WIKA has been an internationally recognised partner for all measurement tasks for many decades. The merchandise portfolio includes pressure, temperature, force and level measurement, and flow measurement, calibration and SF6 gas solutions. In the following article, we would like to take a closer consider the measured variable of force. These five reasons show why force measurement is of particular importance.
Reason 1: Protection of people and machinery
Protecting folks from harm is the highest priority in virtually any workplace. Likewise, the machinery should remain undamaged as a way to minimise downtime and repairs. In this context, force measurement ensures a safe working environment, especially through overload protection. In cranes, for instance, this prevents heavy loads from falling. With construction machinery and robots, however, uncontrolled machine movements are prevented. This makes it possible to work safely, and completely harmlessly, next to and with machinery. In production lines, for example, the machinery is prevented from pulling, pushing or pressing unchecked, and thereby destroying both components and itself. Another example is port logistics, for which WIKA offers a globally unique, certified system.
Added value: Safe working environment
Reason 2: Ensuring system stability and production safety
Just collecting data is not enough. The correct measured values are also required to have the ability to monitor processes seamlessly. Using force measurement in linear drives, for example, thus improves process control in addition to automation, while simultaneously ensuring quality. Force measurement also provides the right data for the right functioning of brakes and drives, conveyors, presses and weighing systems. An essential point here is to reduce running costs. The higher the quality of the measured data, the better the data analysis. The planning of an instrument change is thus more precise, in order that changing it too early doesn?t cause increased costs nor does unplanned maintenance cause longer downtimes. The savings in consequential costs alone shell out the dough many times over.
Added value: Full process control
Reason 3: Optimisation of production conditions
The savings potential, and thus the maximisation of profit, have already been mentioned in the previous section. Only through the optimal use of materials and machinery can margins be increased. An integral issue in manufacturing plants is machine availability. Besides reducing downtime, the focus is on minimising maintenance costs. Among this are welding tongs. With one of these, the contact force of the electrodes can be precisely monitored through the use of tension/compression force transducers. In this way, optimum quality is permanently guaranteed and, as well, wear is minimised. Higher profits may also be achieved through saving time, for instance, when containers are weighed ?on the fly?.
Added value: Maximum profits
Reason 4: Improving product quality and saving materials
Using force measurement in welding tongs ? as explained in the section above ? is an extremely good example of improving product quality together with saving materials. Force measurement provides the right data for the most accurate process control. Due to this fact, machine tool wear is only minimal. Furthermore, force measurement offers many other areas of application. For instance, spreading fertiliser where this action is adapted to the soil conditions is one method to save material. This protects the surroundings. Furthermore, it is beneficial to know the (supporting) forces acting on mobile cranes. The vehicle?s centre of gravity can thus be calculated exactly, meaning that the safety margin can be reduced. In this case, loads can be lifted further, yet accidents, e.g. due to slipping or tipping, can be avoided.
Added value: Lowering costs
Reason 5: Ensuring quality
Finally, the usage of force measurement also offers many advantages in the area of quality assurance, which has already been touched upon. On the main one hand, the machinery could be optimally controlled by registering the force. However, by recording the values, live together with saving them for later use, conclusions can be drawn for specific batches. Furthermore, probably Killed measuring instruments meet the highest requirements, for example, in materials testing machinery or in medical engineering. Incidentally, WIKA offers a DAkkS-accredited calibration service for force measuring instruments.
Added value: Exact measured values
Note
Further details on our portfolio of force measuring instruments are available on the WIKA website. There you will also find home elevators our calibration service for force measuring instruments. Furthermore, our brochure on force measurement: ?Force measurement is really a matter of trust? can be available. Do you want to buy force transducers? In our WIKA online store you?ll find some of our standard versions. Should you have any questions about force measurement, please ask your contact person.
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The ELMS1 overload protection saves lives
Force measurement in linear drives