Whether beer, orange juice or soya sauce – a large number of products or intermediates in the food industry are stored in tanks. To control the process in the best possible way, continuous level measurement is usually required. With the new ifm LW2720 radar sensor, this measurement can be carried out reliably and precisely without the sensor having to come into contact with the medium. The sensor is installed on the top of the tank and measures the distance to the medium surface via the reflected signal. The volume of the tank content can then be calculated very easily based on the level. Due to the radar sensor operating with a measuring frequency of 80 Ghz, the antenna is relatively small. The measuring range is 10 meters, with an accuracy of ±2 mm.
Suitable for use in CIP and SIP processes
The new radar sensor has been developed by ifm especially for hygienic environments, making it the ideal choice for food industry applications, among others. Featuring a stainless-steel housing, food grade antenna and seals, the sensor complies with the strict hygiene requirements according to 3-A and EHEDG. The new sensor is also suitable for the CIP and SIP processes which are frequently used in the food industry. The measured value can be transferred by the LW2720 either via a conventional 4...20 mA interface or via IO-Link, The IO-Link interface provides even further benefits, i.e. easy parameter setting of the sensor. And if the sensor needs to be replaced, the parameter setting can be directly retransmitted from the IO-Link master, allowing resumption of measurement after only a very brief interruption. Together with an IO-Link Bluetooth adapter and the moneo|blue app from ifm, the parameters of the LW2720 can also be set directly on site using a smartphone.
