When I visit customers, often a few minutes into our conversation they indicate to me they “must decrease their manufacturing downtime.” We all know that an assembly line or weld cell that is not running is not making any money or meeting production cycle times. As we have the conversation regarding downtime, the customer always wants to know what new or improved products are available that can increase uptime or improve their current processes.
A major and common problem seen at the plant level is a high amount of magnetic field sensor failures. There are many common reasons for this, for example low-quality sensors being used such as Reed switches that rely on mechanical contact operation. Reed switches typically have a lower price point than a discrete solid state designs with AMR or GMR technologies, however these low-cost options will cost much more in the long run due to inconsistent trigger points and premature failure that results in machine downtime. Another big factor in sensor failure is the operating environment of the pneumatic cylinder. It is not uncommon to see a cylinder located in a very hostile area, resulting in sensor abuse and cable damage. In some cases, the failure is traceable to a cut cable or a cable that has been burned through from weld spatter.
Below are some key tips and questions that can be helpful when selecting a magnetic field sensor.
- Do I need a T- or C-slot mounting type?
- Do I need a slide-in or a drop-in style?
- Do I need an NPN or PNP output?
- Do I need an offering that has an upgraded cable for harsh environments, such as silicone tubing?
- Do I need a dual-sensor combination that only has one cable to simplify cable connections?
- Do I need digital output options like IO-Link that can provide multiple switch points and hysteresis adjustment?
- Do I need a single teachable sensor that can read both extended and retracted cylinder position?
Magnetic field sensors have evolved over the years with improved internal technology that makes them much more reliable and user-friendly for a wide range of applications. For example, if the customer has magnetic field sensors installed in a weld cell, they would want to select a magnetic field sensor that has upgraded cable materials or perhaps a weld field immune type to avoid false signals caused by welding currents. Another example could be a pick and place application where the customer needs a sensor with multiple switch points or a hysteresis adjustment. In this case the customer could select a single head multiple setpoint teach-in sensor, offering the ability to fine tune the sensing behavior using IO-Link.
If the above tips are put into practice, you will surely have a better experience selecting the correct product for the application.
For more information on all the various types of magnetic field sensors click here.
