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HELPING YOU #MAKE SENSE OF SENSORS
EXAMPLE APPLICATIONS
TO ILLUSTRATE THE WIDE-VARIETY OF APPLICATIONS SOLVED USING CONTRINEX SENSORS, WE HAVE POSTED A LARGE SELECTION OF EXAMPLE APPLICATIONS WHICH CAN BE SEEN BY CLICKING ON AN IMAGE. BELOW ARE A SELECTION OF SOME OF THESE APPLICATIONS:
A sensing range up to 1200 mm, adjustable via a teach button
or via IO-Link, accommodates a wide range of machine
geometries. Sensitivity parameters are stored on the sensor’s
inbuilt memory and may be retrieved or updated remotely via
IO-Link, eliminating the need for manual adjustment.
These rugged miniature sensors meet the customer’s need for
reliable operation with little or no manual intervention. The
solution is highly cost-effective with minimal non-productive
time; throughput is maintained at or above target levels.
I
CUSTOMER VALUES
SAFE DETECTION OF THE THINNEST TRANSPARENT MATERIALS
MAXIMUM OPERATING RESERVE OWING TO HIGH ABSORPTION
FACTOR OF UV LIGHT BY TRANSPARENT PLASTICS
ELIMINATION OF MULTIPLE SWITCHING ON A SINGLE TARGET
RELIABLE OPERATION WITHOUT THE NEED FOR MANUAL
INTERVENTION
VERY LOW SENSITIVITY TO DUST, LIQUID DROPLETS AND
SPLASHES
PRODUCT ADVANTAGES
REMOTE SENSITIVITY RETRIEVAL OR UPDATE VIA IO-LINK
IO-LINK SERIAL-CONNECTION PROTOCOL ENABLED ON PNP
VERSIONS AT NO ADDITIONAL COST
PRE-TAUGHT SENSITIVITY PARAMETERS STORED ON INBUILT
SENSOR MEMORY
HIGHLY TOLERANT OF CONTAMINATION BY DUST, LIQUID
DROPLETS OR SPLASHES
Clear plastic thermoformed tray bases are increasingly
commonly used in the packaging of a wide variety of products.
However, they pose a challenge for the high-speed automated
packaging leading Contrinex to develop a unique family. of
sensors.
Contrinex’s small C23PA transparent-object sensors with their
patented UV technology easily detect each set of transparent
trays after it is formed, initiating a subsequent operation and
triggering a counter. The Ecolab certification of these sensors
makes them ideally suited for the packaging of food and
medical products.
CUSTOMER APPLICATION
Clear plastic thermoformed blister-packs which in this
application are used to hold pharmaceutical and surgical
products typically comprise a recessed, semi-rigid tray base,
vacuum-formed in-line from clear thermoplastic material and
sealed with a metal or plastic film after the desired products
are loaded.
Typically, blister-packaging lines for surgical products operate
in sterile conditions where minimal manual intervention is
permitted, to minimise the risk of contamination. If defective
bases are identified and rejected after forming, the flow of tray
bases to the loading station is not continuous. In this event, a
sensor system must inhibit the loading cycle until a base is in
position.
Therefore, a sensor is required to detect the presence of
transparent tray bases swiftly and reliably, enabling the
loading cycle to proceed with minimal delay as soon as a tray
is present at the loading station. Standard photoelectric
sensors, which use visible red-light sources, proved to be
unreliable as they are unable to differentiate reliably between
‘tray present’ and ‘tray not present’ conditions.
An alternative sensor was sought that could reliably detect the
presence of a transparent plastic target.
CUSTOMER SOLUTION
The unique use of an ultraviolet light source in Contrinex’s
C23PA UV transparent-object detection sensors is ideal for this
application. Members of the miniature cubic C23PA sensor
family, these 20mm x 30mm x 10mm sensors are mounted
above the machine’s conveyors to detect the presence of
transparent tray bases as they arrive at the loading station.
Positioning sensors is simple thanks to a range of adjustable
mounting brackets, and their auto-collimated optics ensure
there are no blind zones.
