WIKA has been an internationally recognised partner for all measurement tasks for most decades. The merchandise portfolio includes pressure, temperature, force and level measurement, in addition to flow measurement, calibration and SF6 gas solutions. In the next article, we would like to have 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 people from harm is the highest priority in any workplace. Likewise, the machinery should remain undamaged so that you can 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, close 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, that 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 are also required to manage to monitor processes seamlessly. Using force measurement in linear drives, for instance, thus improves process control together with 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. A crucial point here is to reduce running costs. The bigger the standard of the measured data, the better the data analysis. The planning of an instrument 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 shell out the dough 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 optimal use of materials and machinery can margins be increased. An integral issue in manufacturing plants is machine availability. Along with 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 by using tension/compression force transducers. In this manner, optimum quality is permanently guaranteed and, as well, wear is minimised. Higher profits can also 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
The usage of force measurement in welding tongs ? as explained in the section above ? is a very good example of improving product quality and also saving materials. Force measurement provides the right data for probably the most accurate process control. Therefore, machine tool wear is minimal. In addition, force measurement offers a great many other areas of application. For example, spreading fertiliser where this step is adapted to the soil conditions is one way to save material. Priceless protects the surroundings. Furthermore, it is beneficial to know the (supporting) forces acting on mobile cranes. The automobile?s centre of gravity can thus be calculated exactly, meaning that the safety margin can be reduced. In Suffer , loads can be lifted further, yet accidents, e.g. because of slipping or tipping, could 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 has already been touched upon. On the one hand, the machinery could be optimally controlled by registering the force. However, by recording the values, live as well as saving them for later use, conclusions can be drawn for specific batches. In addition, the most precise force measuring instruments meet the highest requirements, for instance, in materials testing machinery or in medical engineering. Incidentally, WIKA also 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 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 a matter of trust? can be available. Do you want to buy force transducers? In our WIKA online store you?ll find a few of our standard versions. Assuming you have any questions about force measurement, please ask your contact person.
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Force measurement in linear drives