MTS Sensors, a division of MTS Systems Corporation (NASDAQ:MTSC), will be using this year’s SPS IPC Drives show as a platform to display its latest innovations in position sensing, based on its patented Temposonics® magnetostrictive technology.
In order to respond to growing market demands for position sensing solutions that are suitable for deployment in hazardous areas, the company now offers devices where functional safety is addressed to a higher degree. With ATEX, SIL 2, plus IECEx Zone 0/1 and Zone 21 compliance available, these products ensure operating longevity in even the harshest of environments.
Optimized for hydraulic cylinder implementation in linear drives, control valves and fluid cylinders, the extremely rugged Model GT2 and Model GT3 respectively have 2 and 3 independent measuring systems contained within a single compact housing. Through these redundancy features, operational failure can be safeguarded against.
Also targeted are hazardous area deployments (such as in steel mills, power generation sites and wood processing plants), the RT4 sensor has built-in redundancy too. In addition, its detached electronics mean that the sensitive semiconductor components involved in signal conditioning/processing can be kept away from the most extreme conditions and thereby protected from potential damage. A synchronous serial interface (SSI) output ensures an elevated signal-to-noise integrity ratio is upheld.
Aimed at incorporation into gas/steam turbines, the Model GBS comes with a standard analog output or an SSI option for enhanced signal integrity. This device can be programmed via its USB port or wirelessly through Bluetooth® technology – something which proves highly advantageous when access is difficult.
Temposonics sensors present a non-contact method for accurate position measurement which is not subject to mechanical wear and tear. They exhibit strong resilience to high pressures, elevated temperatures, shocks, vibrations and electromagnetic interference. Stroke lengths of as much as 20m are supported. As they deliver an absolute position rather than relative value, the inconvenience of sensor recalibration can be avoided. Multiple positions can be simultaneously determined via a single device (through use of 20 or more magnets). The MTS portfolio of magnetostrictive sensors is backed up by a wide variety of design configurations, integrated diagnostic functions, interface types and housings.