The transparent-object sensors use a patented reflex operating
principle with polarised ultraviolet light with a 275 nm
wavelength. This wavelength is chosen because it is where the
absorption of the polarized UV light by a range of commonly
used plastics is maximised. A choice of size and shape of the
custom-designed UV reflectors which use high-tech plastic
materials with excellent reflective properties, simplifies
installation.
The customer makes use of both of the PNP normally-open
output and IO-Link, the standardised point-to-point serial
connection protocol for sensors and actuators, which is
included within the sensors for no additional cost.
An additional option across the C23PA family of photoelectric
sensors is to have a second switched output to provide a
‘stability alarm’ in the event of reduced sensitivity, flagging the
need for preventative maintenance before any performance
degradation occurs. This provides extra functionality which is
simple to implement within the machine and at no additional
cost for the sensor.
The robust sensors feature Ecolab-certified plastic housings
and a sensing range up to 1200 mm, adjustable using a teach
button or IO-Link to accommodate a wide range of
applications. Sensitivity parameters are stored on the sensor’s
inbuilt memory and may be retrieved or updated remotely via
IO-Link, eliminating the need for manual adjustment.
The C23PA family of sensors also benefits from having a range
of complementary low-cost stainless-steel mounting and
protection bracketry options.
TRANSPARENT-OBJECT SENSORS WITH RED-LIGHT OR UNIQUE UV-LIGHT TECHNOLOGY
FOR RELIABLE DETECTION AND ACCURATE COUNTING OF CLEAR BOTTLES AND TRAYS -
SIMPLIFIED SET-UP & EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE GIVE YOU A ‘CLEAR’ ADVANTAGE.
TRANSPARENT-OBJECT DETECTION SENSORS
I
CUSTOMER VALUES
UV SENSORS ENSURE RELIABLE DETECTION OF TRANSPARENT,
IRREGULARLY SHAPED PLASTIC TARGETS
ELIMINATION OF MULTIPLE SWITCHING ON A SINGLE TARGET
WIDE OPERATING RANGE ACCOMMODATES FULL RANGE OF
MACHINE GEOMETRIES
SIMPLE ONE- OR TWO-STEP TEACH PROCEDURE OPTIMISES
INITIAL SET-UP
SENSITIVITY PARAMETERS ARE RETRIEVED OR UPDATED
REMOTELY VIA IO-LINK
STABILITY ALARM HIGHLIGHTS REDUCED SENSITIVITY FOR
EXAMPLE FOR PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE
PRODUCT ADVANTAGES
ULTRAVIOLET REFLEX PHOTOELECTRIC SENSORS FOR
TRANSPARENT OBJECT DETECTION
VERY LOW SENSITIVITY TO TARGET SHAPE
ROBUST, ECOLAB APPROVED SENSORS WITH IP67-RATED
SMALL PLASTIC HOUSINGS
Thermoforming lines produce transparent plastic trays from
continuous reels of material. Contrinex’s transparent-object
sensors with patented UV technology are used to detect the
presence of the transparent plastic sheet as it is unwound
from the reel, ensuring the material is correctly tensioned as it
enters the loading station. False detection is avoided, ensuring
reliable operation with little or no downtime.
CUSTOMER APPLICATION
Thermoforming equipment is often used in the production of
plastic packaging and is particularly suitable for the
continuous production of blister-packs. The process involves
the in-line vacuum-forming of clear thermoplastic material
into semi-rigid blister-trays which, after insertion of the desired
products, are sealed with film. Configurable thermoforming
lines are ideal for the high-speed production of such blister-
trays from continuous reel-stock material.
Coupling a standalone reel-feeder to the loading station of a
modular line is quick and simple. In operation, a set of drive
rollers draws thermoplastic sheet from the stock reel, creating
a continuous loop of material between the feeder and the
loading station. Maintaining the size of the loop between
defined limits ensures the material is correctly tensioned as it
enters the loading station.
Sensors detect the presence of the transparent material as the
loop size varies, initiating or inhibiting operation of the feeder
if the loop becomes too small or too large, respectively.
Photoelectric sensors using visible-light sources are unreliable
in such an application as they cannot reliably differentiate
between ‘material present’ and ‘material not present’ under
normal operating conditions.
