November/December 2020

46 n NEW PRODUCTS November/December 2020 www.drivesncontrols.com Sick has announced a low-cost, non-contact sensor for speed and length measurements of continuous, web-fed or cut-to- length materials, with a resolution of 4μm. The laser- based Speetec sensor is said to combine affordability with precision measurements of surfaces for process control and quality inspection tasks. The Class 1 eye-safe infra-red laser does not need special guarding or safety measures. The sensor uses the laser Doppler principle to work at speeds of 0.1–10m/s, measuring directly on material surfaces to an accuracy of 0.1%, and a repeatability of 0.05%. The typical return-on- investment is claimed to be less than 12 months. The non- contact measurement principle allows the sensor to be used where a measuring wheel touching the surface would not produce reliable results, and to avoid potential wear problems. It also avoids the risk of marking or damaging delicate, smooth or soft materials. The sensor can be used for materials with reflective, black or uneven surfaces, and can increase speeds in applications where rotary encoders or measuring wheels could be prone to inaccuracy due to slippage. The aluminium-housed sensor measures 140 x 95 x 32.5mm. It can be set up in minutes and does not need any supplementary electronics to process its output. Sick UK 01727 831121 www.sick.co.uk HMS has announced a device that delivers cellular-based Internet connections for remote assets almost anywhere in the world. The Anybus Wireless Bolt IoT uses Low Power Wide Area Network (LP-WAN) technologies with frugal power needs, limited bandwidths (25-300 kbit/s), and low connection costs. HMS says that there is often no infrastructure for connecting to remote assets that need to be monitored and controlled. The new device provides reliable links using LTE-standard NB-IoT and CAT-M1 networks which can fall back to 2G (GPRS/Edge). The IP66/IP67-protected device mounts on the asset and has UL Nema 4X certification for outdoor use, a cellular antenna and modem, a microcontroller and a firewall. Configuration is done via aWeb server, or by sending commands via Ethernet. An onboard SIM-card can connect to most networks. HMS Networks 01926 405599 www.anybus.com Wago has launched an industrial power supply that incorporates “pioneering” communications, said to help perform predictive maintenance, deliver reliable long-term performance, manage loads “intelligently” and customise configurations. As well as providing power, the Pro 2 supply also protects equipment using a function called TopBoost that, in the event of a downstream short-circuit, can deliver an output voltage boost of up to 600% for 15ms to trigger thermal-magnetic circuit- breakers safely. It can also provide 150% of the output power for up to 5s, allowing capacitors to be charged quickly, and inductive loads to be switched reliably. The supply can also be used as a single-channel electronic circuit- breaker, eliminating the need for external breakers. Operating data can be read on the front, including an LED bargraph that shows the output power, as well as overloads/load reserves. Other data can be retrieved using free PC software. There is a choice of communications modules, allowing users to choose their preferred protocol. The power supply operates with an efficiency of up to 96.3%, and its relatively low heat losses mean that less ventilation is needed in control cabinets. Installation is simplified by the use of pluggable screwless connectors, and the MTBF (mean time between failures) is estimated to be 1 million hours, reducing the need for maintenance. Wago 01788 568 008 https://www.wago.com/gb Leuze claims to have developed the world's first fork sensor that combines the advantages of light-based and ultrasonic sensors. The GSX214 sensor is aimed at labelling applications in the packaging industry and can detect a variety of labels reliably, quickly, and precisely, regardless of their material or surface characteristics. Leuze says this will increase machine throughput and avoid downtime. For labels to be positioned precisely, they need to be detected safely and reliably, even at high conveyor speeds. This is done using fork sensors, which house a transmitter and receiver in one device, making them easy to mount, and avoiding the need for alignment. Until now, fork sensors were available in either optical or ultrasonic versions. The new sensor combines the two, and is particularly suitable for applications in which different types of label need to be detected. Previously, this often needed several different sensors. The new sensor will save space, as well as installation time and costs. It can be set up quickly and easily via a teach button. Only one mounting position is needed for any object. The fork sensor has an IO-Link interface, making it quick and easy to configure. The interface allows remote teaching, and can be used to lock the sensor buttons remotely. Recipe management allows easy format changeovers when replacing rolls of labels, avoiding the need to re-teach the sensor when changing to a new label format. Leuze electronic 01480 408500 www.leuze.com/en/united_kin gdom Fork sensor is the first to combine optical and ultrasonic sensing Power supply also protects equipment Non-contact speed and length sensor combines low cost with precision Bolt-on device can link remote assets anywhere in the world