Preventive Maintenance on Conveyor Belts

Challenge

Conveyor systems in logistics must operate reliably to prevent malfunctions and downtimes. Mechanical sensors are subject to wear. Optical systems fail in dusty conditions or changing lighting conditions. A robust solution for object detection and predictive maintenance is essential for detecting maintenance requirements at an early stage and avoiding unplanned downtimes. In some applications, it is also necessary to reliably detect transparent objects.  

Solution

The RU ultrasonic sensors with IO-Link from TURCK detect objects regardless of material, color, transparency or surface quality and also transmit diagnostic data for predictive maintenance. They not only detect the presence of objects, but also provide information about the signal quality, internal sensor temperature and possible contamination.  

IP67 protection means the sensors are designed for permanent use in demanding industrial environments. Their temperature compensation ensures that even extreme ambient conditions do not impair measuring accuracy. IO-Link allows the sensors to be flexibly configured and switched to different operating modes — as a retroflective sensor or diffuse-mode sensor, with switching or analog output.  

Detecting signal changes early on makes it possible to plan maintenance measures and avoid unplanned downtimes. This increases system availability, reduces maintenance costs and increases operating reliability.