Level switching

June 2008 Operator Interfaces, Switches & Relays

SICK has introduced an innovative filling measurement level system for use in water and oil-based liquid applications. The LFT combines limit switching and level measurement in a single device.

The multifunctional transducer has been designed for use in environments requiring high precision with a variety of filling media such as: coolants; grinding and hydraulic oils; detergents; disinfectants and degreasers. The friction and maintenance free design make it suitable for use on containers and tanks in the water and sewage industry, machine construction and cleaning-in-place (CIP) filling plants. Maximum independence from installation and environmental conditions is achieved by combining time domain reflectometry (TDR) with a stainless steel coaxial measurement probe.

TDR

The LFT emits low-energy microwave pulses some of which are reflected off the surface of the filling medium due to the change in characteristic impedance, these are gathered in the coaxial probe. The time lapse between the transmitted and reflected pulses is then used to calculate the current filling level with an accuracy of a few millimetres. This technology ensures that filling level detection with the LFT is independent of installation, container and medium properties, since the environment within the measurement probe is always defined and interference-free. There is no need to re-configure the unit when the physical properties of the liquid change.

Independent outputs

Analogue and switching outputs are handled individually by the LFT. The sensor has one 4-20mA output for filling level detection and four switching outputs that can be individually programmed. Two switching points may be linked with one another if a min-max control system is desired, eg, feed-pump control. A single button is used to set the switching points, configure the switching outputs with hysteresis and define the required measurement range.

For more information contact Jendamark Automation, +27 (0)41 391 4700, [email protected], www.sick.com

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