WIKA has been an internationally recognised partner for several measurement tasks for most decades. The merchandise portfolio includes pressure, temperature, force and level measurement, along with 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 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 example, this prevents heavy loads from falling. With construction machinery and robots, alternatively, uncontrolled machine movements are prevented. This can help you work safely, and completely harmlessly, close to and with machinery. In production lines, for instance, 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 supplies a globally unique, certified system.
Added value: Safe working environment
Reason 2: Ensuring system stability and production safety
Just collecting data isn’t enough. The right measured values may also be 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 supplies the right data for the right functioning of brakes and drives, conveyors, presses and weighing systems. An essential point here is to lessen running costs. The higher the quality of the measured data, the better the data analysis. The look of an instrument change is thus more precise, in order that changing it prematurily . 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 been completely mentioned in the last section. Only through the optimal use of materials and machinery can margins be increased. A key issue in manufacturing plants is machine availability. Besides reducing downtime, the focus is on minimising maintenance costs. A good example of this are welding tongs. With one of these, the contact force of the electrodes could be precisely monitored by using tension/compression force transducers. In this way, optimum quality is permanently guaranteed and, concurrently, wear is minimised. Higher profits can be achieved through saving time, for example, 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 exemplory case of improving product quality and also saving materials. Force measurement provides the right data for probably the most accurate process control. Consequently, machine tool wear is only minimal. Furthermore, force measurement offers many other areas of application. For Weak , spreading fertiliser where this action is adapted to the soil conditions is one way to save material. This also 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, which means that the safety margin can be reduced. In this instance, loads could 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 use of force measurement also offers many advantages in your community of quality assurance, which includes recently been touched upon. On the 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 could be drawn for specific batches. Furthermore, the most precise force measuring instruments meet 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 additionally, you will find home elevators our calibration service for force measuring instruments. In addition, our brochure on force measurement: ?Force measurement is really a matter of trust? is also available. Do you want to buy force transducers? Inside our WIKA online shop you?ll find some of our standard versions. When you have any questions about force measurement, please ask your contact person.
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Force measurement in linear drives