysis. the plant controller.
Antenna, electronics and AS-i interface are integrated in
a compact housing. The voltage is supplied via the AS-i n Conclusion
network via a rotatable M12 connector. No additional
Gerhard Feyerabend, control engineer at Wessel-
operating voltage is needed. This facilitates mounting and
Werk on the simplicity of the AS-i RFID system: “Setting
minimises wiring.
up the system is much simpler than expected because the
The ID tag is available in different versions and offers read heads immediately send the data to the PLC after
flexible mounting options for workpiece carriers, tanks, installation and addressing. A further configuration is not
etc. necessary!”
Using simple insulation displacement technology, the AS-i For ifm, RFID in combination with AS-i is ideal for identi-
module can be connected with the yellow AS-i flat cable. fication tasks in assembly technology which are easy to
To do so, the cable can be laid transversely or lengthwise implement.
through the module. The AS-i module is mounted without
tools – for removing it you only need a screwdriver.

Sensors can be connected to any spot of the AS-i cable

via a flat cable insulation displacement connector.

The ID tag chip is installed at the bottom of the Fully automatic assembly of a vacuum
workpiece carrier. The chip can store up to 224 bits. cleaner nozzle at several stations.

56
 Gritzke – Depth control system

Systematic
for hydraulic excavators

Systematic
Systematic
Systematic
excavation
excavation
excavation
excavation
More information from the sensor
Gritzke Lasertechnik is based in Lemgo. Among
other things, the company specialises in dredg- The height of the excavator shovel edge at
ing depth monitoring systems. a glance to the nearest centimetre – this
Together with ifm electronic, one of the enables the excavator’s digging depth
leading manufacturers of sensors and automa-
control system from the company Gritzke.
tion solutions for mobile applications, an
innovative solution for exact relative height The special feature: It can be retrofitted to
determination of the excavator’s bucket blade any hydraulic excavator without having to
was developed.
tamper with its controller.
This is made possible by ifm’s high-precision
inclination sensors on the individual exca-
vator arms and the shovel.

Precise inclination sensors, a compact BasicController and

a programmable dialogue display together with the
software developed for this purpose combine into an
efficient system and give the excavator operator absolute
control over his tasks.

The BasicController helps calculate

the reference height.

58
First of all the reference height is levelled by means of the Setting height markings, angle meters and direct visual
rotation laser and the laser receiver on the adjustable contact are no longer required. This makes it possible to
boom of the excavator. Then the planned heights can be work at night or if vision is obscured.
determined at any position of the earthworks. Dipl.-Ing. Rolf Oschatz, managing director at
Gritzke Lasertechnik: “What is special about our solu-
n Exact inclination angles tion is that it can be easily adapted to different excavators
from different manufacturers by easy modifications of
Six ifm inclination sensors of type JN – spread across the
the parameters.”
excavator boom, in the upper structure and on the tilt
bucket – precisely measure the angle of inclination in the
One inclination sensor determines the exact angle
x and y direction. per excavator arm.
The intelligent software calculates the height position of
the bucket blade to the centimetre from the measured
results of all six inclination sensors and the known ex-
cavator arm length.
Of particular relevance is the three-dimensional straight
line between the left and right bucket edges that allows
exact flat levels and any angle for earthworks by means
of the inclination sensor on the bucket.
The signals are processed and the complex calculations
are made in the dialogue module which contains the dis-
play, the operating keys and a powerful controller. The
display graphically shows the excavator operator the ex-
cavator bucket and the current height of the cutting
edge. A clearly visible traffic light also signals the exca-
vator operator if the required depth has been reached.

59
 Gritzke – Depth control system
for hydraulic excavators

„
A traffic light within the sight of the excavator operator
indicates if the shovel is too high or too low.

