WIKA has been an internationally recognised partner for several measurement tasks for many decades. The merchandise portfolio includes pressure, temperature, force and level measurement, and also flow measurement, calibration and SF6 gas solutions. In the following article, we wish to take 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 people from harm may be the highest priority in virtually 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, alternatively, uncontrolled machine movements are prevented. This makes it possible to work safely, and completely harmlessly, next to sufficient reason for 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, for which WIKA offers a globally unique, certified system.
Added value: Safe working environment
Reason 2: Ensuring system stability and production safety
Just collecting data isn’t enough. The right measured values are also required to be able to monitor processes seamlessly. Using force measurement in linear drives, for instance, thus improves process control as well as automation, while simultaneously ensuring quality. Force measurement also supplies the right data for the right functioning of brakes and drives, conveyors, presses and weighing systems. An essential point here is to reduce running costs. The higher the caliber of the measured data, the better the data analysis. The look 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 already been mentioned in the last section. Only through the optimal usage 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. A good example of this are welding tongs. With one of 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 example, when containers are weighed ?on the fly?.
Added value: Maximum profits
Reason 4: Improving product quality and saving materials
The usage of force measurement in welding tongs ? as explained in the section above ? is a very good exemplory case of improving product quality and saving materials. Force measurement provides the right data for probably the most accurate process control. Consequently, machine tool wear is minimal. In addition, force measurement offers a great many other areas of application. For Disempowered , 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 can be reduced. In cases like this, 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 offers many advantages in the area of quality assurance, which includes recently been touched upon. On the main 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 can be drawn for specific batches. In addition, the most precise force measuring instruments meet up with the highest requirements, for instance, 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 information on our portfolio of force measuring instruments are available on the WIKA website. There you will also find home elevators our calibration service for force measuring instruments. Furthermore, our brochure on force measurement: ?Force measurement is really a matter of trust? is also available. Do you want to buy force transducers? In our WIKA online shop you?ll find a few of our standard versions. Assuming you have any questions about force measurement, please ask your contact person.
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