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The robust and high sensing performance of Contrinex’s Ultrasonic sensors, available from PLUS Automation, enables them to be relied upon to confirm or measure levels. In this application, rather than looking at a silo or tank, we look at a tote bin, but away from the normal manufacturing environment, we look at the demands of a meat-processing plant.

Plastic transportation bins which are used to carry meat, need to be checked that they have been emptied, before being sent to an automated wash station. An ultrasonic sensor mounted above a conveyor looks down into the bins and diverts contaminated bins from proceeding to the wash station.

Customer application

Inside industrial meat-processing plants it is common for portions of meat to be transported in food-grade plastic bins. Before these plastic bins can be washed in an automated wash station, a check is needed that there are no pieces of meat left in the bin. If any pieces of meat are allowed to remain in the tray and enter the wash station, they can accumulate in the washing machine, causing blockages and breakdowns.

To prevent this, a sensor system must reliably detect the presence of meat residues in the bins as they travel along the conveyor. The sensor needs to differentiate between small trivial residues and larger contamination, diverting the contaminated bins before they can enter the washing station.

The previous mechanical system which used spring-loaded wand actuators in contact with the box was unreliable and required frequent, time-consuming cleaning and adjustment. Breakdowns and interruptions to the washing process could limit the availability of clean transportation bins and impact the plant’s overall productivity.

Customer solution

Contrinex ultrasonic sensors are ideal for presence and level-sensing applications being available in both reflex and diffuse sensing technologies. For this application, an M30, metal-bodied, IP65-rated, diffuse sensor with a 20 to 130cm operating range was selected.

Ultrasonic sensors are ideal for this application because their detection is independent of the target’s colour, shape, material or surface structure. They reliably detect all items above a set height threshold, even if it is transparent, for example, plastic packaging. The vibration of the sensing face of the ultrasonic sensor, also contributes to keeping itself clean or shedding liquid contamination, in much the same way as the ultrasonic parking sensors in a car’s bumper are often cleaner than the rest of the bumper surrounding them.

The ultrasonic sensor is mounted above the conveyor, looking down into the bins as they travel past it, towards a wash machine. The sensor checks for residues, rejecting any contaminated bins using an existing mechanical diverter to shunt the box to a separate conveyor for manual emptying.

Being able to mount the sensor at some distance above the conveyor enables easier cleaning and the system has proved ideal, requiring little or no regular maintenance.

ROLEC’s aluDOOR industrial electronic enclosures have gained a Special Mention in the German Innovation Awards. Judges praised the “high added value for users.”

Robust aluDOOR is a ‘go anywhere’ hinged-lid enclosure that can be mounted on walls, bulkheads, machines and desks – safeguarding electronics in challenging indoor and harsh outdoor environments.

At launch, these premium enclosures were originally rated IP 66, IP 67 and (on request) IP 69K. Since then, aluDOOR has now also gained an IP 68 rating. This means it can be fully immersed in water to an agreed depth greater than the 150 mm to 1,000 mm specified for IP 67 enclosures. In the case of aluDOOR, this depth is 1.2 metres for two hours.

Diecast aluminium aluDOOR’s hinged lid opens 100° to allow easy access to components. The lid can be specified with or without a recess for a membrane keypad. The lid screws and threaded inserts are A2 stainless steel for added protection against corrosion.

ROLEC has made it quick and easy to fit the lid. Its integrated hinge pin is pushed into place then secured with two tamperproof Torx T25 screws with M5 threads. Then the lid is shut and locked down with two more Torx screws. All the fixings are hidden beneath aluminium trims.

Like many other ROLEC enclosures, aluDOOR can be installed ‘lid closed’, protecting the electronics and seal, a continuous foamed-in polyurethane gasket with no join. Inside the housing, there are pillars for PCBs, mounting plates and DIN rails.

Electronics designers can specify aluDOOR in 10 sizes from 120 x 90 x 70 mm to 280 x 170 x 90 mm. The standard colour is anthracite grey (RAL 7016) with matt silver powder-coated lid trims.

Options and accessories include special colours on request, anthracite grey lid trims, a mounting plate, supporting rail, EMC gasket, and an anti-corrosion coating.

ROLEC can supply aluDOOR fully customised. Services include CNC machining, engraving, display windows, powder coating, painting, photo-quality printing of legends, logos and graphics, EMC shielding, and assembly of accessories.

For more information, view the ROLEC website:

https://www.rolec-enclosures.co.uk/en/enclosures-accessories/aludoor#top

Mencom Corporation will be showing various industrial electrical connectors at PACK EXPO 2023 — Booth #SL-6046 in the South Lower Hall. Their booth will feature hands-on displays of the company’s power, signal, and network connectors designed for automated packaging and processing equipment.

