PRESSESERVICE

autoVimation presents its first protective camera enclosure with an integrated water-cooling circuit. The enclosure from the Elephant series is suited for camera cross sections up to 100 mm x 100 mm. Cooling channels run through all sides of the casing, including the front and back lids, their total length almost 7 times the length of the enclosure. The extraordinarily effective temperature control allows for camera operation at ambient temperatures from -40 °C to 200 °C. The accompanying heat exchanger can be operated up to 20 m away. It features a pump, a radiator and monitoring functions for the camera temperature, volume flow and fan. Available accessories include various viewing windows, the powerful Meganova LED ring light, wind curtains and protective flaps. The manufacturer also offers an assembly kit with lightweight, robust dovetail profiles for the construction of inspection systems.

At the VISION trade fair in Stuttgart, Germany, autoVimation (booth 10-D02) will present various innovations for mounting and protecting cameras and machine vision technology in demanding industrial applications. There will be the premieres of two new protective camera enclosures based on established series. The Lizard from the Salamander family features a tube for tool-less disassembly and easy access to the lens settings. The patented Quick-Lock/Heat-Guide camera mount provides for excellent heat dissipation and allows the lens to be positioned directly behind the window. The new Sparrow from the Colibri enclosure series is particularly cost-effective. It offers a flat lid and an enclosure extension and also makes it easy to reach the lens. The Elephant enclosure series, which is suitable for camera cross-sections of up to 100 mm x 100 mm, was only introduced this year. The manufacturer now adds practical variants and accessories, such as a pneumatic protective flap for a clear view in dirty environments. Now also based on the Elephant series, the Turtle is a temperature-controlled camera enclosure with a Peltier element. A new, long Turtle version features an inner length of 250 mm. In addition, Elephant protective enclosures are now even available with built-in water cooling – this means that no separate cooling module is required, resulting in a compact and elegant solution with good cooling performance. A new window heating ensures an unobstructed view at all times without fogging, for example in climatic chamber tests. Further exhibits represent the product range including assembly kits. Live demos invite visitors to test the product range directly at the booth.

autoVimation at VISION
Stuttgart, Germany, 8 – 10 October 2024
Hall 10, Booth D02

autoVimation’s new protective camera enclosure Lizard provides tool-free access to the lens settings. The IP67-rated enclosure is based on the established Salamander series, but has a lens tube instead of a screw-down front lid. Thereby, the lens can protrude up to 40 mm from the enclosure body. Conventional tubes, such as those used in IP-protected cameras or other enclosures, are usually either too short or too long in applications with a fixed sensor or camera position. Either the lens does not fit or the front lens sits so far behind the window that corner shading cannot be avoided with wide-angle lenses. Some manufacturers therefore offer a dozen different tube lengths. The Lizard, on the other hand, allows for completely flexible lengthwise camera positioning, as is typical for autoVimation protective enclosures. This allows short lenses, 30 – 40 mm in length, to be mounted directly behind the front window. To accommodate 60 – 70 mm long lenses, the camera is simply moved back a bit. As with the smaller lenses, the focus and aperture rings can usually be easily reached. Featuring an internal length of 191 mm, the Lizard offers the same space as a Salamander M. The new camera enclosure thus provides flexible protection for the majority of machine vision installations. The tube is robust, as usual for autoVimation, with thick walls and a 2-mm O-ring. Users can easily exchange the window or swapped it for filters with a 2″ or 50 mm diameter in different thicknesses. The new Lizard of course also features all the advantages of the Salamander enclosures, such as excellent heat dissipation.

The new IP66-rated protective camera enclosure Sparrow from autoVimation provides cost-effective protection with the accustomed quality for typical machine vision cameras with cross sections of 29 mm x 29 mm or 30 mm x 30 mm and maximum lens diameters of 40 mm. The enclosure body has an inner length of 160 mm. With a flat front lid and the 40-mm enclosure extension included in delivery, users can easily access the lens settings. Without the extension, the flat lid is perfect for cameras with S-mount lenses. The cable gland allows one or more cables and plugs with diameters up to 21 mm to be fed through. The sealing insert is closed; users drill the holes for the cables themselves. In keeping with the straightforward enclosure concept, the manufacturer also offers a stripped-down swivel/tilt mount, which is less robust than the conventional milled versions, but is fully sufficient for applications with lighter mechanical load.

