February 2021

SENSORS AND ENCODERS n Inductive sensors inspect timing belts during production T o enhance the strength of industrial timing belts, steel reinforcing wires are bonded into the belt carcass as part of a continuous extrusion process. The distance between the reinforcing wires and the belt teeth is a critical parameter, influencing the accuracy of the belt’s fit and other operating characteristics, including its service life. Although it is possible for engineers to check the quality of the extruded belts by cutting samples from the belts after they have been manufactured and taking optical measurements, this process is slow and only detects faults after production is complete, leading to high reject costs. A belt manufacturer was therefore looking for a real-time system that could allow it to measure the position of the steel reinforcements reliably and accurately. It has achieved this using a pair of long-range analogue inductive sensors mounted above the extruded belt profile, which provide real- time data on the position of the reinforcements. The two Contrinex sensors, set flush into a non-metallic plate, are mounted directly above the surface of the belt as it runs over a guide roller, giving a stable reference position. The lightly tensioned belt clears the sensing face of the devices by a few tenths of a millimetre. The high-resolution sensors are resistant to vibration and variations in ambient temperature, allowing them to be positioned immediately after the extrusion press close to the moving belt. The physical characteristics of the belt dictate a sensing distance of up to 10mm with micron measurement accuracy. A patented technology provides a highly stable sensing performance over this distance with good detection accuracy, repeatability, and resolutions in the micron range. The M18-size sensors provide an analogue voltage output with a sampling rate of 250Hz, enabling accurate measurements to be made of the position of the steel reinforcements in the fast-moving belt profiles. They provide continuous, non- linearised 0–10V analogue output signals. A process control system monitors the sensor’s outputs, alerting the operator and halting production if the measured values stray outside allowable limits. The sensors are connected to the control system via a flexible cable with an easily detachable M12 connector. Rather than needing to test belts destructively to inspect the position of the steel reinforcements and risking high reject costs because of the infrequent nature of the sampling, the belt manufacturer is now able to monitor its production process continuously. n A manufacturer of industrial timing belts has turned to analogue inductive sensors to measure the position of steel reinforcing bands in its belts while they are being produced, rather than having to wait to perform destructive testing after manufacturing. Two inductive sensors mounted above the timing belt production line, monitor the location of steel reinforcing bands in the belt as it moves Electric Motors Online is pleased to announce its partnership with Precizika Metrology, a Lithuanian company with over 50-years experience in the design and production of metrological equipment. The range includes optical, photoelectric, magnetic linear, rotary and angle encoders as well as digital readout devices and optical glass gratings. For more information, please contact Electric Motors Online on: sales@electric-motors.online 02476 980833 www.electric-motors.online Rotary and linear encoders

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