These rugged connectors utilise innovative designs and robust materials to withstand the most demanding industrial applications. Key features like quick and reliable coupling will increase efficiency and productivity for automated operations.

Mencom Corporation experts will be on hand to provide one-on-one guidance on selecting the ideal connector solution. Mencom will also showcase value-added services like custom cable assemblies, on-demand manufacturing, and more.

Please visit www.mencom.com for more details.

A common way of designing a new large building is to make a scale model and test it in a wind tunnel. This has been a recognised test for over 50 years but it is known to underestimate the peak loads, so correction factors are applied to provide a safety margin. Another drawback is that the wind just comes from one direction at a time whereas in the real world, gusts and the large eddies can fluctuate from many different directions at once. A Danish company, Vind-Vind, is developing a new turbulence model to capture the effects of wind on a building in natural conditions. This modelling uses real world data to enhance its accuracy, gathered with a LIDAR system using 10 ns pulses. Particles in the air reflect the laser, the changes in the returned light due to the Doppler effect are analysed using the latest flagship product of Spectrum Instrumentation, the ultrafast M5i.3321-x16 digitizer card. 

Watch the wind simulation video (11 sec, 132 MB):

https://spectrum-instrumentation.com/videos/3D.mov

Per Jørgensen, CEO of Vind-Vind, explained: “At present, there are two ways to measure wind movement, either low resolution at a long distance of several kilometres or high resolution over a short distance of a few hundred meters. We created a new LIDAR-based instrument to measure long distances at a high resolution. Key to this is the ability of the Spectrum digitizer card to capture the data at its very high sampling rate of 3.2 GigaSamples per second with 12 bit resolution. This is actually more than we need but it gives us the margin to allow for ‘noisy’ conditions and weak signals. The extra bandwidth also means that we can immediately identify and filter out high frequency noise leaving only low frequency noise to be eliminated later when processing the data.”

As can be imagined, keeping track of a vast number of dust particles moving in the wind generates a huge amount of data. Vind-Vind was initially going to use an FPGA platform but rejected this approach as being too complex to programme and not having enough compute power to handle the large amount of data being created every second. The data problem was solved by using Spectrum’s SCAPP drivers (Spectrum’s CUDA Access for Parallel Processing). In this solution, the M5i digitizer with its 16-lane PCIe interface sends the collected data with up to 12.8 GigaByte per second directly to a CUDA-based graphics card instead of the PC CPU. The graphic card, in this case a Nvidia Quadro A4000 including a GPU with 6,144 cores, is processing the data much faster than the CPU of the PC with only 6 or 8 cores.

Vind-Vind’s initial goal for its computer modelling is to assess how the turbulence compares to the measured turbulence over an urban environment. After that, turbulence modelling will be improved to include the effects of a higher section of the atmosphere with wind gusts from different directions. Accurate data gathered in the real world can then be used to verify and validate the predictions of the 3D computer simulation. “With proven accuracy, our 3D wind modelling can be used to provide greater levels of safety and wind comfort as it will predict the complex nature of the real world, and not the constrained version of the wind tunnel” added Jorgensen. “Eventually it will mean that the considerable over specification that architects have to build in because of the inaccuracy of wind tunnel models can be reduced. This means improving sustainability and saving costs by cutting down on the unnecessary use of materials.”

The company envisages that its 3D wind modelling will prove invaluable for the many situations where typical wind tunnels cannot provide useful results such as the complex wind interactions of atmospheric turbulence with urban environments, clusters of wind turbines, bridges or airports.

Vind-Vind consists of two sister companies: PJ Science ApS has its focus on producing and selling the innovative LIDAR systems, and Vind-Vind ApS is the consulting company doing wind analysis for the construction industry. More info:  www.vindvind.com

Industrial automation and digital transformation are driving market growth for scalable and standardised networking solutions to address the needs of commercial Operational Technology (OT) deployments. To provide automation manufacturers with a comprehensive networking solution, Microchip Technology has announced the LAN9662 Gigabit Ethernet Switch with four ports, Audio-Video Bridging and Time Sensitive Network (AVB/TSN), two integrated 10/100/1000BASE-T PHYs and a 600 MHz Arm Cortex-A7 CPU subsystem.

To support industrial Ethernet applications, the LAN9662 features a Real-Time Engine (RTE) that provides the ability to modify the Ethernet frame in flight, enabling faster cyclical data rates and low latency. The LAN9662 is compliant with key industry standards such as the OPC Unified Architecture (OPC/UA) and PROFINET software stack, offering deterministic communication capabilities necessary for industrial networking applications.

