DAC 2021_12

52 n NEW PRODUCTS November/December 2021 www.drivesncontrols.com Turck Banner is offering a starter kit to help improve OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) levels at a price that, it says, will allow anyone to benefit. The Production Performance Monitoring (PPM) kit consists of a battery-powered wireless sensor, a controller and a three- month cloud connection. It is aimed at first-time users and includes everything needed to monitor a machine and receive warnings if throughput drops. Turck Banner says that the simple set-up and flexibility of the kit will allow first-time users to investigate the benefits of OEE, without having to commit huge resources. It adds that return-on-investment is usually measured in days and can be reinvested to expand the system. No programming is needed and an auto-dashboarding function delivers actionable information to users with minimal set-up. The controller logs data, while the cloud is used to analyse the data and generate dashboard displays. To use the kit, the wireless sensor is mounted on a machine where it counts the number of parts passing. This data is transferred wirelessly to the controller, and can be viewed as a graph showing planned and unplanned stops, as well as slow cycles. If production slows, alerts can be sent to personnel. If the cause is not obvious, the sensor can be moved and the process repeated until the fault is identified. A second sensor can be installed upstream from the first to provide comparative data. Up to 47 sensors can be connected. The controller can expand into a large-scale monitoring system. When the cause of lost production has been identified and corrected, the kit can quantify the improvement. A Web interface allows the machine condition to be displayed remotely on a smart device. The controller can be connected to networks, Scada, PLCs or other cloud systems, supporting external data- gathering, analysis and integration into existing systems, such as DCS or CMS. Turck Banner 01268 578888 www.turckbanner.co.uk Red Lion has released a new generation of touchscreen graphical panel meters that allow users to switch between different screen displays using a “swipe” gesture. The PM-50 meters, which are available with 3.5-inch or 4.3- inch displays, have built-in Wi-Fi allowing users to view workflows and process data remotely from the plant floor. Wired connections are an option using Ethernet or Modbus. The meters can provide visual alerts that notify the user that action is needed, either on the device itself or via an iOS or Google app. The PM-50 can replace conventional meters with 1/8 or 1/16 DIN panel cut-outs. Easy, intuitive setup is achieved using an on-device programming wizard, a mobile app or a Web browser. Field-installable modules can add outputs, communications and AC power functions. Red Lion Controls www.redlion.net Rockwell Automation has announced a guard locking switch that, it says, will simplify installation and troubleshooting, without sacrificing safety. The Allen- Bradley 440G-MZ switch uses a safety-based communications protocol that provides diagnostic information and simplifies integration. The switches are suitable for use with many types of guard door, including those that allow full-body access to protected areas, where high holding forces and wide tolerance to guard misalignment are often needed. The switches are TÜV- certified up to SIL 3, PLe, Cat 4, providing the highest level of safety for door position monitoring and guard locking. Rockwell Automation www.rockwellautomation.com /en-gb Low-cost OEE kit allows anyone to monitor machine performance Guard locking switch simplifies installation and troubleshooting Sensor Technology has developed an optical torque sensor that can measure down to 10mNm. This, combined with a 50kHz bandwidth, means that the ORT230/240 sensor can record even the shortest transient torques accurately. The sensors are aimed at applications requiring high- resolution, dynamic measurement of rotary and static torque in the range 10mNm–100Nm. The non- contact technology avoids the need for brushes and electronics on the shaft, and allows operation at speeds of up to 30,000rpm. The optical operating principle also means the sensors are immune from noise problems. The sensors offer fixed voltage or current analogue outputs – one for torque, the other for speed or power. The ORT 240 has two user-selectable voltage or current analogue outputs – one for torque, the other for speed, power or peak torque – plus digital outputs including RS-232, CANbus and USB. Up to 10 transducers can be connected via USB. Self-diagnostics report if the sensor’s torque, speed ratings or calibration date have been exceeded, while built-in sensors monitor shaft temperatures for better compensation and accuracy. Sensor Technology’s TorqView software offers torque monitoring on Windows PCs and can plot real-time charts. Sensor Technology 01869 238400 https://www.sensors.co.uk Optical torque sensor can measure down to 10mNm Touchscreen panel meters allow users to swipe from one display to the next