When industrial machine shops use automated mills, lathes and grinding tools to shape metal products, they rely on robust sensor equipment to detect the metal objects as they travel along conveyor systems. First and foremost, the sensors must be moisture-resistant so that they can operate reliably in an environment where they are regularly doused in liquid coolant. They must also be able to detect metal objects without being disrupted by the flying metal chips that are inevitably generated by machining processes.
This second consideration calls for a special kind of inductive sensor that can effectively detect metal objects without triggering false signals due to interference from abrasion debris. For this type of specialized application, we recommend the chip-immune series of inductive sensors from our distribution partner Contrinex.
The chip-immune series of sensors employs a modified version of the proprietary Condet® technology, which measures the inductive voltage returned from pulsed currents in the coil to generate useful signals. This allows the sensors to detect metal objects without being disrupted by chips of iron, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, copper or titanium. The modified Condet® method is so effective that it eliminates the need to regularly spray water on the sensors to remove stray metal chips. The chip-immune inductive sensors also offer a wide operating temperature range from -13°F to +185°F (-25°C to +85°C).
Interested in learning more about these inductive sensors or any of the other custom sensor solutions we offer at Locon? Feel free to give us a call or contact us online today to speak with a representative!