What are sensors being used for in industrial installations?
Sensors are components that convert the measure of physical inputs (such as weight, pressure, etc) into an electrical measure.
SMC's pneumatic sensors and switches will help you quantify and monitor the different parameters inside your installation, maximizing the productivity and efficiency of your processes: our products will help you carry out a good maintenance of your installation.
At SMC we guarantee reliability and detail. Discover our sensors and switches available on the digital catalogue and select the sensor that suits you best: make your processes precise and efficient.
SMC sensors & switches types
Here you can find different sensors & switches types that we offer at SMC: learn more about their different applications and technical specs.
Flow sensors
Digital flow sensors can monitor with precision the gas or liquid flow. These products give you real-time and detailed info such as flow rate, accumulated flow rate, peak/bottom values, consumption of non-operation periods (leakages), and the temperature.
Liquid & gas flow sensors are common in applications such as
- equipment flow control
- main lines or branch lines
- gas filling
- nitrogen flow control
- air leakage detection
- fluid rate control of thermo-chillers
- flow control for pressurised cooling water for welding guns
- flow control for water-soluble coolant
- flow control for cooling water for metal mould
and many more.
Vacuum and pressure sensors
Digital pressure sensors and vacuum sensors can monitor the application pressure accurately, minimizing the risk of switching errors.
Pressure sensors can be set to give different outputs, digital, analogue IO-link and more . This will help you identify eventual failures sources and reduce the machine's downtime.
SMC digital vacuum and pressure sensors are available for positive, vacuum or compound pressure: this means that they can adapt to all types of industrial applications. Some industries' examples are:
- absorption confirmation
- liquid coolant pressure control
- workpiece placement verification
- leak tests
- supply pressure confirmation
- filter clogging monitoring
Auto switches
Auto switches are designed for pneumatic and/or electric cylinders and grippers, which incorporate magnets in their piston rods to detect their own position.
The exact location is detected through the cylinder or gripper wall. As the auto switches are non-contacting, they are wear-resistant, therefore they guarantee a high level of operational reliability.
Auto switches are typically used in applications such as:
- pick & place machines
- length/width discrimination
- inspection of machined holes
- dimensions measurement
- product position verification
How can our sensors and switches help your industrial process?
SMC's wide range of sensing solutions are used in almost any industry worldwide. Indeed, there are many aspects you can benefit from:
- Diverse range: We offer a wide variety of enclosures, pressure, vacuum, flow rate and position sensing ranges.
- Easy control of your process: Most of our sensors have 3 visible parameters on the screen and red/green colour values to make acceptable range identification easier.
- Easy programming: Take advantage of the 3-step setting: setting up a sensor is extremely easy. It only takes three simple clicks to complete the configuration. This allows a straightforward set-up process that can make things easier for customers.
- Product diagnostic: You will be able to detect issues within the equipment using the cyclic (cycle) data, and also to monitor such issues in detail with the monocyclic (a periodic) data thanks to IO-Link compatibility.
Monitoring the different parameters of your installations is the key to go towards the Smart Flexibility and Energy efficiency the industry is looking for nowadays.
Last but not least, it's essential to develop awareness on the importance of industrial maintenance to prevent potential issues, save costs and improve the efficiency of production lines.
Take advantage of our sensors and switches and select the one that best suits your needs thanks to the Digital Switch Model Selector inside the Engineering Tools section on our website.
Are you having any difficulties while selecting the right sensor or switch? Don't hesitate to get in touch with our experts for more accurate and detailed info.