The dialogue module with

operating keys and graphic
n For robust applications
Further benefits of the system: The outdoors sensors are
designed for a broad temperature spectrum (-40…85 °C).
Active temperature compensation ensures exact values
measured by JN – irrespective of the ambient tempera-
ture. They have a precise measurement accuracy of 0.1 °
display provides an overview across the whole measuring range of 0…360 degrees
without annoying jump characteristics. They are connected
of the most important via a vibration-resistant and sealed M12 connector.
settings at any time The dialogue module with operating keys and graphic
display provides the excavator operator with an overview
of the most important settings at any time. The relevant
settings such as the required relative depth can be made
conveniently and accurately via pushbuttons, touch
display and control dials. The change to the basic coor-
dinate system (perpendicular / Euler / gimbal angle) is
possible by pressing a pushbutton.

n Conclusion
Experience of long years with construction machine
controllers and first-hand automation know-how:
The customers benefit from the excellent quality and
reliability of the unique digging depth control. In short:
The lateral inclination of the excavator bucket is also taken When competences complement each other, earth can
into consideration for the calculation.
be moved correctly!

ifm’s dialogue module (CR1082) serves as the display and data

entry. Furthermore, the integrated PLC calculates the height.

60
 Gritzke – Automatic levelling system for graders

Automation
at a high level Grading with millimetre precision thanks to laser level
monitoring and automatic blade tracking.

GRi-P1 automatic levelling system for graders

In no other industry, competitive stress is as severe as in the construction industry.
To maintain a position on the market, economic efficiency needs to be constantly improved.
In other words: More efficiency through increased working speed and improved quality.

The unique GRi-P1 Gritzke automatic levelling system for

Gritzke Lasertechnik OHG is based in Lemgo, graders increases the flexibility and productivity of the
Eastern Westphalia. One of their main activi- machines significantly. This helps save material costs for
ties is the development, production and distri- earth moving and fine grading.
The system can be equipped with several sensors; it com-
bution of positioning systems for construction
bines easy handling with a self-explanatory user inter-
machines. face.
Each millimetre counts when, for example, miles of road
sections under construction need to be graded to the
same level. A grading that is only one millimetre higher
than required can easily cause several truckloads of
additional material.

62
 „ The cooperation with ifm
was passionate and successful

n Laser levelling A central credo: Circumventing the product monopoly

Levelling long stretches with millimetre constraints of the market leaders, i.e.: The Gritzke
precision is only possible by applying systems can be installed on any machine, even if it is
efficient modern technology. Here, already pre-equipped with cables.
laser-based systems have proved to be To distinguish themselves from common systems, Gritzke
particularly accurate, cost-efficient and has considered the advantages and disadvantages of all
reliable. Function principle: A laser fixed systems while putting their own ideas into practice.
to a tripod rotates around its own axis
to create a laser level. This level can be
n A new flexible system was needed
adjusted in parallel to the required sur-
face. A vertical photoelectric receptor In the past, Gritzke used programmed controllers from
cell mounted to the grader blade receives different manufacturers to control the levelling systems.
the laser beam. Disadvantage: Gritzke could not carry out customer and
machine-specific adjustments or software modifications
An intelligent controller tracks the laser
as the system integrator. The hardware manufacturers
receptor and the grader blade to make sure they are
had the ownership of the software. Individual adjust-
always at the exact height with the laser projection level.
ments or modifications were very time-consuming and
So the driver can focus on the horizontal movements of
cost-intensive or were refused.
the grader while the blade is automatically kept with milli-
metre precision at reference height. Dipl.-Ing. Rolf Oschatz, managing director at
Gritzke: “About 2 years ago, I decided that we would
To level sloped surfaces, the laser can simply be adjusted
develop our own laser-based levelling system for con-
in parallel to the required slope. Depending on whether
struction machines. The aim was to offer our customers
the grader movements are longitudinal, transverse or
a combination of special user-friendliness, high accuracy
diagonal to the slope, different lateral blade inclinations
and best-possible competitive price. With our develop-
are required. With laser-based systems, the blade
ment we basically did not reinvent the wheel, but
inclination can be controlled automatically. For this
combined all advantages of the competitive systems with
purpose, a second laser receiver is installed on one side of
our ideas and requirements.”
the grader blade. Alternatively, an inclination sensor
and / or an ultrasonic sensor is used on the blade.
Gritzke Lasertechnik OHG is based in Lemgo, Eastern
Westphalia. They are specialised in the development, pro-
duction and distribution of construction machine control
and positioning systems. Their customers benefit from
the excellent quality and reliability of the systems and the
company’s service standards.

Working surface with following setting options: “Mast in-

stallation” e.g. “search laser” or “park mast”, automatic mode
for the right or the left mast “on / off”, "mast adjustment on
both sides” as well as current height indication in 1 / 10 mm.

