Pepperl+Fuchs Blog

Specialized protective systems have to be used in environments that contain gases or vapors, combustible dusts, or fibers to prevent these dangerous materials from catching fire or exploding. Purge and pressurization systems can be used in a variety of production processes and applications where hazardous gasses or dust are present.

Purge and pressurization systems effectively help to control the risk of explosions by segregating the electrical equipment inside of the enclosure from the hazardous atmosphere. This is done by pressurizing the enclosure with clean dry instrument air or inert gas so the hazardous gas or dust cannot penetrate the enclosure.  Purge and pressurization systems are an economical alternative to heavy and expensive explosion proof enclosures.

There are many great reasons to attend this year's Offshore Technology Conference (OTC). One is to experience the technology from Pepperl+Fuchs. From May 6 to 9 at OTC in Houston, Texas, Pepperl+Fuchs will be exhibiting its process automation solutions for the oil and gas industry. These leading sensing technologies, explosion protection products, and intrinsically safe mobile devices will be featured at booth 4261 in Hall A of the NRG Center. Conference attendees will have a chance to learn more about the following technologies:

The FDA requires drug manufacturers to follow strict cleaning guidelines. According to the FDA, any equipment a manufacturer uses during drug production must be “cleaned, maintained, and, as appropriate for the nature of the drug, sanitized and/or sterilized at appropriate intervals to prevent malfunctions or contamination …” This is why drug manufacturers clean their batch process tanks at regular intervals.

High-tech drug manufacturers are utilizing Industry 4.0 technology to enhance their automated processes. Portable mixing tanks used in drug processing, preparation, material buffering, and storage are sometimes fitted with multiple industrial sensors to ensure the highest standards in drug production are always met. The data generated during these processes can be transmitted wirelessly to the process control system with the help of Pepperl+Fuchs’ Bullet WirelessHART adapters.

The LGM series measuring light grid is an array of thru-beam photoelectric sensors housed in a single emitter and receiver pair designed to continuously communicate with a PLC through any IO-Link master. They are available in a variety of heights ranging from 100 mm up to 3200 mm, with the number of beams varying based on the height. The light grid can be remotely configured for easy setup and parameterization via PLC with the help of IO-Link technology; complex single beam calculations are not required to set up these sensors.

Adaptability, versatility, and efficiency are three essential components of a forward-thinking business concept. In the world of industrial automation, these help keep pace with rapidly changing technologies by driving creation of the innovative, cost-effective, versatile tools users need to complete the job. Sensors are critical to this process because they provide accurate measurement—no matter how precise it must be.

Photoelectric sensors use visible red light or infrared light detected by a receiver to determine the distance away an object is and the interruption in light emitted. Excellent for use in automation, photoelectric sensors provide fast, non-contact detection for multiple applications.

Many industries need to use multiple metals during manufacturing and processing. However, complications can arise when different types of metals are used with standard inductive proximity sensors. If a metal is less ferrous (less magnetic), for example, a larger proximity sensor may have to be used or the sensor may have to be moved closer to the object being detected. Production must stop to exchange and/or move the proximity sensor, using up valuable time. Reduction factor 1 (R1) inductive sensors eliminate this problem and increase productivity. Here are a few of the ways they can be applied:

RFID, or radio frequency identification, uses radio waves emitted by a read head to read information stored on read tags. The read tags then transmit the identification information back to a reading device via a built-in antenna. There are 3 main types of RFID tag technologies that are used to transmit identification information—passive, semi-passive, and active.

Pepperl+Fuchs IO-Link photoelectric sensors have many lesser-known features. In addition to operational parameters, sensor information, and other commonly used and viewed items, many of our IO-Link photoelectric sensors include features that are helpful in multiple applications. These features include locator indication, device control, trend charts, and data collection interval.