“Expanding on the LAN966x family, the LAN9662 opens a path to scale with TSN-enabled networking endpoints,” said Charles Forni, vice president of Microchip’s USB and networking business unit. “Our solutions offer customers the advantage of starting their designs with industry standards met, supported by a comprehensive software portfolio.”

With two integrated PHYs, the LAN9662 provides extremely low latency to support various daisy chain topologies. The PHY interfaces enable fast data processing within a specified time to provide a reliable network for automation applications such as motor, conveyor and multi-axis robot controllers.

The LAN9662 supports up to two RGMII/RMII, up to two 1000BASE-X/SerDes/2.5GBASE-X/KX, and a Quad-SGMII/Quad-USGMII interface. The configurable interfaces allow designers to reach various types of physical layers or interconnects they may require.

Microchip is an established supplier of industrial-grade networking solutions, offering a broad portfolio of robust, energy efficient and highly integrated products with deterministic switching and fault-tolerant redundancy. Its products significantly reduce the complexity and overhead of deploying Ethernet across a variety of industrial applications. To learn more about Microchip’s Ethernet solutions, click here.

Tektronix, Inc, a leading provider in test and measurement solutions, today announced the launch of KickStart Software version 2.11.0, including enhancements to the Battery Simulator Application. With the ability to support the 2400 Graphical Touchscreen Series Source Measure Units (SMUs) and the 2600B Series SMUs, the Keithley KickStart Battery Simulator App provides users the ability to easily generate battery models, simulate batteries, and perform battery cycle tests for consumer wireless IoT devices, automotive, and industrial applications. The list of enhancements to this specialty app gives users robust functionality as part of a “one-box,” no code solution. The enhanced app, which supports various Keithley SMUs, also negates the need for using a 2380 electronic load to create a battery model and a 2281S battery simulator — saving the time, effort and cost that would be required to write a SMU custom script.

“The one-box, no code aspects of this iteration of the Keithley KickStart Software Battery Simulator Application makes it possible for our customers to effortlessly generate battery models, simulate and cycle test batteries from the convenience of a PC-based software,” shares Frank Mammana, Keithley Product Manager. “This state-of-the-art application yields real-time table and graph views that have been created for instant data visualization and collection, showcasing dynamic and static battery models of battery VOC, Vt, SOC, ESR, current, and capacity. These features will save our customers precious time and manual effort while enabling additional accuracy and visualization.”

Along with features included in past iterations, such as battery simulation and discharge model generation, the KickStart Battery Simulator App boasts the capacity for a maximum of eight total instruments that can be controlled simultaneously, enabling battery testing through multiple charge and discharge cycles with access to a myriad of test cutoff conditions. This groundbreaking iteration of the Keithley KickStart Software Battery Simulator App not only provides the ability to generate, edit and simulate custom battery models, it includes a responsive user interface, allowing changes to the simulated state of charge in real time. Using the app, customers can browse multiple battery models, and import and export models to and from KickStart software.

The Keithley KickStart Software Battery Simulator App is now available globally for IoT devices, automotive and industrial markets. Pricing ranges based on licensing preferences. For more details, including trial and pricing options, visit the Kickstart Software product page.

Do you want to kick off 2024 with an unmissable day for networking? On 17 January 2024 Instrumentation Live and Electronics Live will come together for the very first time at the National Conference Centre (NCC) in Birmingham. The one-day table top exhibitions will present the very best tech under one roof…

Instrumentation Live, sponsored by Indysoft, is coming to the National Conference Centre in Birmingham on 17 January 2024. This brand new table top event is the ideal platform for showcasing your latest technology in the fields of test, measurement and control. The free-to-attend event aims to attract key decision makers that are looking to source the latest products and solutions, and stay up-to-date with the latest developments.

Commenting on the new event, Louise Tiller, media director at the event’s organiser Datateam Business Media, said: “In between busy schedules and hybrid working and most of us doing more work than ever before it can be hard to find the time to get out of the office and attend a trade show.

“Opening at 10am and closing at 4pm, Electronics Live and Instrumentation Live offer the perfect solution. A time and cost effective one-day exhibition.”

Tiller added: “Start your year with new leads and be amongst the industry as we create new business opportunities.”

Why visit?

Visitors benefit from the unique opportunity to see all of the instrumentation market leaders under one roof. Exhibitors already signed up to be at the event include Michell Instruments; Micro-Epsilon; ION Science; POWTechnology; Calex Electronics; Trafag; Dewesoft; Asset Instruments Engineering; Luso Electronics; Rheintacho; D.A.T.S.; Status Instruments; Winters Instruments; Sensing Innovation Leadership Council; Alphasense; Magnaflux; Display Technology; Indysoft; GI Systems; Acoustic Camera; Strainsense; and European Springs and Pressings.