63
 Gritzke – Automatic levelling system for graders

„ Often we tested the software

and hardware outdoors on the
machines till late at night

n ifm as partner This was the beginning of the close partnership between
Application know-how is one thing, but when it came to Gritzke and ifm.
the heart of the system, the controller and its software, In cooperation with the automation specialist ifm
Gritzke found their present partner, the ifm group of (hardware), Gritzke Lasertechnik developed, built and
companies, more or less by accident. sold the first German CANbus-based GRi-P1
Dipl.-Ing. Rolf Oschatz: “The development together levelling system for graders.
with the earlier hardware suppliers was rather slow. The
initially promised support was very hesitant and n Implementation
consisted of target figures rather than technical support.
The following months were characterised by intensive
In April 2013, at ifm stand at BAUMA (the world’s
cooperation.
largest trade fair for construction machine, editorial
comment) I was asked in an informative conversation Dipl.-Ing. Dennis Blume, sales specialist for control
if we needed help. Mutual interest arose quickly. What technology at ifm, had the lion’s share in supporting the
impressed me in particular: They did not ask about project. This was done in close cooperation with Gritzke
possible quantities but promised comprehensive project because one important requirement on the new system
support.” was to have Gritzke’s in-house software know-how. The
heart of the installation is the CR0033 CAN-compatible
ifm controller for mobile applications. ifm's CR1084
The heart of the system is a 32-bit controller
display with graphics capabilities is used as the operating
from ifm for mobile applications. unit.
Dipl.-Ing. Rolf Oschatz: “The cooperation with ifm
was passionate and successful. Often we tested the soft-
ware and hardware outdoors on the machines till late at
night. Many thanks in this respect to the company Stork
Tongruben und Transportunternehmen in Hiddenhausen
who provided us with a caterpillar (Cat D6T) and the site,
a clay pit, for thorough testing. And it paid off: After
18 months we could implement the system until it was
ready for the market. Without Mr Blume’s exceptional
personal commitment we would never have achieved this
in such a short time.”

n Flexible in the application

The levelling system is the first of its kind to be de-
veloped, programmed and built by only one supplier.

64
Gritzke developed and built the marketable system
in cooperation with ifm.

The customer benefits from the fact that adaptations, to ensure a fast signal chain from the laser receivers
special customer requests or improvements can be to the controller to the valve control of the caterpillar
implemented rapidly. blade. This is the only way to enable work with millimetre
Due to its modular concept the GRi-P1 Gritzke system precision, even at high speeds.
can be used for any kind of laser-based height monitoring Also the joysticks, switches and buttons of the construc-
and control for different applications as well as for tion machine are polled and transmitted via CANbus
construction machines.That means that it can also be to the process control.
used on excavators for depth monitoring, on height and / If necessary, the user can manually alter the automatic
or pivoting angle limitation, on wheel loader levelling zero adjustment on the graphic operating unit.
systems, on piling and drilling rigs, on agricultural Switching – for example to inclination sensor or ultra-
machines or on container lifts. Advantage: The customer sonic sensor (for grading according to a ground refer-
does not need expensive software updates since the ence, e.g. kerb) – can easily be done on the operating
different applications are already stored and selectable in unit.
one software program. The controller can also be used on
different machines, if required. The customer saves the
purchase of double components such as operating unit, n The heart: the controller
central processing unit or sensors. It has up to 16 multifunctional inputs and outputs as well
By integrating selectable application programs in a as 4 CAN interfaces. The heart of the controller is
modular device the development and hardware costs a modern and fast 32-bit processor integrated into a
were reduced to a minimum. The result: The Gritzke compact IP 67 metal housing. Its monitoring and protec-
system costs about one third less than the common tive functions enable reliable operation even under
systems. extreme operating conditions. The high number of
multifunctional inputs and outputs allows easy and
precise adjustment to the respective application using
n High speed – thanks to CANbus application software (IEC 61131-3 with CODESYS).
It is the first system to use the CANbus interfaces for data Depending on the type of input, a configuration as
transfer. The data can be transmitted up to five times digital, frequency or analogue input with diagnostic
faster from the laser receiver or from the inclination function or as input for resistance measurement is
sensor / ultrasonic sensor to the controller. This fast data possible.
transmission and processing in the controller is necessary

65
 Gritzke – Automatic levelling system for graders

Dipl.- Ing. Dennis Blume from ifm on site:

The controller was tested on the machine and the pro-
gramming adjusted again and again on site. The customers
only get products guaranteeing flawless functioning.

