Summary
OEM equipment builders require a single source of robust sensors for integration within machines for producing N95 face masks. Material feeds must be synchronized prior to assembly and, during the process, the part-completed mask must be positioned correctly. Designers specified rugged inductive sensors with IO-Link connectivity from Contrinex, meeting the need for immediate availability while preventing costly machine malfunctions.
Customer Values
- Rugged inductive sensors ensure accurate positioning of material feeds, eliminating assembly faults
- Miniature extra-distance sensor fits unobtrusively and safely into in-line welding station
- Industry-standard IO-Link connectivity provides a single interface to the machine control system
- Immediate availability of diverse range of sensors enables rapid increase in production capacity
- Proven technology ensures highly reliable fit-and-forget operation with no manual intervention
- Highly versatile sensors meet designers’ needs for trouble-free operation using sensors from a single manufacturer
Specific Product Advantages
Robust, metal-cased inductive proximity sensors suitable for easy integration- Diverse portfolio offers exceptional range of sizes and sensing distances
- Industry-standard -25°C to +70°C operating range
- Reliable, compact vibration-resistant sensors
- ASIC-based design allows maximum functionality in compact envelope
Inductive MINIATURE
Size is often a critical constraint when selecting sensors for position- or presence-sensing....Details
Customer Application
Reliability is essential in automated production, and nowhere more than in the hard-pressed healthcare sector. At the time of the global COVID-19 crisis, equipment builders (OEMs) rushed to increase capacity for producing personal protective equipment (PPE). Manufacturers of N95 face masks, a high-volume item of PPE, faced unprecedented demand worldwide.
While a single N95 mask is a relatively low-cost item, fast-moving production lines mean that any interruption to continuous operation is disproportionately expensive. Machine malfunctions not only cause lost production time but also result in costly manual intervention, and must be prevented.
Purpose-built machines for manufacturing N95 masks must dovetail several material feeds prior to assembly; they must also ensure that part-completed masks are positioned correctly during the process. Successive workstations incorporate multiple position-sensing and presence-detection sensors that monitor the status of material feeds and cutter position, as well as checking part alignment for welding and printing. It is highly desirable to source these devices from a single manufacturer, minimizing spares inventory and ensuring a common interface throughout an entire machine.
Customer Solution
OEM designers specified rugged inductive sensors from the Contrinex Basic and Miniature ranges. Not only did the available selection match the functional requirement exactly, the immediate availability of all the required devices from stock eliminated delays in ramping up capacity. All the specified sensors feature IO-Link connectivity, providing a single, industry-standard interface to the machine control system.
Contrinex inductive sensors are designed with the needs of OEMs and system integrators in mind and provide an unobtrusive fit-and-forget solution. With a sensing distance of 4 mm, the two metal-cased M12 sensors used to monitor the positions of the steel fabric cutter and the printing head are robust and reliable. The M8 device that detects the feed position of the aluminum fixing strip has a V2A stainless-steel housing and an extended sensing distance of 2 mm, fitting snugly in the limited space available.
The extra-distance miniature M5 sensor fitted at the welding station has a nickel-silver housing and was selected because of its 2.5-mm sensing distance, eliminating any danger of accidental collision during operation. Connection to all the specified sensors is via a PVC-sheathed cable with a 3-pin connector or 2-meter flying lead; alternative lengths are available.
These highly versatile sensors meet designers’ needs for trouble-free operation using sensors from a single manufacturer. The solution is highly reliable, cost-effective and, critically, available without delay, allowing the immediate increase in machine-building capacity required by the OEM customer.