TWK Safety Sensors at SPS in Nuremberg

TWK will be exhibiting its new safety sensor range at the SPS in Nuremberg. The compact encoders and inclinometers will be on show from 14 to 16 November in Hall 7A I Stand 603.

Their small size makes them ideal for autonomous vehicles in both the logistics and agricultural sectors. With SIL2 or SIL3 certification, the robust sensors meet the required safety standards.

Certified safety sensors in a small form factor are in demand, especially in the field of autonomous vehicles. With safe position and speed data, they can move quickly to their target positions and carry out work processes. In addition to Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are also interesting for logistics. Their flexible navigation without the need for lanes, routes specifications and other infrastructure makes them more adaptable to the current situation. These autonomous vehicles are also increasingly being used in the digitalized and automated agricultural sector. While logistics mainly involves transporting goods from one place to another, agricultural machinery must be able to carry out field work - such as spreading fertilizer or harvesting crops - in an environmentally friendly, resource-saving, efficient and cost-effective manner.

In all those cases, a high-performance sensor system is important to ensure that the steering angle, wheel speed and position of any mounted tools are always reliably available. TWK offers a wide range of rugged safety sensors with high IP protection up to IP69K and high EMC resistance to meet requirements even in harsh environments. The encoders and inclinometers are available with all common industrial interfaces: PROFIsafe, Failsafe over EtherCAT or CANopen Safety. Other interfaces such as J1939 Safety, IO-Link and many more are available on request.

In terms of mechanical design, TWK has focused on small size and versatility of the encoders. Versions with a diameter of 38 mm or a housing depth of 30 mm, with a variety of flange and shaft shapes, allow to install the devices in virtually any location: directly on the wheel, on the steering or on the engine. For the latter, units are available in magnetically shielded steel or stainless-steel housing for undistorted detection of position and speed. Versions with the proven multiturn gearbox are available from 42 mm diameter.

A highlight at the show will be the newly designed low-cost SIL2 safety encoder without shaft bearing and with a CANopen safety interface: a 'disc' with a depth of just 20mm, where the actuating magnet is fixed on the application side and faces the encoder housing without any mechanical connection - ideal for space-saving integration into existing systems.

In addition, special slew ring software can be selected to reliably convert the position of the motor/sensor shaft into the position of the wheels (steering angle) when a reduction gear is used - even when turning an arbitrary distance in one direction, thus traversing the measurement range completely and several times. Certified to IEC61508 and ISO13849 SIL2 or SIL3 and PLd standards, the encoders can handle speeds up to 15,000 rpm and offer a typical position resolution of 16 bits/360°.

An additional safety aspect is vehicle tilt. TWK offers safety tilt sensors with PROFIsafe and CANopen safety interfaces. In addition to the 360° dynamically-corrected angle signal, these provide a speed signal and raw values. Aluminum or stainless steel 1.4404 housings are available in versions up to IP65K.

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