Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2021 - 6

FEATURE ARTICLE
Automation Specialist Balluff Puts Magnetic (and Non-Magnetic) Sensing to Industrial Work
runway. For correct positioning and to avoid collisions of cranes,
laser sensors are usually used, which meet common performance
requirements under normal ambient conditions. However,
if the level of contamination in a hall is high or if the cranes are
operated outdoors, laser-based systems reach their limits.
Few companies put magnetic sensing to work as much as sensor
and automation specialist Balluff, a global provider of diverse
solutions for industrial and machinery environments. Many such
as its new Long Distance Positioning System (LDPS), inductive
couplers and encoders harness magnetic field strength to get the
job done -- but the company also creates sensor products that,
instead, overcome magnetic effects.
Magnetorestrictive position sensing is the core technology in the
LDPS, which can provide reliable, intelligent and adaptable position
measurement over several hundred meters in harsh environments
with a repeat accuracy of 0.5 mm. This makes the system
ideally suited for applications on overhead traveling cranes, loading
bridges, gantry cranes, reversing controls, and for crane and
trolley travel, which turns process cranes into large-scale robots.
The system consists of a magnetostrictive position measuring
system with a Profinet interface and several position encoders installed
along the travel path of a crane, whose position is read by
the magnetostrictive sensor mounted on the crane. This information
is transmitted to the controller, which calculates the absolute
coordinates of the crane position with high accuracy. It automatically
adapts to the magnetic markings and can be equipped with
a fail-safe operation option with redundant markings along the
travel path.
Inductive Factor 1 sensors detect any metal with the same switching
distance
While Balluff employs many
sensing principles in its products
depending on the application, its
magnetic sensor technologies include
inductive sensors, magnetic
field sensors, magnetorestrictive
linear position sensors, magnetic
linear and rotary encoders. In
some cases, however, the application
calls for non-magnetic
sensing as represented by its recently
introduced Inductive Factor
1 magnetic field immune sensors.
Factor 1 sensors
Factor 1 sensors detect any metal including steel, aluminum or
brass with the identical switching distance, an important feature
for detecting objects of varied materials in an application. In addition
to the Factor 1 properties, the sensors feature an extended
temperature range and are magnetic field immune. This ensures
a fault-free process, even in the presence of strong electromagnetic
fields and harsh environments including near induction
hardening or welding equipment.
Crane systems are used worldwide and across industries for
transporting goods in intralogistics, in warehouse management
or in various production processes. The loads here are often
very high and the environment also places enormous demands
on the sensor technology. In addition, the operator must always
be aware of the absolute position of the crane or the control
system.
This applies particularly if there are two or more cranes on one
6 Magnetics Business & Technology * November/December 2021
Inductive coupling when lots of power is transmitted
Inductive coupling systems are always used when a particularly
large amount of power is transmitted such as in robotics applications
involving controlling gripper arms. " Inductive couplers are
indispensable in many different applications today, " says Dr.
Laszlo Herczeg, product manager.
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Magnetics Business & Technology - November/December 2021

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