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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:
I
C23 20 X 30 X 10MM
CUSTOMER VALUES
RELIABLE, REPEATABLE IN-LINE QUALITY CHECKS ON A NON-
CONTACT BASIS
IMPROVED QUALITY ARISING FROM REAL-TIME DETECTION OF
INCORRECTLY PACKED CARTONS
INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY AS STABILITY ALARM FLAGS
PREVENTATIVE-MAINTENANCE NEEDS• SINGLE SENSOR
ACCOMMODATES A RANGE OF CARTON SIZES WITHOUT
REPOSITIONING
REMOTE ADJUSTMENT VIA IO-LINK REDUCES CHANGEOVER
TIME BETWEEN PRODUCTS
PRODUCT ADVANTAGES
MAXIMUM SENSING RANGE OF 300MM WITH PINPOINT RED
LED
BEST-IN-CLASS BACKGROUND-SUPPRESSION BLACK/WHITE
BEHAVIOUR
IO-LINK CONNECTIVITY AVAILABLE AT NO EXTRA COST ON
PNP VERSIONS• DUAL OUTPUT WITH STABILITY ALARM
Contrinex Standard photoelectric sensors are ideal for general position and presence-detection for almost any industry and
application. Best-in-class performance such as sensing ranges and background suppression characteristics, the Standard range of
sensors delivers very high accuracy and reliability.
A wide variety of housing designs and sizes are offered::
•
Cubic sizes: 0507 (5 x 7 x 40mm), C12 (13 x 21 x 7mm), C23 (20 x 30 x 10mm), 3030 (30 x 30 x 15mm), 4040 (40 x 40 x 19mm),
4050 (40 x 50 x 15mm) and C55 (50 x 50 x 23mm).
•
Cylindrical types are also available in sizes M12 and M18.
STANDARD PHOTOELECTRIC SENSORS - EXCELLENCE IN PRICE & PERFORMANCE.
Standard C23 and M18P series are high quality ASIC sensors with an integral IO-Link interface in PNP types. This makes them
particularly suitable for smart factory applications. IO-Link extends sensor functionality to include continuous monitoring of
process data, continuous diagnosis of sensor status, advanced parameter settings, sensitivity adjustment, a remote teach function
and easy checking of sensor ID, to ensure the right sensor is at the right place.
TECHNOLOGY
Diffuse
A diffuse-mode, or energetic-diffuse, photoelectric sensor is a reflective sensor, containing a transmitter and a receiver in a single
housing. The sensor emits a focused light beam toward a distant target that acts as a reflector, returning part of the transmitted
light to the sensor. The receiver detects the amount of light reflected by the target, triggering the sensor when the light intensity
reaches a threshold value.
•
Ideal for short sensing ranges and relatively easy targets
•
Easy installation and alignment
•
No separate reflector or receiver
Background-Suppression
Diffuse-mode photoelectric sensors with background suppression emit a focused light beam toward a distant target. Part of the
beam is reflected from the target and returns to the sensor, striking a position-sensitive receiver. The receiver distinguishes
between reflections from the target and reflections from background objects, only triggering the sensor when the signal reaches a
value that corresponds to the preset target distance.
•
Target size, colour, shape and surface finish have little influence on sensing range
•
Suitable for difficult targets (small, fast-moving, light background)
•
No separate reflector or receiver”
Reflex
A reflex, or reflective, photoelectric sensor contains a transmitter and a receiver in a single housing, and emits a pulsed, focused
light beam through a polarisation filter toward a distant reflector. Reflected light returns to the sensor, passing through a second
filter before arriving at the receiver. When a target object interrupts the light beam, the receiver detects the reduced light intensity
and triggers the sensor. Auto-collimation of the light beam allows blind-zone suppression.
•
Ideal for moderate sensing ranges
•
Wiring required for just one emitter/receiver unit
•
Separately mounted reflector
Through-beam
Contrinex through-beam photoelectric sensors are ideal for industrial applications where sensing components must be mounted
some distance from the target area. Through-beam sensors utilise infra-red, visible and laser light sources to detect targets, reliably
and repeatably, at extended distances.
•
Ideal for long sensing ranges
•
Suitable for contaminated environments or highly reflective targets
•
Separately mounted and wired receiver
Contrinex’s C23 photoelectric sensor family is small but
powerful and so ideal for conveyor and packaging applications.
An example application for the C23 is the food processing
industry, where ‘shingling’, or overlapped layering, is a
common technique for optimizing space during secondary
packaging operations. As shown in the video, biscuits are
sealed in gusseted bags with a triangular profile, and packed
in alternating, overlapping layers into a preformed cardboard
box. Once each box is full, it passes to a case-sealing station
prior to palletisation and dispatch.
From time to time, an incorrectly formed layer occurs, where a
bag might be damaged or misaligned. The C23 photoelectric
sensor with Background Suppression is used to provide non-
contact sensing of the height of the top layer of bags, rejecting
any over-filled cartons.
CUSTOMER APPLICATION
In the food processing industry, shingling, or overlapped
layering, is a common technique for optimising space
utilisation during secondary packaging operations.
Confectionery, sealed in gusseted bags with predominantly
triangular profiles, is packed in alternating, overlapping layers
in preformed cardboard cartons. Once each carton is full, it
passes to a case-sealing station prior to palletisation and
dispatch.
Pre-aligned bags of confectionery arrive at the packing station
in regularly spaced rows. At each station, a multi-axis pick-and-
place packing robot lifts a row of bags, aligns it and lowers it
into a preformed carton. Successive layers overlap each other,
ensuring that space within the carton is fully utilised. Once the
predetermined number of layers has been packed, the carton
is conveyed to the sealing station.
