Pepperl+Fuchs Blog

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.

Companies place more than product on their conveyor systems. They also rely on this technology to improve productivity and lower material handling costs. If conveyor technology remains outdated, however, the burden on maintenance staff increases as does energy consumption. The G20 ZPA motor control module from Pepperl+Fuchs provides the reliability and cost savings that companies depend on.

Hygienic Ultrasonic Sensors for the Food Industry

The food and beverage industry imposes extremely strict regulations on the design of machines and their components. According to EHEDG hygienic design principles, machines and their components must be:

One of the biggest advancements in automation was the incorporation of time-of-flight technology into photoelectric sensors. Pepperl+Fuchs took that technology and improved on it, creating the advanced time-of-flight measurement known as Pulse Ranging Technology (PRT). PRT provides continuous measurement of a target’s distance by using the speed of light as a constant while sending out extremely short but very powerful pulses of light and calculating the duration between the time a pulse is sent and the time it is received.

According to the global transport and logistics insurer TT Club, container ship fires happen every 60 days. Half of these fires start in the engine room, and most of them are caused by pressurized system leaks. However, fires can occur anywhere where there is air, fuel, and heat. When a fire does happen on a vessel, crew members’ lives depend on the speed and reliability of the ship’s alert system.