Reliable Linear Position Detection in Ex Zone 22

High throughput with minimal breakage is the motto for peeling oats and related raw products such as spelt, soy and sunflower seeds. With its MHSA peeler , the machine and plant manufacturer Bühler AG, based in Uzwil, Switzerland, meets this requirement. The company was founded in 1860 and today employs around 13,000 people in 140 countries. As an innovative technology partner to the food industry, Bühler is also demonstrating its expertise in this sub-process with the MHSA peeler.

Bühler AG develops and markets process solutions and sustainable value chains for a wide variety of industries. The Group's activities are divided into the areas of Grains & Food, Consumer Foods and Advanced Materials. Grains & Food solutions, including Milling Solutions, ensure safe and healthy food. Bühler invests up to five percent of its sales in research and development each year and, together with customers and partners, forms a dynamic innovation ecosystem. Bühler strives for market leadership in its fields of competence. The global market share in the field of milling is 65 percent.

Innovation and value creation

Bühler is a Swiss flagship company and is still family-owned. With its technical expertise and innovative strength, it has earned an excellent reputation among producers in the food industry, the automotive industry and numerous other industries around the world. In the food sector, the strength of Bühler lies in the fact that the company's services cover the value chains as a whole and that it focuses on efficiency.

The seamless linking of sub-processes and a constant increase in the degree of automation play a central role in this. Bühler is also pursuing ambitious goals with regard to sustainability: High investments in digitized solutions should help to reduce waste and energy and water consumption in the customer's value chains by 50 percent.

High demands on suppliers

Procurement is of strategic importance at Bühler and is handled via a global supply chain network. To be considered, suppliers must share Bühler's inner passion for innovation and, through active participation in development processes, make a substantial contribution to strengthening Bühler's competitiveness in the global markets. However, the willingness of a partner to offer something more than is expected can also be decisive.

Flour dust as an explosion risk

Due to the process, the MHSA peeler is used in a dusty environment. Flour dusts can behave explosively if there is an ignition source in this atmosphere. For example, electronic devices can be an ignition source unless they meet certain structural requirements. For this reason, the designers needed a contactless linear position sensor certified for Ex Zone 22. In the procurement procedure, Bühler's Project Manager Vincent Behrens found that the majority of sensor suppliers were unable to supply an Ex-certified sensor that was within the required price segment.

Oven: ready for extra power

Turck's Swiss representative Bachofen – a regular supplier of Bühler for years – brought the Li linear position sensor from TURCK into play. It met all the required performance criteria, but did not have the required Ex certificates at the time. Bachofen motivated TURCK to assume the costs of certification before the order was placed. Bühler was well received by their supplier. Vincent Behrens: "Based on the experience gained from similar projects, the product specialist responsible at Bachofen was able to forecast that certification would also be possible for this sensor type, and immediately sought to do so. It is the flexibility as well as the professional and committed consulting that have led to the success of this project."

Robust Sensor Solution

The measuring principle of the Li linear position sensors from TURCK is based on an oscillating circuit coupling between the positioning element and the sensor, whereby an output signal proportional to the position of the positioning element is provided. Thanks to their non-contact principle, the robust sensors are completely maintenance-free and wear-free. They offer optimum reproducibility, resolution and linearity over a wide temperature range. The innovative technology also ensures resistance to magnetic DC and AC fields.

Customer| www.bachofen.ch

User | www.buhlergroup.com