Red Lion CUB5 Dual Counter/Rate Meter Upgrade

Red Lion Controls has expanded the capabilities of the CUB5 series dual counter and rate meter by adding a second setpoint. The extra setpoint will increase the application possibilities for this popular Red Lion product. With a second setpoint available, capabilities now include batch counting and control without increasing the size of the package.

To accomplish this, a modification to the unit's internal software was needed that requires a few minor changes to the user programming of the meter. Red Lion Crimson programming software has been updated to support the new dual setpoint models. Crimson users should select CUB5 version 3.0+ for the new meters. Crimson support will also be maintained for the legacy single setpoint models by simply selecting version 2.x within the software.

This enhancement to the CUB5 Dual Counter and rate model adds to an already impressive series of full featured, field expandable panel meters in an affordable, small sized package.

Contrinex Flat Fiber Optic Array Sensors

Contrinex has developed a unique multiple beam, diffuse, flat fiber optic array sensor to solve the problem of capturing, counting and controlling small components produced by modern, high-performance manufacturing machinery.

High exit speeds of parts from production machinery can make product position vary greatly and component count extremely difficult. The new Contrinex LFP-1011-020 flat fiber optic array sensor, specifically designed for this type of application, has a beam spread of 28mm that will detect objects in any position across the broad area of light transmission.

These new sensors can be connected to any Contrinex Fiber-Optic Amplifier creating a very long sensing range of up to 150mm. When used with a 5KHz amplifier, the smallest component passing at high speed can be detected. In addition, by using a blue-light emitting amplifier connected to the fiber instead of the more common red light option, even small black rubber components can be readily detected. Compared to alternative technologies such as ring or frame sensors, this new fiber concept is extremely simple to apply and at a fraction of the cost.

Each multi-beam head is supplied with 2m of polymer fibers that can be cut to length to enable them to be neatly retained and protected along the optimum path to the amplifier. The wide-vision fiber head is molded from tough PBTP Crastin and is sealed to IP67 for use in aggressive environments.

Banner Engineering R-GAGE QT50R Series Radar Sensors

Banner Engineering QT50R Series was developed to detect objects in a defined area, including stationary objects. It complements Banner's M-GAGE and QS30EX/RX sensors.

• FMCW (true-presence) radar detects moving and stationary objects
• Adjustable sensing field - ignores objects beyond the setpoint
• Sensing field is configured with simple DIP switches
• Sensing functions are unaffected by wind and air temperatures
• Sensor operates in Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) telecommunication band; no special license required
• Rugged IP67 housing withstands harsh environments

The R-GAGE sensor emits a well-defined beam of high-frequency radio waves from an internal antenna. Some of this emitted energy reflects back to the receiving antenna. Signal processing electronics in the sensor determine the distance from the sensor to the object based on the time delay of the return signal. The sensor can be configured (via DIP switch) to sense objects up to a specific distance, ignoring objects beyond this distance (also called background suppression).