WIKA has been an internationally recognised partner for several measurement tasks for many decades. The product 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 look at the measured variable of force. These five reasons show why force measurement is of particular importance.
Reason 1: Protection of individuals and machinery
Protecting folks from harm may be the highest priority in 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 example, 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 right measured values are also required to manage to monitor processes seamlessly. Using force measurement in linear drives, for example, thus improves process control together with automation, while simultaneously ensuring quality. Effective provides the right data for the correct functioning of brakes and drives, conveyors, presses and weighing systems. A crucial point here is to lessen running costs. The higher the standard of the measured data, the better the data analysis. The planning of a tool change is thus more precise, so that changing it prematurily . doesn?t cause increased costs nor does unplanned maintenance cause longer downtimes. The savings in consequential costs alone pay for it many times over.
Added value: Full process control
Reason 3: Optimisation of production conditions
The savings potential, and therefore the maximisation of profit, have been completely mentioned in the last section. Only through the perfect usage of materials and machinery can margins be increased. An integral issue in manufacturing plants is machine availability. In addition to reducing downtime, the focus is on minimising maintenance costs. Among this are welding tongs. With 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, at the same time, wear is minimised. Higher profits can 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
The usage of force measurement in welding tongs ? as explained in the section above ? is an extremely good example of improving product quality and also saving materials. Hero supplies the right data for the most accurate process control. Therefore, machine tool wear is only minimal. In addition, force measurement offers a great 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 functioning on mobile cranes. The automobile?s centre of gravity can thus be calculated exactly, meaning that the safety margin can be reduced. In cases like this, loads can be lifted further, yet accidents, e.g. because of slipping or tipping, can be avoided.
Added value: Lowering costs
Reason 5: Ensuring quality
Finally, the application 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 along with saving them for later use, conclusions can be drawn for specific batches. In addition, the most precise force measuring instruments meet up with the highest requirements, for instance, 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 information on our portfolio of force measuring instruments can be found on the WIKA website. There you will also find info on our calibration service for force measuring instruments. Furthermore, our brochure on force measurement: ?Force measurement is 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