Turck Banner new lines get "down and dirty" on the factory floor
16 May 2018
Dirty, dangerous, distant and dull – the 4Ds of industrial life continue to drive innovation in industrial technology and in the process make these sectors more efficient and more attractive to recruits.
Far from bucking the trend, Turck Banner’s invocation to ‘get down and dirty’ with its new product lines addresses the need for sensors and the like to get smarter at tackling the more demanding elements of industrial life.
That’s true of oil, gas, mining and marine but, says the company, one must not forget many of the so called lighter industries are also hard on automation equipment: food industry process machinery wash-down can be a graveyard for sensors and equipment. Wash-downs can follow high temperature, while caustic and acidic cleaning agents add to the challenges.
However advanced the technology, it will likely fail or degrade if there is too little protection against extreme environments. Growth in demand for LED lighting has been a major contributor to the company’s growth, so little wonder this technology has influenced these new products on the market:
EZLSA Safety Light Curtains: provided in a factory- installed and sealed IP69K hygienic housing for use in wash-down and arduous environments, it features rugged polycarbonate enclosures with stainless steel end caps, mounting brackets and fasteners. Housing will not discolour or become cloudy over time, ensuring reliable performance and a long lifespan, claims Turck Banner, while IP67/IP69K rated models are food industry approved and will withstand the harshest common cleaning agents.
K50 Touch Button: Build-up of detergents, oils and other foreign materials and exposure to direct water spray can cause false triggering. The original K50 touch buttons offered immunity to this and electrical noise, while the next generation offers the same immunity in a compact version with a flat touch surface.
Buttons (see pic) offer improved actuation performance with gloves and are easily actuated with the touch of a finger, hand or whole palm, requiring no physical pressure to operate and are available in 1, 2 and 3 colour models. The K50 Compact models have a low-profile (17 mm) design for use in panels, cabinets and other space constrained applications, or where the preference is to have a touch button with a flat surface. In the K50 Compact the LED lights are concentrated closer to the window than domed models, making the indication brighter when viewed directly, even in sunlight bright conditions.
WLS27 LED Strip Light: Intended for harsh indoor and outdoor applications and resist exposure to high-pressure, high-temperature water, solvents, cutting oils and a broad range of chemicals. Smooth, no-crevice design enables thorough high-pressure cleansing, vital in food and beverage applications.
The redundant sealing method prevents water ingress to achieve IEC IP66, IP67, and IP69K ratings. A unique feature of the range is the built-in automatic temperature protection. Above 50 °C, it dims in order to manage heat and protect product lifetime.
QS30 Opposed Mode Sensor: Intended for heavy fog, dust and industrial process contamination, the QS30EX and QS30RX are a high-power emitter and receiver pair designed to provide maximum excess gain (burn-through) for accurate reliable sensing in poor visibility applications. Sensors offer a 213 metre range and the cross-talk, electrical noise and sunlight immunity. The housings are sealed to a rating of IP69K - the standard for industrial applications requiring 1200 PSI hose-down protection. For added durability in harsh application conditions the internal components of the QS30EX and QS30RX sensors are completely epoxy-encapsulated. Lens design sheds water and debris to reduce the occurrence of lens contamination.