With market-leading companies exhibiting at the event and co-location with Electronics Live there are lots of reasons to visit the event. The exhibition enables visitors to source cutting-edge innovations and knowledge from industry experts. Attendees can also forge valuable connections and do business with prospective clients face-to-face.

Seminars

Taking place during the event are the seminars. Throughout the day, visitors to the exhibition will be able to find out more about electronics and instrumentation in the seminar theatre:

• 11:00 am: Extending the life of semiconductor components
• 11:40 am: The Sense In Sensing: What Can The Industrial Internet Of Things (IIoT) Do For Me?
• 1.00 pm: What’s happened and now likely to happen in the UK and wider electronic components markets
• 1:40 pm: New Developments in Torque Measurement and Display
• 2:20 pm: Attack of the Clones: Five ways to spot – and avoid – counterfeit electronic parts
• 3:00 pm: UK Sensing Innovation Ecosystem

Electronics Live

Electronics Live, the event of the year for the electronic components sector, will make its debut alongside the Instrumentation Live exhibition. Manufacturers, suppliers and distributors of electronic components are invited to get in touch with Harriet Campbell to find out more about the event. Contact Harriet by telephoning 01622 699184 or emailing HCampbell@cieonline.co.uk.

Celebrating 40 years of CIE

Electronics Live will also celebrate the 40th anniversary of electronics magazine CIE (Components in Electronics). On the evening of 17 Jaunary 2024 there will be a three course meal, entertainment and a special guest to honour one of the most important publications in the electronics sector. To find out more about the dinner, please visit https://electronicslive.uk/cie-anniversary/.

Find out more

Please visit www.instrumentationlive.co.uk and electronicslive.uk to find out more about these exciting new events and to register to attend.

Biomedical device test and measurement specialist Rigel Medical has appointed a new application engineer as it continues to invest in developing its international capabilities and customer operations. 

Bringing extensive technical and product engineering experience and expertise to the role, Donavan Loader has moved across from Seaward Electronic to support the Rigel Medical product portfolio across UK and international markets. His overall responsibilities will see him ensure the seamless integration and optimal performance of test equipment, while duties include the delivery of training and workshops along with technical assistance to customers and distributor support.

He will also continue to collaborate with sales and R&D to showcase product capabilities, assist in quality control and compliance initiatives, and contribute to the development and maintenance of technical documentation and manuals to improve customer understanding and use of Rigel Medical products.

The appointment of Donavan Loader, who originally joined Seaward as a technical support engineer in 2018, comes at a time when the market for advanced biomed safety and performance test products continues to show strong growth – revenue in the UK medical technology market is projected to reach in excess of £15bn in 2023*.

He said: “Rigel Medical continues to build a strong reputation and presence in the industry at a time when the market is rapidly growing. I look forward to working alongside a team focused on providing high quality products, unsurpassed customer service, and innovation that adapts and expands to meet market standards.” 

Michael Walton, category manager at Rigel Medical, said: “It’s great to have Donavan onboard as we continue to invest in strengthening the team. He has excelled during his time with Seaward, and his appointment comes as market growth opportunities and investment in customer support will only see further success for the brand in the UK.”

Cwm Engineering has been on an acquisition trail over the last few years to target growth in high-tech industry sectors. As part of its journey, the West Wales company has moved to a new purpose-built 10,000sq/ft factory to make space for its investment in new machine tools. With more than five machine tools purchased in the last three years, the company recognised a requirement for a dedicated inspection department with high-end metrology equipment – that is why the company has just installed a CMM and a surface roughness machine from Mitutoyo.

With a machine shop full of turning centres and 3, 4 and 5-axis machining centres from Mazak, Cross Hands based Cwm Engineering is aiming to expand its work with aerospace OEMs and Tier 1 manufacturers. To expand in this area, the family-run business has just built a dedicated temperature-controlled inspection department with a Mitutoyo Crysta-Apex V 7106 CNC Coordinate Measurement Machine (CMM) and a Mitutoyo surface roughness machine. 

Founded in 2011, the ISO: 9001 certified company nestled in rural West Wales, an area known more for its tourism and farming, started its metrology journey like all subcontract businesses – with precision hand tools. In 2014, the business bought a manual Mitutoyo CMM. This was subsequently followed by two shop floor CMMs to allow operators to conduct inspection at the side of the machines to prevent potential bottlenecks on the Mitutoyo CMM. However, Cwm Engineering realised that to win business from its OEM and Tier 1 target audience, it needed to stand out from rival subcontract manufacturers with a dedicated temperature-controlled facility with high-end metrology technology.

