Application > Tube detection in heat treatment process
Customer / Field / Equipment manufactuer
Production of high-performance cold- drawn tubes for hydraulic cylinders for use in earth moving machines.
Application description
In order to comply with the relevant high standards, seamless tubes undergo heat treatments in controlled chemical atmosphere. Tube position at entrance and exit of the heat treatment furnace must be checked. Sensor is installed in a suction hood.
Customer problem
Tubes of medium and small size (diameter 30 mm) are treated. At the furnace entrance, thick smoke comes out of the tube, due to the tube movement and to the suction force. In this highly contaminated environment common light barriers are not able to detect the tube properly.
Previous solution / Competitor product
Tests with common light barriers from Sick and IFM had failed: smoke itself caused a light beam interruption, so that a tube tracking inside the furnace was not possible.
Proxitron solution
Thru-beam light barriers of the 600 series, with high functional reserve, and additional tube OL 21 for light beam narrowing.
Advantages compared to previous solution or competition
Having a powerful intensity, transmitter light beam can penetrate the smoke. A tube reducing the light bundle was added on the sensor head for the detection of small sized tubes (30 mm dia.); this makes it possible for small objects to interrupt a powerful light beam.
Do you have a similar application and would like to be advised?
Please fill out our application questionnaire for light barriers and send it to sales(at)proxitron.de. Our experts will answer you as soon as possible.
