Position sensors essentially are composed of three different products: the sensors themselves, position transmitters that can be used virtually anywhere and displacement encoders. All these products check and monitor automated motion sequences and are therefore indispensable in industrial application processes.
Complex or programmable solutions are also available as position sensors, and can only be used for the drives for which they have been optimised. This also applies to the Festo position sensor SRBS, which is used to detect a rotary movement of the shaft on the rotary drives DRVS and DSM. Features of the SRBS are:
Also in our product portfolio is the position sensor SMH for our grippers HGD / HGPP / HGR and HGW. The sensor must be connected to an evaluation unit and is based on the magnetic Hall measuring principle. Depending on the gripper position, an analogue electrical signal is generated in the position sensor. The conversion to 2 digital output signals (corresponding to 2 gripper jaw positions) is performed using signal converters SVE4.
Position transmitters are used very generally to provide analogue feedback on the piston movement in a specific sensing range in applications such as ultrasonic welding, pressing in, screwing, clamping, detecting good/reject parts etc. They are able to detect the magnetic field of the piston magnet within the sensing range and evaluate it with high repeat position accuracy. The information is provided as a standardised 0–10 V, 4–20 mA analogue signal or via IO-Link®. In addition, the devices offer programming options for the preliminary evaluation of the signal information directly in the transmitter.
At Festo you will find four different position transmitters, all of which are based on the magnetic Hall measuring principle, but differ in size and therefore in their sensing range. The SDAS-MHS and SMAT-8M are small position transmitters and therefore the ideal solution for compact cylinders and grippers. The SDAS-MHS also offers the option of programming two switching points directly on the unit. This means it is not necessary to install a second cylinder sensor on small drives. The SDAT-MHS is the universal solution with sensing ranges of up to 160 mm, 0...10 V, 4...20 mA, IO-Link® and a programmable switching output. Our position transmitters deliver accurate results, fit nicely into pneumatic machines and applications and are extremely reliable.
Displacement encoders measure the distance between an object and a selected reference point, but are also used for positioning tasks. Our portfolio contains numerous products for a wide range of requirements.
We offer the displacement measuring system MME-MTS-TLF, which is based on a magnetostrictive measuring principle; it operates without any contact and measures absolute values. It is a conductive plastic potentiometer that enables a high travel speed to be achieved. The MME-MTS-TLF is mainly used in servo-pneumatic positioning technology and for soft stops.
Another displacement encoder is the MLO-POT-LWG – an absolute measuring push rod potentiometer with high resolution. It has plug-in connections and is suitable for strokes of 100 ... 750 mm. This product is characterised by its long service life.
The Festo displacement encoder MLO-POT-TLF offers high travel speeds and a long service life. It is an absolute measuring conductive plastic potentiometer with high resolution and plug-in connections that can be used for a stroke range of 225 ... 2000 mm.