environmental impacts Archives - AUTOMATION INSIGHTS

In the present technological age, sensing technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace, transforming the way we monitor the manufacturing process. One of the newest innovations that will reshape various manufacturing and industries is the advent of smart sensor products. These “smart” sensing devices have permeated every aspect of our lives personally, let alone in manufacturing, and offer unparalleled advantages in information, efficiency, convenience, and sustainability. Let’s explore some of the compelling reasons why smart sensors will soon become indispensable in manufacturing and highlight the aspects they will impact.

Beyond single sensing

Smart sensor products are engineered to offer more than just a single sensing function, such as a photoeye sensor detecting the presence of a pallet. They can also detect and respond to various environmental inputs like internal temperature, cycle count, vibration, and even inclination changes. This enables significantly greater insight into a changing manufacturing environment, possibly even prompting the need for human intervention before a failure occurs.

Efficiency, automation, and cost savings

In manufacturing, sensors play a crucial role in improving production processes, reducing waste, and enhancing quality control. But today’s smart sensors can also provide greater efficiency and speed in changes to the manufacturing environment and automate not only the manufacturing process but the detection of changes as well. This increased efficiency and automation not only saves time and resources but also holds the potential for substantial long-term cost savings by minimizing waste.

Real-time insights for informed decisions

Smart sensors can collect and report significant real-time data, providing valuable insights into various phenomena, as mentioned above. In manufacturing, imagine detecting a rise in temperature on the production line that could potentially affect product quality or the efficiency of the manufacturing equipment. Or consider identifying changes in a sensor’s inclination, possibly because the device has come loose or shifts in the machine’s mounting – both of which can negatively affect product quality and productivity, lead to waste, and even unplanned downtime.

Smart sensors and environmental conservation

The ability to collect and analyze precise environment and device performance data empowers manufacturers and industries to make informed decisions, encourage innovation, and significantly improve problem-solving processes.

Smart sensor products can play a pivotal role in environmental conservation efforts. By monitoring conditions like vibration and even inclination, these sensors can detect problems in motors and drive systems that can have a direct impact on energy consumption. Typically, they tend to consume more power to compensate for the impending mechanical failures. By detecting these conditions sooner rather than later, smart sensors can help optimize energy usage in manufacturing industries, contributing to the global push for energy efficiency and reduced carbon emissions.

Safety enhancement

Smart sensor technologies can also bolster safety measures across various systems. In manufacturing, they can detect hazardous conditions like excessive heat buildup and vibration. This enables prompt interventions and helps prevent accidents that could jeopardize safety.

IoT with smart sensors

And finally, smart sensors are at the heart of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) or Industry 4.0, connecting more devices and systems in seamless communication using protocols like IO-Link and Ethernet. This interconnectedness fosters innovation by enabling the development of new, more efficient manufacturing applications and services. For instance, smart sensors in industrial settings help predictive maintenance, which in turn reduces downtime, enhances overall productivity, and bolsters competitiveness. The integration of smart sensors is driving a wave of innovation, transforming ideas into tangible solutions.

Embracing the future: competitive advantage

The adoption of smart sensor products represents a paradigm shift in how we perceive and interact with machines in manufacturing. Their ability to enhance efficiency, improve data analysis, report on, and improve the environment, ensure safety, and foster innovation underscores the significance they can play in the modern manufacturing facility. As we continue to explore the boundless possibilities of interacting technology, embracing smart sensor products is not just a choice, but a competitive advantage. By integrating these intelligent devices into our machines and industries, we are paving the way for a future that is more productive, efficient, environmentally sustainable, and more interconnected. This marks another transformative leap toward a smarter and more interconnected manufacturing world.

Last week’s blog spoke about reducing waste and downtime by implementing LEAN manufacturing procedures. This involves taking a proactive approach to improving efficiencies. This post will focus on selecting the right part for the job to reduce failure rates that lead to avoidable machine downtime and increased costs.

Hardly a day passes by where we are not contacted by a desperate end-user or equipment manufacturer seeking assistance with a situation of sensors failing at an unacceptably high rate. Once we get down to the root cause of the failures, in most cases it’s a situation where the sensors are being applied in a manner which all but guarantees premature failure.

Not all sensors are created equal. Some are intentionally designed for light-duty applications where the emphasis is more on economic cost rather than the ability to survive in rough service conditions. Other sensors are specifically designed to meet the challenges of specific application environments, and as a result may carry a higher initial price.

Some things to think about when choosing a sensor for a new application:

What kind of environmental conditions will the sensor be exposed to? For example:
- Very low or very high temperatures
- Constant exposure to or immersion in liquid
- Continuous vibration
- Extreme shock
- Disruptive electrical noise (hand-held radios, welding fields, etc.)
- Chemical contamination
- Physical abuse or impact
- Abrasion
- High pressure washdown procedures
- Exposure to outdoor conditions of UV sunlight, rain, ice, temperature swings, and condensing humidity
Is it possible to relocate the sensor to move it away from the difficult condition?
Is the sensor technology the best choice given the kind of application environment that it must operate in?
Is there a way to protect the sensor from exposure to the worst of the damaging effects?

When you reach for a catalog or jump on the internet to look for a sensor, it’s a good practice to just stop a moment first and make a list of the environmental challenges that the sensor could face. Then you will be prepared to make an appropriate selection that best meets your expected application conditions.

Heavy metal parts being loaded into a welding cell can damage specialty nut detection sensors designed to stick through a hole in a part. Plunger probes are a better solution.