Balluff sensor successfully applied to biscuit cookie production line
Many foodies like to make handmade food: handmade bread, handmade cookies, handmade cakes, in addition to the ingredients of the ingredients, the uniqueness of each product also attracts young people who like novelty.
However, in the batch of biscuit/cookie food production line, how to ensure that the dough up to several meters wide has passed through the rolling machine and the thickness of the dough has become a bottleneck.
Hongfu Food Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (referred to as Hongfu Machinery) has been one of the innovators of the R&D and manufacturing of baking equipment production line for many years. The customer's quality is becoming more and more strict, and the thickness error of the skin is not even more than 0.1mm! "We need to change the way of controlling the thickness of the skin by manually operating the arm hand as soon as possible." Hongfu mechanical equipment technology manager believes, "because This method is both inefficient and unsafe, and the thickness of the skin cannot be kept the same thickness."
High-precision testing is fundamental to meeting the requirements of Hongfu machinery and equipment. Balluff has deployed its leading displacement sensors BML and BTL6 next to the rollers of the different stations of the rolling mill. The BML magnetic encoder read/write head continuously detects the position, completes the axial displacement detection of the roller, and then converts The RS422 pulse signal is combined with the servo control system to control the height of the roller swing arm to adjust the roller position to control the thickness of the dough. The BTL6 magnetostrictive sensor measures the radial displacement of the roller.
Precise detection
As an effective alternative to traditional magnetic or optical solutions, the BML magnetically encoded absolute position measurement system helps to precisely control the motor and drive. “In fast-moving situations, BML provides high-precision and high-accuracy absolute position feedback positioning, which greatly helps our equipment to improve the processing quality and save resources.” According to the relevant person in charge of Hongfu Machinery, “BML with resolution up to 1μm” Easily qualified for skin thickness error accuracy, and the IP67's high-protection rugged design and non-contact measurement make it maintenance-free, greatly reducing the risk of food contamination."
In order to further reduce the fluctuation of the dough processing data and achieve stable measurement results, Balluff's sensors must also achieve high repeat positioning accuracy. If this is not possible, the error in each positioning will accumulate quickly and the technician will have to calibrate frequently, resulting in a reduction in equipment productivity. “We use calibration software to achieve easy and fast installation, while at the same time being able to achieve dynamic positioning accuracy and high repeatability of the sensor,” said Balluff’s industry sales manager.
Reduce fluctuations
The interference and fluctuation of the field sensor detection data has always been a problem that plagued Hongfu Machinery. Although the analog signal sensor imported from the UK was used before, due to the electromagnetic interference of the on-site electrical equipment, and the signal attenuation caused by the influence of the cable resistance during the signal transmission process, the analog sensor of the rolling mill detects a large number of jitters, which is difficult to achieve. Sufficiently stable and accurate, “even the manufacturer's customers thought that the equipment itself was unstable,” said the head of Hongfu Machinery Technology. “The analog quantity is no better, the detected data will be a bit error. Only digital signal sensors like BML are used. It really overcomes the on-site electromagnetic interference and transmits according to the industrial fieldbus communication protocol. The communication signal is strong, high speed and strong error correction capability."
The various motors that drive the entire rolling mill roll have corresponding motors, and the electromagnetic interference phenomenon is very obvious. Secondly, due to the use of flour, the dust in the field environment and the vibration shock of the equipment require a more robust sensor design. Balluff's BTL6 and BML displacement sensors are designed for extreme environmental conditions, with shock, vibration and contamination. Measuring lengths up to 48m ensure long-term operation of the machine.
Hongfu Machinery, which has completed a new technology upgrade, has begun to fully deliver orders for biscuits and cookie production line equipment, not only to meet domestic demand, but also to export large quantities overseas. Based on Balluff's high-precision, high-reliability design of digital signal sensing detection solutions, Hongfu Machinery is gradually transforming digital and intelligent equipment manufacturers to achieve accurate detection and thickness.