From time to time, one or more incorrectly formed layers
occur. Individual bags may be missing from a row on arrival at
the packing station, or may be damaged or misaligned. A non-
contact sensor is needed to sense the height of the top layer of
bags, rejecting any defective cartons. It must be reliable and
require minimal maintenance.
CUSTOMER SOLUTION
Rugged photoelectric sensors with background suppression
from the Contrinex C23 range are ideal for this application. A
pinpoint red LED with a 10mm-diameter light spot at the
maximum sensing range of 300mm ensures highly reliable
detection of objects of almost any colour against light or dark
backgrounds. These sensors are well suited to both the task
and the environment.
Immediately after packing, a single sensor is mounted
centrally above the conveyor. As each carton passes below on
its way to the sealing station, the sensor detects the top
surface of the packed bags. If the height of the top layer falls
outside preset limits, the sensor triggers a reject mechanism
that diverts the carton to a holding area for investigation.
Mounted in 20mm x 30mm x 10mm miniature plastic
housings, C23 photoelectric sensors are available with
industry-standard PNP or NPN 3-wire or 4-wire output.
Connection to the customer’s control system is via a PVC-
sheathed cable with the choice of an integral M12 connector or
a hermetically sealed entry. A second output provides a
stability alarm in the event of reduced sensitivity, flagging the
need for preventative maintenance before any performance
degradation occurs.
Locating sensors optimally is simple thanks to a custom-
designed range of multi-position mounting brackets. An
operating range between 15mm and 250mm accommodates a
variety of carton sizes without any need to reposition the
sensor. A simple electrical adjustment via an onboard
potentiometer suffices, while remote adjustment via IO-Link, a
standardized point-to-point serial connection protocol, is
available as standard at no extra cost for PNP versions
APPLICATION - BOX-FILL CHECK WITH
DIFFUSE SENSOR ‘TAKES THE BISCUIT’
CLICK ON AN IMAGE TO VIEW THE BROCHURE, 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:
CONTRINEX’S PHOTOELECTRIC SENSORS EXCEL AT POSITIONING AND PRESENCE-DETECTION -
FOR EXAMPLE HIGH-PERFORMANCE, INDUSTRY LEADING SENSING DISTANCES AND OUTSTANDING
BACKGROUND SUPPRESSION CHARACTERISTICS, COMBINE TO GIVE HIGH ACCURACY AND RELIABILITY.
STANDARD PHOTOELECTRIC SENSORS
I
CUSTOMER VALUES
NON-CONTACT, ALL-ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH SENSING
RANGE UP TO 500MM.
LARGE SENSING RANGE AVAILABLE IN A PHYSICALLY SMALL
SENSOR.• EXCEPTIONAL RESISTANCE TO EXTREME VIBRATION
DURING OPERATION.
OPTIMAL SPACE UTILISATION WITH LITTLE OR NO RELIANCE
ON OPERATOR INVOLVEMENT
PRODUCT ADVANTAGES
ELIMINATION OF CALIBRATION ERRORS DURING NORMAL
OPERATION
LARGE SENSING RANGE AVAILABLE IN PHYSICALLY SMALL
SENSOR
PROVIDES RELIABLE, REPEATABLE SENSING IN DEMANDING
OPERATING CONDITIONS
At busy container seaports, purpose-designed container-
handling vehicles called Straddle Carriers, operate around the
clock, loading, unloading and stacking containers. Space
utilisation is increasingly important and correctly identifying
the size of container picked for each lift is essential for
efficiency.
Contrinex photoelectric sensors have been fitted to the
Straddle Carriers to detect the container size and eliminate the
need for drivers to carry out identification checks, saving time
and avoiding errors.
CUSTOMER APPLICATION
A fleet of straddle carriers, purpose-designed container-
handling vehicles, services a busy French container port. As a
straddle carrier moves over a container, a central lifting beam
lowers and locks onto the corner castings of the container;
each lift comprises either a single 40-foot container or two 20-
foot containers.
Optimal utilisation of storage space is essential; correctly
identifying the size of container picked for each lift is vital.
Fitting carriers with sensors that detect the size and type of
containers at the time of lifting eliminate the need for drivers
to carry out identification checks, saving time and avoiding
errors.
The original mechanical sensors proved unreliable, losing
calibration when subjected to continuous vibration during
normal operation. Although the scheduled maintenance
interval for each vehicle is 1,000 hours, mechanical sensors
required recalibration at intervals of no more than two or three
days. A highly stable replacement sensor system was required.
CUSTOMER SOLUTION
Highly stable, non-contact, all-electronic units from the
Contrinex range of photoelectric sensors provide a reliable and
cost-effective alternative. The moulded-resin sensor casings,
fitted with coated-plastic sensing faces, are IP67 rated, making
them virtually impervious to the harsh, salt-laden environment
of a busy container port. Connection to the vehicle’s control
systems is via an integral M12 connector and PVC-sheathed
cable, allowing easy removal and replacement during routine
maintenance.
To confirm the size of the container, two pairs of diffuse
sensors with background suppression are mounted centrally
on each lifting beam. As the lifting beam descends, one sensor
from each pair detects the presence or absence of corner
castings at the central lifting points, while the other detects
the presence or absence of the gap between two 20-foot
containers. The combination of the two eliminates incorrect
identification in the unlikely event that the first sensor returns
a false-positive signal from a 40-foot container.
A physically small housing and long sensing distances
eliminate the risk of accidental damage arising from a
mechanical collision, while rugged industry-standard housings
and vacuum-encapsulated electronics minimise the effects of
vibration.
Operational results have been excellent; the new Contrinex
sensors have eliminated calibration errors and reduced
maintenance costs significantly.
APPLICATION - COLOUR INDEPENDENT
DIFFUSE DETECTION ON STRADDLE-CARRIERS
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