PQ Cube use cases
Enjoy ice cream in seconds
The Energietechnik Satrup GmbH company has been a point of contact for automation solutions for over 30 years and supports its customers in the field of automation technology, from consulting to commissioning to long-term support.
ETS supports its customer Giovanni L. with ice cream production, ensuring a smooth production process. To close the ice cream tubs securely at the end, seals are positioned using a vacuum gripper. The PQ Cube pressure sensors ensure that the process runs as desired and that the seals have been correctly gripped from the magazine and placed on the tubs. If the defined suction pressure is not reached during the gripping process, the gripper is moved upwards via a cylinder to avoid immersion in the ice cream.
To achieve the fastest possible response times and precise switching points, the sensors were mounted as close as possible to the vacuum gripper using short hose lengths. As a result, the sensors are located within the cleaning area of the plant and are subject to regular cleaning. While the previous sensors regularly failed due to leaks and the cleaning chemicals used, the PQ Cube with IP65 and a three-part injection-moulded housing remains unaffected by cleaning conditions.
Smooth repackaging with the right vacuum
For over 30 years, PCA Roboter- und Verpackungstechnik GmbH has been developing individual solutions for packaging and palletising a wide variety of products. PCA supports its customers from planning to implementation and offers a comprehensive service model.
The use of vacuum technology is an essential component of robot palletising. Among other things, the vacuum is needed to move boxes to a defined position within a repackaging plant. Only when a box is gripped correctly can a vacuum be formed and the move started. The vacuum is monitored with PQ Cube pressure sensors, which are integrated into the plant via a wall mount installed using accessories.
Improved safety and transparency for vacuum lifters
For more than 90 years, FEZER has been offering its customers innovative, economical solutions in the field of vacuum handling technology. The individual device series are optimally tailored to the most diverse applications and ensure effective, reliable and ergonomic processes.
The hand-held vacuum coil lifter also makes work easier and enables coils to be transported and swivelled. PQ Cube pressure sensors are used to monitor the individual suction chambers, ensuring the optimal vacuum level and, thereby, the load-bearing capacity of the chambers. The clear red/green display change alerts the plant operator to a change in the vacuum during transport, so that safety precautions can be initiated in good time. The vacuum for the coil lifter is provided by a vacuum storage unit, which can reduce energy costs by around 50 to 70 percent compared to a conventional supply. A PQ Cube is also used on the storage tank, which monitors the vacuum level, indicates it via a percentage display and switches the pump on and off as required. By presenting the vacuum level in percent, a uniform understanding is created regardless of country-specific units.
Precisely position injection moulded components and ensure quality
For 35 years, Kunststofftechnik Schmid has been a contact for high-quality solutions and services in the field of plastics processing and automation. As a full-service partner, Schmid supports its customers from the initial idea to series production of injection-moulded parts and offers tailor-made solutions from a single source.
When complex injection-moulded parts are manufactured from up to four components, accuracy and precision are required so that the individual components are positioned reliably and precisely in the next mould. For this process, vacuum grippers are used, for which a defined vacuum level must be maintained. The PQ Cube pressure sensor reliably monitors the level. Once the target value is reached, the components are moved along to the next injection moulding step. If the target value is not reached, the sensor ensures that the plant is promptly stopped. To accommodate the dynamics and speed of the gripper, the PQ Cube was mounted directly on the gripper arm. It is directly exposed to the hot, humid working environment; however, the coated measuring cell remains unaffected by these conditions and always works reliably.
Ensure the correct gripping process through process pressure
Since 1976, BSH Hausgeräte GmbH has been manufacturing dishwashers in over 2,000 variants at its Dillingen site. The models all differ in terms of size, shape, colour, technology and features.
PQ Cube pressure sensors are used in the production of the round blanks inside the dishwashers. They monitor the process pressure of the pneumatically controlled grippers on a robot that feeds the manufactured round blanks to the next process step in a matter of seconds. For the entire process to run efficiently and smoothly, the robot’s gripping process must be carried out correctly. This requires a defined process pressure by which the grippers are fully opened and closed at the right time. The pressure sensors for securing the pneumatic pressure of the grippers are mounted on a DIN rail directly on the pressure regulators. A further PQ Cube monitors the pneumatic system pressure on a maintenance unit, which supplies two additional robots.
Digitalise production plants and save resources
A nappy manufacturer used to monitor the process pressure and vacuum at around 100 measuring points in the production lines using mechanical pressure gauges. The values were read once per shift and manually transferred into a system.
As part of a digitisation project, the mechanical pressure clocks were replaced by the PQ Cube pressure sensor. Thanks to transmission via IO-Link, the data is now permanently and digitally available in the control system and other IT systems – a real benefit for efficient nappy production. Through continuous recording of process values, the customer has a constant overview of the plant’s status, and process changes can be detected and remedied at an early stage, increasing system efficiency and saving resources. Thanks to the field-ready infrastructure (IO-Link master, switch and power supply), the retrofit project was implemented quickly and easily without interfering with the existing machine structure.