CUSTOMER SOLUTION
Contrinex C23 transparent-object reflex sensors with ultraviolet
LED-light sources are ideally suited to this application. These
miniature cubic devices, mounted between the reel feeder
and the loading station, detect the presence of the
transparent material loop as its size varies. Positioning the
sensors and reflectors is simple using a range of adjustable
mounting brackets, and auto-collimated optics which ensure
there are no blind zones.
Contrinex transparent-object sensors utilise a patented reflex
operating principle with polarised ultraviolet light at 275 nm.
At this wavelength, absorption of the polarised UV light by a
range of commonly used plastics is maximised. Custom-
designed UV reflectors, using high-tech plastic materials with
excellent reflective properties in the ultraviolet range, are
available in a range of sizes and geometries which simplify
installation.
An industry-standard PNP normally open output ensures
optimum flexibility. Additionally, IO-Link, a standardized point-
to-point serial connection protocol for sensors and actuators, is
enabled on PNP versions at no additional cost. An additional
option is to have a second output to provide the stability alarm
in the event of reduced sensitivity, flagging the need for
preventative maintenance before any performance
degradation occurs.
The robust sensors which are only 20mm x 30mm x 10mm
feature Ecolab-certified plastic housings, are corrosion-
resistant and impervious to water ingress and has the
additional benefit of offering a range of low-cost stainless-steel
mounting and protection bracketry.
The Contrinex TRU-C23 photoelectric sensor is ideally suited for the presence control of transparent objects. Its patented
technology uses UV light. Since transparent materials like plastic or glass absorb large amounts of polarized UV light, it is very easy
to set the threshold at which the sensor switches. This makes commissioning much easier. The shape or thickness of the target has
no influence on detection. In addition, sensor performance is unaffected by dirt, water drops or aging. Multiple switching for the
same object is eliminated.
The sensor system comprises an LED that emits polarized UV light and a reflector made of special materials suitable for UV. Overall,
the sensor’s operating range is around 1200 mm. Special optics with auto-collimation ensure reliable detection and no blind zone,
even close to the sensor or through a small notch.
For applications requiring the detection of thicker or larger transparent objects, the C23 Transparent Standard can be the ideal
solution. It operates with polarized, red light and has a maximum operating range up to 5000 mm. This sensor provides a highly
favourable price-performance ratio. Typical fields of application can be found in the food, pharmaceutical and packaging industries,
for example when filling glass or plastic bottles, packing in plastic or when the detection of clear packaging film is required.
The housing, which for both types measures only 30 x 20 x 10 mm, is compatible with the entire C23 series as well as comparable
devices. The IO-Link interface also provides the important additional benefit of remote commissioning, diagnostics and
parameterisation as standard and at no extra cost. Sensors are Ecolab tested and approved, rated to IP67 and reliably withstand
common industrial cleaning processes.
PRODUCT ADVANTAGES
CHOICE OF RED OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT ENSURE RELIABLE
DETECTION OF TRANSPARENT, IRREGULARLY SHAPED TARGETS
REFLEX PHOTOELECTRIC TRANSPARENT OBJECT DETECTION
ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT ELIMINATES MULTIPLE SWITCHING ON A
SINGLE TARGET - VERY LOW SENSITIVITY TO TARGET SHAPE
WIDE OPERATING RANGE ACCOMMODATES FULL RANGE OF
MACHINE GEOMETRIES
SIMPLE 1 OR 2-STEP TEACH OPTIMISES INITIAL SET-UP
SENSITIVITY PARAMETERS CAN BE RETRIEVED OR UPDATED
REMOTELY VIA IO-LINK
STABILITY ALARM HIGHLIGHTS REDUCED SENSITIVITY FOR
EXAMPLE FOR PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE
ROBUST, ECOLAB APPROVED SENSORS WITH IP67-RATED
SMALL PLASTIC HOUSINGS
TRANSPARENT-OBJECT DETECTION SENSORS - A ‘CLEAR’ ADVANTAGE.
