Ultrasonic sensors are used whenever optical systems reach their limits. Hence, partially and fully transparent or extremely dark objects can be detected just as easily as objects with reflecting surfaces or objects in dusty, vaporous or humid environments. The ultrasonic technology ensures a broad range of applications in many different industries: An ultrasonic sensor emits an acoustic pulse and measures the time the acoustic pulse reflected by an object takes to return to the sensor. The principle of propagation time measurement is used to precisely calculate the distance to the object. The ultrasonic waves are reflected by the object, completely irrespective of the type of surface. This means that sound-reflecting materials – glossy or reflective, transparent or extremely dark – do not hinder reliable detection. Products with hard-to-identify geometries or fill levels of liquids, powders or granulates can also be checked contactlessly and extremely precisely using ultrasonic sensors.
The new cylindrical ultrasonic sensors in robust metal housings are particularly suitable for applications in the packaging or automotive industry. The HTU 208 compact ultrasonic sensors for object detection are characterized by their extremely slimline design (M8 threaded sleeve). They can also be installed in confined production environments and detect fill levels using a narrow sound cone, even through very small container openings. The HTU 212 sensors in the next larger design (M12) are used in cramped ambient conditions where a high operating range is required. Thanks to their IO-Link interface, the HTU 218 switching ultrasonic sensors (M18) are extremely easy to configure. http://www.leuze.com
The new ultrasonic sensors of the HTU200 and DMU200 series are set up either remotely by teaching via cable or – for maximum convenience – via IO-Link. Using IO-Link, sensors can easily be integrated in an automation system. This type of automation simplifies integration and thereby helps keep downtime in production to an absolute minimum. The new compact and robust ultrasonic sensors can be configured, operated and maintained (condition monitoring) via IO-Link.