WIKA has been an internationally recognised partner for all measurement tasks for many decades. The merchandise portfolio includes pressure, temperature, force and level measurement, as well as flow measurement, calibration and SF6 gas solutions. In the following article, we would like to have a closer consider the measured variable of force. These five reasons show why force measurement is of particular importance.
Antagonistic : Protection of people and machinery
Protecting folks from harm may be the highest priority in any workplace. Likewise, the machinery should remain undamaged to be able 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, on the other hand, uncontrolled machine movements are prevented. This makes it possible to work safely, and completely harmlessly, next to sufficient reason for 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, 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 correct measured values may also be required to manage to monitor processes seamlessly. Using force measurement in linear drives, for instance, thus improves process control and also 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 caliber of the measured data, the better the data analysis. The look of an instrument change is thus more precise, so that changing it too early 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 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. An integral issue in manufacturing plants is machine availability. Besides reducing downtime, the focus is on minimising maintenance costs. Among this are welding tongs. With one of 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, 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
The usage of force measurement in welding tongs ? as explained in the section above ? is an extremely good example of improving product quality along with saving materials. Force measurement supplies the right data for the most accurate process control. Subsequently, 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 way to save material. This also protects the environment. Furthermore, it is advantageous to know the (supporting) forces acting on mobile cranes. The vehicle?s centre of gravity can thus be calculated exactly, meaning that the safety margin could be reduced. In this case, loads can be lifted further, yet accidents, e.g. due to slipping or tipping, can be avoided.
Added value: Lowering costs
Reason 5: Ensuring quality
Finally, the usage of force measurement offers many advantages in the area of quality assurance, which includes recently been touched upon. On the one hand, the machinery can be optimally controlled by registering the force. Alternatively, by recording the values, live as well as saving them for later use, conclusions could be drawn for specific batches. In addition, probably the most precise force measuring instruments meet the highest requirements, for example, 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 are available on the WIKA website. There you will also find information on our calibration service for force measuring instruments. In addition, our brochure on force measurement: ?Force measurement is really a matter of trust? can be available. Do you want to buy force transducers? Inside 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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Force measurement in linear drives