New sensor ideal for monitoring flow of transparent objects

Citation

(2003), "New sensor ideal for monitoring flow of transparent objects", Sensor Review, Vol. 23 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/sr.2003.08723aad.006

New sensor ideal for monitoring flow of transparent objects

New sensor ideal for monitoring flow of transparent objects

Keywords: Sensors

The IPRK 18 is the latest addition to Leuze Mayser’s range of photoelectric sensors that have been designed specifically to detect transparent objects. A feature of the new sensor is its ability to automatically compensate for lens contamination created by the working environment, ensuring ultra-reliable operation (Plate 6).

Sensors used for detection of white glass or transparent objects are of the retro-reflective type and make use of a reflector mounted opposite to the sensor itself. The light beam transmitted by the sensor passes through the transparent object, hits the opposite reflector and is then reflected back to the sensor after passing once again through the transparent object. The reflected light beam generates a reception-signal that is evaluated by the sensor’s electronics. Any deterioration in the reflected signal strength due to contamination is still sufficient to create a definite “object present” signal for tracking purposes.

Plate 6 New sensor ideal for monitoring flow of transparent objects

Now, with the advanced design of the new IPRK 18 from Leuze Mayser, transparent containers, bottles, glass, glass plates or plastics can be detected most reliably on virtually any production line.

During a simple teach-process the sensor is adjusted to the requirements of a product’s characteristics such as white glass bottles or plates, tinted glass bottles or plates, PET or Pen bottles, and films or non transparent objects. Thereafter the sensor will detect these objects in a working range of up to 1.5 m.

To automatically compensate for possible sensor or reflector contamination, the new IPRK 18 constantly monitors the level of the signal received, this is then compared with a reference signal value that had been set during the initial comparison and readjusts the transmitting power automatically. This tracking operation – which means constant monitoring and readjusting of the transmitting power – is carried out in each gap of the production flow (when the light path between sensor and reflector is free). Another in-built benefit of the IPRK 18 is its ability to recognise that the sensor/reflector have been cleaned, readjusting itself automatically to the initial setting, making manual adjustment entirely redundant.

The tracking function sets new standards of performance, guaranteeing a higher degree of detection accuracy for glass objects, bringing greater efficiencies (and overall profitability) to any production line on which glass or plastics parts are to be detected.

With dimensions of only 33 × 15 × 50 mm the IPRK 18 can be mounted at virtually any position in a production process and its compliance with protection class IP67 makes it ideal for use under tough ambient conditions.

Contact-less detection of white glass or transparent objects with light has always been a real challenge since normally the opaqueness of an object is the basic requirement for using photoelectric sensors. However, with the launch of the IPRK 18 this sensing criteria has been eliminated, once again Leuze is setting higher performance standards in the field of photoelectric sensors.

For more information, visit our Web site: www.leuzemayser.co.uk