The 4 CAN interfaces to ISO 11898 support all important The scratch-resistant 7" TFT colour display with a resolu-
bus protocols and different baud rates as well as the tion of 800 x 480 pixels and a colour depth of 18 bits
transparent or preprocessed data exchange. The new provides brilliant graphical representation. For operation
controllers were specially designed for robust applications the PDM360 NG has 9 backlit function keys with tactile
in vehicles and for mobile automation and can carry out feedback. In addition, an encoder with pushbutton or a
complex and proportional functions reliably. navigation key is available depending on the model.
The powerful 32-bit controller is programmable with
n Graphical operating unit CODESYS according to IEC 61131-3. In addition to the
internal 1 GB memory the user can connect external
Thanks to the closed diecast aluminium housing with the
media to the integrated USB 2.0 port.
protection rating IP 67 the PDM360 NG dialogue module
can be used outside and inside the cabin – by means of Four CAN interfaces to ISO 11898 support the CANopen,
surface or panel mounting. SAE J1939 or a free protocol. Together with a 100 Mbit
Ethernet interface and the Linux operating system, a
universal platform for networking and communication
with other vehicle components is formed. Connection is
made via robust and safe M12 connections.
The CR1084 dialogue monitor from ifm
for visualisation and data entry.
n Conclusion
The project benefits from the application know-how of
many years, powerful hardware and, above all, the will to
bring about something special together. Once again,
“Made in Germany” has set new standards.

66
 NOBA Verbandmittel – Efficient, new
power supplies in the control cabinet

Cool
and slim
Efficient, new power supplies in the To keep energy costs for air-conditioning low, the com-
pany plans and builds their production equipment so that
control cabinet the components used in the clean room give off as little
heat as possible.
In order to eliminate bacteria and fungi, en-
vironmental parameters such as the number Michael Rohe, Technical Manager at NOBA: “It is
particularly important to use low-loss devices in the clean
of particles in air, ambient temperature and room because heat in the clean room must be cooled
down again with chillers to keep the temperature
air humidity are strictly controlled.
constant, which is very expensive. Furthermore, low-loss
The optimum ambient temperature in the devices in control cabinets usually eliminate the need to
cool control cabinets using ventilators, so there is no
clean room is 21° C. If the temperature is turbulence any more in the clean room caused by control
too high, it is cooled down using chillers. cabinet ventilators or such like.”

Maximum hygiene is given top priority in n Heat in the control cabinet is expensive!
the clean room when dressings for medical In control cabinets the power supplies are the main heat
producers. Conventional electronic switched-mode
purposes are produced, packed and then
power supplies are very efficient compared to the trans-
sterilised. former power supplies used in the past. However, they
will never reach the ideal degree of efficiency of 100 per
cent. The difference between the actual degree of
efficiency and the ideal 100 per cent is converted into
heat energy which heats up the control cabinet.
In many industrial installations heat in the control cabinet
may be of minor importance. In defined clean room con-
ditions as with NOBA, however, heat loss costs twice as
much: On the one hand, energy costs incur, on the other
hand heat loss must be compensated for by means of
energy-intensive air conditioners.

n Low temperature = long lifetime

Therefore NOBA relies on the new power supplies from
ifm. They are distinguished by a very high degree of effi-
ciency of up to 94 per cent. This degree is one to two per
Really cool:
cent higher than that of comparable modern switched-
Thanks to the high degree of efficiency the new generation of mode power supplies of other manufacturers.
power supplies from ifm does not heat up the control cabinet.

68
 The company NOBA Verbandmittel in
Wetter on the Ruhr makes all types of
bandages and dressings for hospitals,
doctors’ offices and pharmacies worldwide.