WELCOME TO PLUS AUTOMATION LTD - EXPERTS IN SENSORS, WE WILL WORK TO HELP YOU
SOLVE YOUR APPLICATIONS, IMPROVE MACHINE PERFORMANCE & RELIABILITY AND REDUCE COSTS
USING CONTRINEX’S EXCEPTIONAL SENSORS - LET US HELP YOU #MAKE SENSE OF SENSORS
CLICK ON AN IMAGE TO VIEW THE BROCHURE OR
VIDEOS, READ APPLICATION EXAMPLES BELOW,
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THIS SENSOR ON
CONTRINEX’S WEBSITE, OR CALL US TO HELP GUIDE
YOU THROUGH SELECTION, ANSWER QUESTIONS,
OR TO HELP YOU #MAKESENSEOFSENSORS:
TRANSPARENT-OBJECT
DETECTION SENSORS
TRANSPARENT-OBJECT SENSORS WITH
RED-LIGHT OR UNIQUE UV-LIGHT TECHNOLOGY
FOR RELIABLE DETECTION AND ACCURATE
COUNTING OF CLEAR BOTTLES AND TRAYS -
SIMPLIFIED SET-UP & EXCEPTIONAL
PERFORMANCE GIVE YOU A ‘CLEAR’ ADVANTAGE.
Thermoforming lines produce transparent plastic trays from
continuous reels of material. Contrinex’s transparent-object
sensors with patented UV technology are used to detect the
presence of the transparent plastic sheet as it is unwound
from the reel, ensuring the material is correctly tensioned as it
enters the loading station. False detection is avoided, ensuring
reliable operation with little or no downtime.
CUSTOMER APPLICATION
Thermoforming equipment is often used in the production of
plastic packaging and is particularly suitable for the
continuous production of blister-packs. The process involves
the in-line vacuum-forming of clear thermoplastic material
into semi-rigid blister-trays which, after insertion of the desired
products, are sealed with film. Configurable thermoforming
lines are ideal for the high-speed production of such blister-
trays from continuous reel-stock material.
Coupling a standalone reel-feeder to the loading station of a
modular line is quick and simple. In operation, a set of drive
rollers draws thermoplastic sheet from the stock reel, creating
a continuous loop of material between the feeder and the
loading station. Maintaining the size of the loop between
defined limits ensures the material is correctly tensioned as it
enters the loading station.
Sensors detect the presence of the transparent material as the
loop size varies, initiating or inhibiting operation of the feeder
if the loop becomes too small or too large, respectively.
Photoelectric sensors using visible-light sources are unreliable
in such an application as they cannot reliably differentiate
between ‘material present’ and ‘material not present’ under
normal operating conditions.
CUSTOMER SOLUTION
Contrinex C23 transparent-object reflex sensors with ultraviolet
LED-light sources are ideally suited to this application. These
miniature cubic devices, mounted between the reel feeder
and the loading station, detect the presence of the
transparent material loop as its size varies. Positioning the
sensors and reflectors is simple using a range of adjustable
mounting brackets, and auto-collimated optics which ensure
there are no blind zones.
Contrinex transparent-object sensors utilise a patented reflex
operating principle with polarised ultraviolet light at 275 nm.
At this wavelength, absorption of the polarised UV light by a
range of commonly used plastics is maximised. Custom-
designed UV reflectors, using high-tech plastic materials with
excellent reflective properties in the ultraviolet range, are
available in a range of sizes and geometries which simplify
installation.
An industry-standard PNP normally open output ensures
optimum flexibility. Additionally, IO-Link, a standardized point-
to-point serial connection protocol for sensors and actuators, is
enabled on PNP versions at no additional cost. An additional
option is to have a second output to provide the stability alarm
in the event of reduced sensitivity, flagging the need for
preventative maintenance before any performance
degradation occurs.
The robust sensors which are only 20mm x 30mm x 10mm
feature Ecolab-certified plastic housings, are corrosion-
resistant and impervious to water ingress and has the
additional benefit of offering a range of low-cost stainless-steel
mounting and protection bracketry.
