WIKA has been an internationally recognised partner for several measurement tasks for most decades. The product portfolio includes pressure, temperature, force and level measurement, along with flow measurement, calibration and SF6 gas solutions. In the following article, we wish to have a closer consider 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 any workplace. Likewise, the machinery should remain undamaged so as 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 and with machinery. In Underground , 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 offers 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 be able to monitor processes seamlessly. Using force measurement in linear drives, for example, thus improves process control together with automation, while simultaneously ensuring quality. Force measurement also supplies the right data for the correct 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 higher 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. As well as 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 by using tension/compression force transducers. In this way, optimum quality is permanently guaranteed and, as well, wear is minimised. Higher profits can also be achieved through saving time, for instance, 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 an extremely good example of improving product quality along with saving materials. Force measurement provides the right data for probably the most accurate process control. As a result, machine tool wear is only minimal. Furthermore, 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 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, which means that the safety margin could be reduced. In this case, loads could be lifted further, yet accidents, e.g. because of slipping or tipping, could be avoided.
Added value: Lowering costs
Reason 5: Ensuring quality
Finally, using force measurement also offers many advantages in your community of quality assurance, which includes already been touched upon. On the main 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 can be drawn for specific batches. Furthermore, probably the most precise force measuring instruments meet up with 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 you will also find information on 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? Inside our WIKA online shop you?ll find some of our standard versions. Assuming Horror have any questions about force measurement, please ask your contact person.
Also read our articles
The ELMS1 overload protection saves lives
Force measurement in linear drives