upper limit of the specifications. They provide the speci-

fied nominal power almost over the whole temperature
range. Therefore, the usual “overdimensioning” of
power supplies to provide a reserve for a longer lifetime
is not necessary for ifm power supplies. This saves space
and money. The excellent MTBF value of 0.89 to 1.4 million
hours (depending on the variant), which corresponds to
a lifetime of 100 to 160 years, confirms this. A minor
At first sight, this does not seem to be very much. But
derating (reduced power) only occurs from an ambient
calculations show that this 1 or 2 per cent adds up to
temperature of 60 °C.
noticeable energy costs over the year. Particularly in this
application with the extra cost for the compensating air-
conditioning. n Strong extra features
In practice, this heat loss may result in an additional tem- Thanks to ifm‘s application know-how of many years we
perature increase of 10 degrees in the control cabinet. exactly know the requirements for energy supply in auto-
But for some electronic components, e.g. electrolytic mation technology. Therefore many extra features were
capacitors, this temperature difference of 10 degrees integrated, ensuring a reliable function in all operating
results in halving the lifetime. phases.
The machine controller is often installed directly beside Instead of an inrush current limitation with a simple NTC
the power supplies. So the higher degree of efficiency resistor, charging the capacitors of the new switched-
particularly impacts the lifetime of the PLC installed in mode power supplies from ifm is microprocessor-
the control cabinet. In short: The lower the temperature controlled. This “soft” start of the voltage supply
in the control cabinet, the higher the lifetime of the plant ensures that the fuses upstream of the power supply do
controller. not have to be dimensioned for a higher inrush current.
This creates additional safety on the primary side of the
power supply.
n New power supplies from ifm
Additional power reserves on the secondary side ensure
In 2013 ifm redesigned their family of power supplies.
that the power supply still provides enough current to
The new generation includes 24 V DC switched-mode
reliably trigger the downstream circuit breakers in case
power supplies with output currents of 3.3 to 20 A as
of a short circuit.
well as AS-i power supplies of 2.8 to 8 A. All these de-
vices integrate components and circuits rated for maxi- The ifm power supplies feature an additional power
mum efficiency, longevity and powerful performance. reserve of 20 % which allows the installation to be
expanded at a later point of time.
The heart of the devices is a highly efficient compact
circuit design. So ifm’s power supplies are much slimmer The power supplies compensate short voltage dips
and require less space in the control cabinet than devices caused, for example, by switching operations in the
from other manufacturers with equal power rating. With supply network for several milliseconds.
this, ifm makes an important contribution in the
machine building industry which requires ever smaller n Conclusion
control cabinets.
What is often hardly noticed in data sheets may have a
One could think that this compactness would be at the considerable impact on lifetime and reliability of the
expense of component dimensioning and a reduced equipment. NOBA realised the advantages of the new
functionality. But developers managed to prove the ifm power supplies. Thus they save operating costs and
opposite: The components are dimensioned so that the create ideal climatic conditions to reliably meet the high
power supplies can be operated permanently at the production requirements.

69
 Romfil – Process monitoring for water filtration

Sensors
for clean
water
Process monitoring for water
The crossflow filter system Aquacross W675
from Romfil GmbH filters up to 300 cubic filtration
metres of water per hour – this corresponds Water purification is increa-
to about the volume of a 100 m² flat.
singly becoming an impor-
It produces drinking water from pre-treated
but still contaminated water. tant production factor. Modern fluid
sensors ensure efficient and energy-saving
processes.
The principle of crossfiltration is particularly efficient:
Waste water is pressed into a circuit through thin, porous
capillary tubes. Only pure water can penetrate this mem-
brane. Water which is infiltrated with pollutants continues
to circulate until it is also purified progressively.
Hundreds of such capillaries are combined in a filter
module of a height of approx. 1.5 m. That results in a
filtration area of 75 square metres. Depending on the
requested throughput several modules operate in parallel.
This system is equipped with two lines of 9 modules each
which corresponds to a filter area of 1,350 square metres.
It enables to clean 300,000 litres of waste water per hour.
Modern sensors help to monitor various processes of the
installation and to operate them in an optimum range.
This is the only way to achieve the maximum filter per-
formance with a minimum of energy input. For their
installation Romfil fully rely on sensors from ifm which
have proved to be particularly reliable.

A flow sensor monitors the feed flow of detergents

downstream of the pumps.