CUSTOMER VALUES
UV SENSORS ENSURE RELIABLE DETECTION OF TRANSPARENT,
IRREGULARLY SHAPED PLASTIC TARGETS
ELIMINATION OF MULTIPLE SWITCHING ON A SINGLE TARGET
WIDE OPERATING RANGE ACCOMMODATES FULL RANGE OF
MACHINE GEOMETRIES
SIMPLE ONE- OR TWO-STEP TEACH PROCEDURE OPTIMISES
INITIAL SET-UP
SENSITIVITY PARAMETERS ARE RETRIEVED OR UPDATED
REMOTELY VIA IO-LINK
STABILITY ALARM HIGHLIGHTS REDUCED SENSITIVITY FOR
EXAMPLE FOR PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE
PRODUCT ADVANTAGES
ULTRAVIOLET REFLEX PHOTOELECTRIC SENSORS FOR
TRANSPARENT OBJECT DETECTION
VERY LOW SENSITIVITY TO TARGET SHAPE
ROBUST, ECOLAB APPROVED SENSORS WITH IP67-RATED
SMALL PLASTIC HOUSINGS
Clear plastic thermoformed tray bases are increasingly
commonly used in the packaging of a wide variety of products.
However, they pose a challenge for the high-speed automated
packaging leading Contrinex to develop a unique family. of
sensors.
Contrinex’s small C23PA transparent-object sensors with their
patented UV technology easily detect each set of transparent
trays after it is formed, initiating a subsequent operation and
triggering a counter. The Ecolab certification of these sensors
makes them ideally suited for the packaging of food and
medical products.
CUSTOMER APPLICATION
Clear plastic thermoformed blister-packs which in this
application are used to hold pharmaceutical and surgical
products typically comprise a recessed, semi-rigid tray base,
vacuum-formed in-line from clear thermoplastic material and
sealed with a metal or plastic film after the desired products
are loaded.
Typically, blister-packaging lines for surgical products operate
in sterile conditions where minimal manual intervention is
permitted, to minimise the risk of contamination. If defective
bases are identified and rejected after forming, the flow of tray
bases to the loading station is not continuous. In this event, a
sensor system must inhibit the loading cycle until a base is in
position.
Therefore, a sensor is required to detect the presence of
transparent tray bases swiftly and reliably, enabling the
loading cycle to proceed with minimal delay as soon as a tray
is present at the loading station. Standard photoelectric
sensors, which use visible red-light sources, proved to be
unreliable as they are unable to differentiate reliably between
‘tray present’ and ‘tray not present’ conditions.
An alternative sensor was sought that could reliably detect the
presence of a transparent plastic target.
CUSTOMER SOLUTION
The unique use of an ultraviolet light source in Contrinex’s
C23PA UV transparent-object detection sensors is ideal for this
application. Members of the miniature cubic C23PA sensor
family, these 20mm x 30mm x 10mm sensors are mounted
above the machine’s conveyors to detect the presence of
transparent tray bases as they arrive at the loading station.
Positioning sensors is simple thanks to a range of adjustable
mounting brackets, and their auto-collimated optics ensure
there are no blind zones.
The transparent-object sensors use a patented reflex operating
principle with polarised ultraviolet light with a 275 nm
wavelength. This wavelength is chosen because it is where the
absorption of the polarized UV light by a range of commonly
used plastics is maximised. A choice of size and shape of the
custom-designed UV reflectors which use high-tech plastic
materials with excellent reflective properties, simplifies
installation.
The customer makes use of both of the PNP normally-open
output and IO-Link, the standardised point-to-point serial
connection protocol for sensors and actuators, which is
included within the sensors for no additional cost.
An additional option across the C23PA family of photoelectric
sensors is to have a second switched output to provide a
‘stability alarm’ in the event of reduced sensitivity, flagging the
need for preventative maintenance before any performance
degradation occurs. This provides extra functionality which is
simple to implement within the machine and at no additional
cost for the sensor.
The robust sensors feature Ecolab-certified plastic housings
and a sensing range up to 1200 mm, adjustable using a teach
button or IO-Link to accommodate a wide range of
applications. Sensitivity parameters are stored on the sensor’s
inbuilt memory and may be retrieved or updated remotely via
IO-Link, eliminating the need for manual adjustment.
The C23PA family of sensors also benefits from having a range
of complementary low-cost stainless-steel mounting and
protection bracketry options.