Commenting upon this investment, Cwm Engineering’s Managing Director Malcolm Walters says: “We have invested heavily in high-end machine tools and this has given us the ability to manufacture extremely precise and complex components. However, to set ourselves apart from other subcontract companies, we recognised the importance of investing in a dedicated temperature-controlled quality assurance department. We are fully aware that when potential customers visit a subcontract manufacturer, they want to see a dedicated metrology department to instil confidence in their supply chain choices. When it came to selecting equipment for this dedicated department, Mitutoyo was the standout brand for our business. Mitutoyo is a brand that everyone knows and respects as an industry leader, and our previous experience with Mitutoyo gave us the confidence that it was the brand for our business. Our previous experience with Mitutoyo was exceptional.”

Cwm Engineering did its due diligence and fully reviewed the marketplace, but its experience with Mitutoyo led the company to invest in a Mitutoyo Crysta-Apex V 7106 CNC CMM that was delivered in April along with a surface roughness machine. The staff at Cwm Engineering have undergone comprehensive training on the new equipment, but the Carmarthenshire business is taking its commitment a step further and has employed an experienced quality control engineer with vast experience using Mitutoyo CMMs.

Alluding to why the company invested in the Mitutoyo Crysta-Apex V 7106, Malcolm adds: “We chose this machine as it has a measurement range of 700 by 1000 by 600mm that is packed into a small footprint. The compact footprint is perfect for our inspection department and the work area covers the diverse dimensions of the work we undertake. Furthermore, the level of information that can be obtained from the reporting system far exceeds anything we previously had.”

The Mitutoyo Crysta-Apex V 7106 is crammed with the latest technology and this includes Mitutoyo’s ABS linear scales, SMS capability for status and service monitoring and Mitutoyo’s renowned MCOSMOS software. The Crysta-Apex V 7106 is extremely accurate and fast with high acceleration rates which are credited to its lightweight bridge construction, temperature compensation sensors and the UC480 controller that supports the multi-sensor and SMS functionality (Smart Measuring System). With a digital step of 0.1µm, the machine has an accuracy maximum permissible error of (1,7+0,3L/100)µm with a 3D acceleration rate of 2,309mm/s².

Discussing how the Crysta-Apex V 7106 will streamline throughput at Cwm Engineering, Andrew Ritchie, the Systems and Operations Manager at the JOSCAR registered company adds: “When we receive drawings from customers, whether it is an STL, IGES, STEP file or any other format, we can either programme parts at the machine or in our SolidCAM CAM system. When we are programming parts offline with our CAM system, we can simultaneously send the files to our CMM for programme creation. This ensures that the CMM programme is prepared and ready to inspect the parts whilst they are in production.”

Commenting further on the synergy between the shopfloor and the new CMM, Andrew continues: “We have only just installed the CMM, but our immediate plan is to create multiple zero-point fixturing systems for the CMM. We use Lang zero-point clamping throughout the workshop and by having fixtures on the Mitutoyo, we’ll be able to easily move parts straight from the machine bed to the CMM for rapid checking without excessive set-up times. By creating a multi-point fixturing system on the CMM, we’ll be able to set up single or multiple parts for inspection. This will streamline our throughput and enable us to provide anything from first-off to 100% inspection.”

As well as investing in the Crysta-Apex V 7106, Cwm Engineering also purchased a Mitutoyo surface roughness measuring machine. Whilst surface roughness can be integrated into other machines in the Mitutoyo armoury, Cwm Engineering opted for the handheld solution for its ability to be used around the machine shop if necessary. Alluding to this, Andrew adds: “Historically, we have used a sample gauge and this has proven reasonably accurate. However, our variation of work can require surface finishes from as high as Ra3.2 in general subcontract work to as low as Ra0.4 for parts in the electronics, communications and ultrasonic industries. In some instances where customers subsequently surface coat or treat parts, they require a surface finish of ‘“That” and not better’ – the new testing machine will certainly support us in such instances. To exceed the requirements of our target audience, the surface roughness machine is a perfect complement to our new CMM and laser etching machines.”

Looking to the future, Company Owner and Managing Director Malcolm concludes: “The investment in new Mitutoyo technology will put us in a strong position for the future. Furthermore, the Mitutoyo MCOSMOS software enables us to fully network our quality activities and reporting. It also allows us to customise reports, organise and archive our programmes and results and it offers tools like SPC with full Industry 4.0 capability. This is an investment in the future of our business and we are delighted with the support we have received from Mitutoyo on this journey.”