70
 The crossflow filter system filters up to
300 cubic metres of water per hour.

n Inflow monitoring of accuracy is achieved using a class A accuracy Pt sensor

Exact pressure values are needed to let the waste water element and in-house calibration. Furthermore, the
circulate through the filters so that the filter capillaries tried-and-tested ifm film technology ensures excellent
reach their optimum degree of efficiency. response times of T05 = 1 s and T09 = 3 s. In addition to
the protection rating IP 69 K, the completely sealed and
Therefore, an ifm pressure sensor type PF2654 is installed
welded stainless steel housing also ensures high mechan-
in the inflow line to the filter elements. The flush-mount
ical stability. The housing design reduces build-up of dirt
sensor is rated for a measuring range of -0.5 to 10 bar
and can be cleaned all around.
and features very high precision of 0.6 per cent. In
combination with the O-ring-free sealing concept the
overload-protected and drift-free ceramic measuring n Level in the filter
cell ensures maintenance-free long-term operation. An LMT100 point level sensor from ifm is mounted at the
The pressure sensor has two switching outputs. The base of the first filter module. It monitors whether the
second output can also be configured as analogue out- filters actually contain water for filtration.
put (4…20 mA or 0…10 V). The alphanumeric LED
The particularity of the LMT series is its insensitivity to
display helps with parameter setting and also serves as
deposits.
display of measured values.
The extremely smooth surface characteristics of the PEEK
Apart from pressure, the system temperature is also mon-
tip of the sensor is Ra < 0.8 μ. Adherence of dirt and
itored in the inflow line.
residues of media is hardly possible. The level is reliably
The TA3437 unit is a universal temperature transmitter detected even with foam or viscous media.
with a 4...20 mA analogue current output. A high level

71
 Romfil – Process monitoring for water filtration

„
LMT100 Romfil have been using
ifm sensors for a long time

Level monitoring in the filter module: Even in case of deposits A pressure transmitter monitors the emptying process
or foam the LMT100 reliably monitors the limit level. of the installation using compressed air

Set-up is also easy. Media adjustment is not necessary The pressure sensing principle using a ceramic-capacitive
since the sensor is preset in the factory. The level is measuring cell ensures reliable and long-term stable
detected independently of the orientation. Its compact measured values. The user can choose between two
sensor tip allows integration of the LMT even in small switching outputs or one switching output and one diag-
DN25 pipes. nostic output. The sensor also has IO-Link capabilities.
The sensor with its high-quality housing materials such That ensures not only digital process data transmission
as high-grade stainless steel (316L /1.4404) and PEEK but also parameter setting or diagnostics from a controller
meets all requirements for hygienic areas. This also in- or a PC.
cludes a lasered type label and the high protection rating
IP 68 / IP 69K. n Flow monitoring of the detergents
The filter membrane must be cleaned regularly to ensure
n Emptying a long life. This is done using different detergents which
Occasionally, the complete installation must be emptied, are exactly dosed. During the automatic cleaning process
e.g. before or after cleaning operations. A pressure trans- an ifm flow sensor is used for flow monitoring.
mitter monitors this emptying process using compressed The SI5000 sensor operates to the calorimetric principle
air. and therefore needs no mechanical moving parts. This
The PP7554 sensor is distinguished by a high total accu- guarantees reliable monitoring even in cases of difficult
racy of 0.5 %, a compact stainless steel housing and media over a long period of time. Using microprocessor
a switch point accuracy of 0.5 %. technology the units are easy to handle. Flow and switch

72
0
Feed flow monitoring: temperature transmitter
and pressure sensor in the inflow line.

points are simply set via pushbuttons. A multi-colour LED n Conclusion

bargraph displays measured values and switch points. Numerous process parameters are important for water
Various adapters available as accessories ensure fast and filtration. For these applications ifm offers a complete
reliable process connection. range of sensors. The precise and maintenance-free
sensors with long-term stability enable an efficient and
n Monitoring the pneumatic system reliable operation of the plant. Therefore, Romfil have
been using ifm sensors for a long time.
All valves of the installation are operated pneumatically.
The necessary system pressure of 6 bar for valve control
is monitored using an ifm PQ3834 pressure sensor which
is installed in a control cabinet. The piezo-resistive silicon
cell measures between -1 and 10 bar. It is insensitive to
liquids (e.g. condensed water) and deposits that might
occur in the system. Furthermore, it guarantees very high
accuracy.
The display colour is selectable: red or green. For example:
In the acceptable range, the measured value is
displayed in green, it turns red when a selectable switch
point is exceeded or not reached. This provides optimum
overview. Two programmable switching outputs or one
switching output and one diagnostic output provide
flexible adaption options.