CUSTOMER VALUES
SAFE DETECTION OF THE THINNEST TRANSPARENT MATERIALS
MAXIMUM OPERATING RESERVE OWING TO HIGH ABSORPTION
FACTOR OF UV LIGHT BY TRANSPARENT PLASTICS
ELIMINATION OF MULTIPLE SWITCHING ON A SINGLE TARGET
RELIABLE OPERATION WITHOUT THE NEED FOR MANUAL
INTERVENTION
VERY LOW SENSITIVITY TO DUST, LIQUID DROPLETS AND
SPLASHES
PRODUCT ADVANTAGES
REMOTE SENSITIVITY RETRIEVAL OR UPDATE VIA IO-LINK
IO-LINK SERIAL-CONNECTION PROTOCOL ENABLED ON PNP
VERSIONS AT NO ADDITIONAL COST
PRE-TAUGHT SENSITIVITY PARAMETERS STORED ON INBUILT
SENSOR MEMORY
HIGHLY TOLERANT OF CONTAMINATION BY DUST, LIQUID
DROPLETS OR SPLASHES
A sensing range up to 1200 mm, adjustable via a teach button
or via IO-Link, accommodates a wide range of machine
geometries. Sensitivity parameters are stored on the sensor’s
inbuilt memory and may be retrieved or updated remotely via
IO-Link, eliminating the need for manual adjustment.
These rugged miniature sensors meet the customer’s need for
reliable operation with little or no manual intervention. The
solution is highly cost-effective with minimal non-productive
time; throughput is maintained at or above target levels.
TRANSPARENT-OBJECT DETECTION
SENSORS - A ‘CLEAR’ ADVANTAGE.
The Contrinex TRU-C23 photoelectric sensor is ideally suited for
the presence control of transparent objects. Its patented
technology uses UV light. Since transparent materials like
plastic or glass absorb large amounts of polarized UV light, it is
very easy to set the threshold at which the sensor switches.
This makes commissioning much easier. The shape or
thickness of the target has no influence on detection. In
addition, sensor performance is unaffected by dirt, water drops
or aging. Multiple switching for the same object is eliminated.
The sensor system comprises an LED that emits polarized UV
light and a reflector made of special materials suitable for UV.
Overall, the sensor’s operating range is around 1200 mm.
Special optics with auto-collimation ensure reliable detection
and no blind zone, even close to the sensor or through a small
notch.
For applications requiring the detection of thicker or larger
transparent objects, the C23 Transparent Standard can be the
ideal solution. It operates with polarized, red light and has a
maximum operating range up to 5000 mm. This sensor
provides a highly favourable price-performance ratio. Typical
fields of application can be found in the food, pharmaceutical
and packaging industries, for example when filling glass or
plastic bottles, packing in plastic or when the detection of clear
packaging film is required.
The housing, which for both types measures only 30 x 20 x 10
mm, is compatible with the entire C23 series as well as
comparable devices. The IO-Link interface also provides the
important additional benefit of remote commissioning,
diagnostics and parameterisation as standard and at no extra
cost. Sensors are Ecolab tested and approved, rated to IP67 and
reliably withstand common industrial cleaning processes.
PRODUCT ADVANTAGES
CHOICE OF RED OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT ENSURE RELIABLE
DETECTION OF TRANSPARENT, IRREGULARLY SHAPED TARGETS
REFLEX PHOTOELECTRIC TRANSPARENT OBJECT DETECTION
ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT ELIMINATES MULTIPLE SWITCHING ON A
SINGLE TARGET - VERY LOW SENSITIVITY TO TARGET SHAPE
WIDE OPERATING RANGE ACCOMMODATES FULL RANGE OF
MACHINE GEOMETRIES
SIMPLE 1 OR 2-STEP TEACH OPTIMISES INITIAL SET-UP
SENSITIVITY PARAMETERS CAN BE RETRIEVED OR UPDATED
REMOTELY VIA IO-LINK
STABILITY ALARM HIGHLIGHTS REDUCED SENSITIVITY FOR
EXAMPLE FOR PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE
ROBUST, ECOLAB APPROVED SENSORS WITH IP67-RATED
SMALL PLASTIC HOUSINGS
WELCOME TO PLUS AUTOMATION LTD - EXPERTS IN SENSORS,
WE WORK TO HELP YOU SOLVE YOUR APPLICATIONS, IMPROVE MACHINE
PERFORMANCE & RELIABILITY AND REDUCE COSTS USING CONTRINEX’S
EXCEPTIONAL SENSORS - LET US HELP YOU #MAKE SENSE OF SENSORS