Gossen Metrawatt has developed a new handy current-voltage tester for non-contact single-pole voltage measurement from >90 V to 1000 V L-L. The METRALINE VC SENSE features an integrated display window, a power fork, two measurement cables and test probes. The versatile device offers a wide functional range for voltage testing, resistance measurement, continuity testing and diode testing. The measuring instrument’s vibration motor and sound generator ensure reliable feedback for precise test results. The METRALINE VC SENSE is certified according to measurement category CAT IV 600 V, CAT III 1000 V. It performs voltage measurements from 1 to 1000 V AC TRMS and from 1 to 1500 V DC as well as inductive current measurements from 0.1 to 200 A AC at 40 to 65 Hz. The functional scope also includes resistance measurements from 0 to 100 k?, frequency measurements between 0 and 800 Hz as well as continuity and diode tests. The power fork with an integrated transducer has a 14 mm wide opening.

Inelta Sensorsysteme is a German leading developer and manufacturer of sensors for force, displacement and path length measurement. They also develop and produce displacement transducers and position switches for hydraulic applications. These differential transformers are mainly used in stationary hydraulics as well as in aircraft, vehicle and mobile hydraulics. The Inelta hydraulic series have internal measuring amplifiers for the current and voltage output and can withstand high pressures. Media contacting components withstand pressure peaks of up to 1200 bar. All hydraulic LVDT sensors measure in the µm range and operate hysteresis-free. Offset and gain can be adjusted using integrated electronics. A zero point setting is also provided. The LVDT-IHDL-M16 series for use in switch over and proportional valves is one of the displacement sensors adapted to hydraulic applications. A special feature is the removable sensor of the IHDL-M16 model, while the flange and pressure tube remain hydraulically sealed to the valve. Inelta manufactures this sensor series for pressures up to 350 bar and in special versions up to 500 bar. Sensor properties such as flange, measuring travel and supply voltage can be customized on request. With the LVDT-IHDZ displacement sensor, Inelta has an intermediate sensor with integrated measuring amplifier for proportional valves in its portfolio. The sensor with IP65 is designed for a maximum pressure of 350 bar. As a further solution specified for hydraulic applications, the sensor expert has developed precision position switches from the LVDT-IHDL series with an adjustable switching point. The inductive switches, which are suitable for pressure ranges up to 1000 bar and have a normally open / normally closed contact type, are available with an M16 female or M20 male thread and optionally with two adjustable switching outputs. In addition to its own product series, Inelta Sensorsysteme also produces customer-specific OEM versions or system solutions with integrated sensors. The manufacturer can also carry out numerous product adaptations, e.g. for connecting sensors to different bus systems or for extended temperature ranges up to +200°C.

Menzel Elektromotoren has manufactured two pump drives with extra-long piping for water supply in Angola. The German company thus once again proved to be a reliable one-stop partner for drive solutions. The pumps draw water from the Kwanza River and transport it over a distance of 17 km, climbing 135 meters to a water treatment plant just outside the capital Luanda. The existing pumps are installed inside the pipework and cannot be removed. The operator therefore ordered complete pump systems including drive and connection pipework. Menzel had already assisted this customer in the past, supplying replacement motors at short notice. However, in this case, the motor manufacturer further impressed with tailor-made pump systems that could easily replace the existing structures. Production of the units took place at Pawils Elektromaschinenbau. The Menzel subsidiary with great craftsmanship and engineering expertise procured pumps of the right performance class, adapted the mechanical interfaces to the installation on site and fitted them with pipes and motors, which were also designed specifically for the application. The entire units are each about 12 meters long. The pump systems have a flow rate of 900 mł/min each. The motors have a nominal power of 500 kW, an operating voltage of 6000 V and a speed of 1475 rpm. Initially, two out of three identical pump systems were replaced, while the third ensured the continued operation of the water supply. After successful commissioning, Menzel also expects the order for the third system.
More reference projects for large pump motors: https://www.menzel-motors.com/pump-drive/

