Summary
N95フェイスマスクを製造するためのOEM機器メーカーは、マシン内に堅牢な近接センサを必要とします。 材料供給は組み立て工程に同期する必要があり、また、完成したマスクを正しく配置する必要があります。 コントリネックス社のIO-Link接続を備えた堅牢な近接センサは、コストのかかる障害、誤作動を排除、即時の可用性ニーズに対応しました。
ユーザー利点
- 堅牢な近接センサにより、材料供給の正確な位置決めが保証され、組み立て工程での障害が排除されます。
- 長距離ミニチュア近接センサは、目立たず安全にインライン溶接ステーションに適合します。
- 業界標準のIO-Link接続は、マシン制御システムへの単一インタフェースを提供します。
- 多様なセンサをすぐに利用できるため、生産能力を急速に拡大できます。
- 実績のあるテクノロジーにより、簡単で信頼性の高い動作が保証されます。
- 汎用性の高いセンサは、設計者のニーズを満たします。
製品特徴
設置が簡単、堅牢な金属ハウジングの近接センサ- 多様なポートフォリオにより、卓越したサイズと検知距離を提供
- 業界標準の-25°C〜+ 70°Cの動作範囲
- 高信頼性、耐振動性
- ASICベースの設計により、コンパクトで最大の機能を実現
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.