Posted to News on 30th Oct 2024, 13:00
Robust inductive sensors identify vehicle bodies
An automotive manufacturer uses simple, low-cost inductive sensors from Contrinex to provide a robust and reliable system of identifying the product variant of a vehicle body as it enters an assembly area.
The customer manufactures various vehicles using a variety of body styles which operators place onto the assembly line using clamps and pulleys. Since the assembly line handles several body designs and a choice of two chassis, reliable identification and confirmation of the body type is required before any work takes place.
The customer, therefore, wants to identify the metal body when it is clamped into the lift at the reception point of the final assembly building. This check confirms that the body corresponds to the production build sequence.
Since the process involves the movement of large metal parts, the sensor used for identification should be rugged enough to withstand heavy impacts. An operator performs the loading process manually, so movements and positions are imprecise, while mechanical shocks to the sensor can be expected. A long sensing distance is also advantageous because it allows the sensors to be positioned where they are less vulnerable to damage if their positioning has been compromised by the need to accommodate the lifting clamps.
A DW-AS-703-M30-002 inductive sensor from Contrinex's robust 700 Series proved ideal for this application. The 700 Series sensor's long sensing distance (20 mm in this case) detects steel and aluminium equally. This ability to detect steel and aluminium equally is commonly called 'factor 1' sensing.
The 700 Series inductive sensors' robustness makes them ideal for this application since the process involves the manual movement of large metal parts. Therefore, the positioning of the bodies is imprecise, while mechanical shocks to the sensor can be expected, and a long sensing distance is required.
Two sensors are used to detect the absence or presence of a model-specific metal feature, which enables the identification of the body model type. If the wrong model is identified when compared to the production order sequence, an alarm is generated to warn the operator.
Contrinex's Condet detection technology protects the sensor from environmental and material influences, resulting in reliable and consistent sensing. The AISI 303/V2A stainless-steel housing is machined from solid so that the front face and sides are one continuous piece of metal, giving enhanced protection from corrosion and water ingress.