73
 GTA Maschinensysteme –
Safety first for tunnel lining

Safety first for tunnel lining

Almost everybody knows the scenarios the medium-sized company, which was
from TV in which tunnel sections are established in 1979, relies above all on the
blasted out of the rock deep under- systems and products of the automation
neath mountain ranges or are bored out specialist ifm electronic in Essen.
using huge tunnelling machines, as is the
case with the Gotthard Tunnel with its
n Capabilities of the vehicle
incredible length of 57 km. To master even huge tunnel cross-sections GTA have
However, the real action actually starts developed special vehicles such as the NormLifter 1600 T
which is equipped with three flexible telescopic booms
after blasting or drilling because that’s at the front. The outer pair are extendible with indepen-
dent platforms for the operators that cover a wide reach.
when the dangerous work starts of lining
In the centre there is a working boom with a telescopic
the tube that has been driven into the rock. manipulator. This holds various steel supports weighing
up to 1,200 kg against the ceiling to take the enormous
Absolutely reliable mobile control systems pressure. Using the two working platforms the miners
suitable for even the harshest of environ- can install arch sections and the complete support
construction to clad the rock walls and roof precisely
ments are essential for the highest levels where they are needed. Then fixing mats and cable trays
are installed. Together as a “team” the three telescopic
of safety and efficiency. To fulfil this chal-
arms easily cover working areas up to 12 m high and
lenging job and to meet the requirements, 16 m wide.

74
 „ Everything
that is safety-related
is from ifm

Extendible and independent platforms.

The company GTA Maschinensysteme GmbH
from Hamminkeln specialises in building utility
vehicles for lining tunnels, which are used
worldwide.

n The dangers n SafetyControllers perform controlling

Particular attention must be paid to monitoring the tasks to ensure safety
pivoting range, because with certain vehicle loads GTA rely on the reliable and certified ecomatmobile safety
dangerous tilting moments are possible, depending on controllers and the tried and tested fail-safe sensors from
the reach and the lifting height, which can cause the ifm electronic to coordinate and monitor tasks such as
vehicle to tip over. the stability of the vehicle, the reach of the elevating
Therefore permanent stability monitoring is required. platforms and telescopic arms, and the dynamic load of
These comprehensive monitoring functions on the vehicle the entire machine. These powerful and robust sensors
cannot be carried out by the machine operators alone. were especially designed for the extreme use on mobile
The latest technology has to ensure that all safety-related machines. Even with complex requirements under harsh
European standards are complied with regarding func- application conditions the interaction between the entire
tional safety in the machine so as to guarantee the safety and control technology from ifm functions
protection of the operators at any time. perfectly.
“Everything that is safety-related is from ifm”, says
Benedikt Klump, mechatronics engineer from GTA’s
design department.

75
 Safety
GTA Maschinensysteme –
Safety first for tunnel lining

Controller
n Four stabilisers – the basis for safety
The stabilisers play a very important part in ensuring safe measurement system each in the safety controller to en-
operation of the vehicle. The operators take the vehicle sure that the leg is sufficiently loaded and is not extended
out of its safe condition at the start of each shift. Firstly, over a hole or an uneven surface.
all telescopic booms and stabilisers are retracted. The sup-
port for the NormLifter consists of four stabilisers, one in
n Two SafetyControllers in harmony
each corner; the front two can also be extended
horizontally to widen the support base. When the powerful CR7032 SafetyController registers the
safe state of all stabilisers, it enables operation of the
Four type IGS204 inductive sensors installed in each of the
telescopic booms. A system reserve duly checks the
front horizontal and vertical stabilisers provide a signal
correct activation of the safety function “stabilised”
to the small CR0403 BasicController and indicate if all
during vehicle set-up. It controls the vehicle and perma-
cylinders are completely retracted. The same sensor type
nently communicates with the other SafetyController
is installed in the rear stabilisers that can only be extended
(CR7132) with its 80 multifunctional and configurable
vertically. These sensors indicate their position to the
inputs / outputs controlling the working platforms and the
CR7032 main controller via the CR2033 I/O module.
manipulator boom. Both 32-bit SafetyControllers can
The vehicle cannot move unless all these signals have been
effect a stop in case of serious errors and bring the
received. During the stabilising process, the end positions
machine into a safe state. In case of less serious errors,
of the horizontal cylinders are detected via two safety-
previously defined parts of the vehicle can still operate.
related inductive position sensors (GI701S) via a 32-bit
Not all components have to be switched off. Predefined
SafetyController (CR7032). They provide a safe signal
functions already exist for this.
that the front support has been extended horizontally.
The outer vertical stabilisers can only be lowered once the
position sensors indicate the correct end position of the n Telescopic booms, working platforms
horizontal cylinders. and manipulator control
The hydraulic pressures in the front stabilisers are detected Eight movement functions such as lifting, lowering,
using pressure sensors from ifm electronic. If a defined swivelling, retracting and extending the telescopic booms
pressure increase is exceeded, the lowered status of the and tilting are performed by the two elevated platforms
stabilisers and the signals from two load cells are reported of the NormLifter. The manipulator with its open and
back to the 32-bit SafetyController (CR7032 with 32 in- close gripper functions and the platforms are both fixed
puts / outputs from the ecomatmobile series). This ensures to one telescopic arm. One IM5124 magnetic-field
safe switching-off of various valves and relays, such as immune inductive sensor (with correction factor K=1)
E-stop valves or the parking brake. Moreover, the dynamic is fixed to all three booms. Since the partial segments
forces of the front stabilisers are evaluated via one power of the reinforcement arches are welded together, the