RAFI has developed a new technology platform for the market-ready series production of touch systems for safety-critical applications at performance level d. Based on reliable, durable hardware components, redundant sensor architecture and comprehensive diagnostic software, the safety concept offers far more flexibility than hard-wired safety functions. More and more functions of stationary and mobile machines are being controlled via touch operation. This also increases the demands on the functional safety of touch-operated control systems. As a specialist in human-machine interaction, RAFI has designed a reliable system architecture based on high-quality, fail-safe components, which is protected by a high level of diagnostic coverage on the software side. In order to monitor all potential sources of error with safety-critical effects, a specific safety controller with its own logic was implemented in addition to the new touch controller. As the monitoring instance, the safety CPU controls all safety-relevant factors from the touch sensors and display to the plausibility of the command inputs and outputs and the cyclical function test every millisecond. Parameterizable filter functions cancel sensor signals triggered by unintentional contact, liquids or other unwanted touch effects. Permanent display monitoring ensures that the user interface is displayed without errors. To further safeguard against incorrect entries, the touchscreens can optionally be equipped with force detection based on TWIN-TOUCH technology. In addition to touch operation, functionally safeguarded electromechanical actuators can also be applied directly to the touch surface. The new RAFI touch display received a “New Products Award” from the US trade magazine OEM Off Highway for its innovative safety concept.

Time is money – the versatile KES-R M cable entry system from Conta-Clip saves valuable installation time, allowing for control cabinets and enclosures to be equipped in seconds. The sealing membrane is simply pierced with a screwdriver at one of the marked centering points; then, 1.5 mm to 22.2 mm wide pneumatic tubes and electric cables without plugs are inserted. This enables much higher packing density than conventional cable glands. The KES-R M system with the distinctive dodecagonal design is mounted without tools in standardized metric openings from M25 to M63. It ensures reliable sealing up to IP54. To achieve IP66 protection and for enclosure walls thicker than 2.5 mm, the entries can also be screwed tight with a lock nut. The silicone- and halogen-free material mix of TPE and fiberglass reinforced polyamide 6.6 ensures tightness and stability. The KES-R M range includes 16 different variants in the sizes M25, M32, M40, M50 and M63.

Versatile cable entry family
KES cable entry systems from Conta-Clip enable fast, tool-less and reliable routing of non-assembled electric cables and pneumatic tubes into control cabinets or housings. Various different designs for up to 68 cables increase installation efficiency. Round, rectangular and FDA-compliant cable entries are available.

LOSYCO’s floor-level LOXrail system is used in numerous industries for production logistics, machine feeding and material flow. In addition, LOSYCO also designs and installs application-specific solutions for precise positioning of systems and machining centers weighing several tons. The German intra-logistics specialist has recently installed three-track LOXrail lines in three plants of the globally active Klingele Paper & Packaging Group. The transport platforms are geometrically adapted to the plant layouts. Designed for a payload of 5.2 tons, the platforms carry packaging machines, allowing for precise positioning at the transfer points for various product lines. Thanks to the low-friction rail profiles and wheelsets, the entire load can be moved by hand by just one person. However, LOSYCO has also equipped the system for one Klingele plant with an automatic underfloor drive unit. Locking bolts cemented in the hall floor allow for secure fixation of the platforms in place. The floor-level rail system requires no additional safeguards. The transport platforms themselves also feature criss-cross rails for automatic alignment of the belt stations and bundling machines. In this way, packaging from 400 mm to 1 m in size can be fitted without time-consuming changeovers. The new system has enabled Klingele to significantly reduce setup times and workload and increase flexibility in the production process.