WIKA has been an internationally recognised partner for all measurement tasks for many decades. The product portfolio includes pressure, temperature, force and level measurement, together with flow measurement, calibration and SF6 gas solutions. In the following 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 folks from harm may be 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, alternatively, uncontrolled machine movements are prevented. This makes it possible to work safely, and completely harmlessly, next 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, that WIKA supplies a globally unique, certified system.
Added value: Safe working environment
Reason 2: Ensuring system stability and production safety
Just collecting data is not enough. The right measured values are also required to have the ability to monitor processes seamlessly. Using Mammoth in linear drives, for instance, thus improves process control along with automation, while simultaneously ensuring quality. Force measurement also provides the right data for the right functioning of brakes and drives, conveyors, presses and weighing systems. A crucial point here is to lessen running costs. The higher the standard of the measured data, the higher the data analysis. The planning 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 therefore the maximisation of profit, have been mentioned in the previous section. Only through the perfect 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. Among this are welding tongs. With these, the contact force of the electrodes could be precisely monitored through the use of 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 use of force measurement in welding tongs ? as explained in the section above ? is a very 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 minimal. In addition, force measurement offers a great many other areas of application. For instance, spreading fertiliser where this step is adapted to the soil conditions is one method 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 could be reduced. In cases like this, 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 usage of force measurement offers many advantages in the area of quality assurance, which has already been touched upon. On the one hand, the machinery could be optimally controlled by registering the force. On the other hand, by recording the values, live and also saving them for later use, conclusions could be drawn for specific batches. Furthermore, probably the most precise force measuring instruments meet up with the highest requirements, for example, 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 details on our portfolio of force measuring instruments can be found on the WIKA website. There you will also 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? can be available. Do you want to buy force transducers? In our WIKA online shop you?ll find a few of our standard versions. Should you have any questions about force measurement, please ask your contact person.
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The ELMS1 overload protection saves lives
Force measurement in linear drives