WIKA has been an internationally recognised partner for all measurement tasks for many decades. The merchandise portfolio includes pressure, temperature, force and level measurement, together with flow measurement, calibration and SF6 gas solutions. In the following article, we would like to take a closer look at the measured variable of force. These five reasons show why force measurement is of particular importance.
Reason 1: Protection of people and machinery
Protecting people from harm is the highest priority in any workplace. Likewise, the machinery should remain undamaged in order to minimise downtime and repairs. In this context, force measurement ensures a safe working environment, especially through overload protection. In cranes, for instance, this prevents heavy loads from falling. With construction machinery and robots, however, 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 example, 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 correct measured values may also be required to have the ability to monitor processes seamlessly. Using force measurement in linear drives, for example, thus improves process control as well as 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 standard 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 pay for it many times over.
Added value: Full process control
Reason 3: Optimisation of production conditions
The savings potential, and thus the maximisation of profit, have been completely mentioned in the previous section. Only through the optimal usage of materials and machinery can margins be increased. An integral issue in manufacturing plants is machine availability. Along with reducing downtime, the focus is on minimising maintenance costs. A good example of this are welding tongs. With these, the contact force of the electrodes can be precisely monitored through the use of tension/compression force transducers. In this manner, optimum quality is permanently guaranteed and, simultaneously, wear is minimised. Higher profits can even 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 usage of force measurement in welding tongs ? as explained in the section above ? is an extremely good exemplory case of improving product quality in addition to saving materials. Force measurement provides the right data for the most accurate process control. As a result, machine tool wear is only minimal. Furthermore, force measurement offers many other areas of application. For instance, spreading fertiliser where this step is adapted to the soil conditions is one way to save material. This protects the surroundings. Furthermore, it is advantageous to know the (supporting) forces acting on mobile cranes. The vehicle?s centre of gravity can thus be calculated exactly, meaning that the safety margin could be reduced. In this instance, loads could be lifted further, yet accidents, e.g. because of slipping or tipping, can be avoided.
Added value: Lowering costs
Reason 5: Ensuring quality
Finally, the application of force measurement offers many advantages in the area of quality assurance, which has recently been touched upon. On the main one hand, the machinery can be optimally controlled by registering the force. However, by recording the values, live as well as saving them for later use, conclusions could be drawn for specific batches. In addition, probably the most precise force measuring instruments meet 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 details on our portfolio of force measuring instruments are available on the WIKA website. There you will also find info on our calibration service for force measuring instruments. Furthermore, our brochure on force measurement: ?Force measurement is a matter of trust? is also available. Do you want to buy force transducers? In our WIKA online store you? เกจวัดแรงดันน้ําไทวัสดุ find some of our standard versions. For those who 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