CR1083 touch screen installed The powerful type CR7 SafetyController CR2033 robust decentralised
at the top of the cab gives from the ecomatmobile series from I/O module transfers signals
a quick overview. ifm electronic built into the vehicle to the controller via the CANbus.
ensures safety in mobile applications.

76
y
Vertically extending
cylinders at the front
and two horizontal
telescopic arms ensure
the required stability
of the vehicle.

enormous magnetic fields of the welding electric arc may CR0403 mini controller from ifm electronic in the driver’s
result in interference to sensors. This resistant sensor cab of the NormLifter 1600 T. This carries out several
is used especially in such environments. It provides a functions such as evaluating various operating and
switching signal to indicate a lifting height lower than display elements on the dashboard. It also acts as CAN
three metres. The two telescopic booms for the access gateway to control the diesel engine via the J1939 pro-
platforms are in addition equipped with one IFM204 tocol.
sensor each providing a switching signal when the boom
has reached its central position. Furthermore one
n Operational data display and
GM504S wear-free fail-safe inductive sensor operates
diagnostic function
in the two booms. It provides a signal to confirm that the
boom has been retracted. The CR1083 latest generation PDM NG process data
monitor is used to clearly visualise the large amount of
The CR7132 SafetyController only passes control of the
process and diagnostic data for the vehicle operator. All
lower stabilisers to the CR7032 SafetyController after
relevant data is shown on the easily read 7" colour touch
both telescopic booms have been completely retracted.
screen display. This user-friendly device also has backlit
This ensures that the stabilisers can only be retracted
function keys with tactile feedback. It contributes to the
when the work booms are in their transport position and
safe operation of the NormLifter.
guarantees the stability of the vehicle.
The SafetyController CR7132 also provides the PWM con- “A controller including real-time clock is integrated in
trol of altogether 32 proportional valves to control the CR1083 – this was the aim to give both installers and ope-
three boom functions. Furthermore the access platforms rators reasonable diagnostics”, says Benedikt Klump.
are automatically levelled during operation. The joysticks
on the platforms are linked to the higher-level PLC via n Conclusion
the CANbus. GTA rely fully on intelligent, reliable sensors and systems
from the ecomatmobile series that have been developed
n IO compact module supports especially for the safety-related mobile use for such
decentralisation demanding works for tunnel lining that are carried out to
GTA use the particularly robust CR2033 IO compact a very high safety level. Even under extreme operating
module from ifm for the decentralisation of sensors and conditions they perform their monitoring and protection
actuators via the CANbus via which it transmits the functions without any problems.
hydraulic level and temperature, diesel fuel level, drive oil „Everything from one supplier, the devices are de-
pressure and drive temperature to the controller. This also signed to work together and they function flawlessly“
takes inputs from the inductive sensors (IGS204) in the concludes Benedikt Klump summarising the products
rear stabilisers. Universal use of the module is possible from and cooperation with ifm in Essen.
because of its flexible inputs / outputs configuration.
There is also a compact and powerful 24 inputs / outputs

77
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Position sensors Identification systems

Sensors for Condition monitoring

motion control systems

ifm article no. 78003140 · We reserve the right to make technical alterations without prior notice. · Printed in Germany on non-chlorine bleached paper. 09 /17
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