Factory Automation

By: Engr Syed Shahzeb Sami

Lecture 2

By: Engr Syed Shahzeb Sami 1

 Industrial Automation
• Factory Automation:
– Sensors
• Proximity Sensors - Magnetic Reed & Hall Effect
• Ultrasonic Proximity Sensors
• Inductive Proximity Sensors
• Capacitive Proximity Sensors
• Photoelectric Sensors
• Inclination Sensors
• Rotary Encoders
• RFID Systems
– AS-Interface
– Logic Control Units

By: Engr Syed Shahzeb Sami 2

 Sensors
• What is Transducer?
– Devise which converts one form energy in to another. e.g.
• Voltage to current or vise versa.
• Sound to current
• Temperature to current

• What is a Sensor?
– Devise which detects Physical phenomenon and convert it in
electrical signal
• Colour
• Temperature
• Pressure
• Viscosity
• ph e.t.c

By: Engr Syed Shahzeb Sami 3

 Sensors
• Proximity Sensors:
– Inductive Sensor
– Capacitive Sensor
– Magnetic Sensor
– Ultrasonic Sensor

By: Engr Syed Shahzeb Sami 4

 What is Eddy Current?

• An eddy current is also known as Foucault current.

• When a conductor is exposed to a changing magnetic field due to
relative motion of the field source and conductor; or due to
variations of the field with time.
• This can cause a circulating flow of electrons, or a current, within
the conductor.
• These circulating eddies of current create electromagnets with
magnetic fields that opposes the change of the magnetic field
known as Lenz's law.
• The stronger the applied magnetic field, or greater the electrical
conductivity of the conductor, or greater the relative velocity of
motion, the greater the currents developed and the greater the
opposing field.

By: Engr Syed Shahzeb Sami 5

 Inductive Proximity Sensors
• Principles of Operation:

• Inductive proximity sensors are designed to operate by

– Generating an electromagnetic field and detecting the eddy current losses
– When ferrous and nonferrous metal target objects enter the field.
– The sensor consists of a coil on a ferrite core, an oscillator, a trigger-signal
level detector and an output circuit.
– As a metal object advances into the field, eddy currents are induced in the
target. The result is a loss of energy and a smaller amplitude of oscillation.
– The detector circuit then recognizes a specific change in amplitude and
generates a signal which will turn the solid-state output “ON” or “OFF.”

By: Engr Syed Shahzeb Sami 6

Inductive Proximity Sensors

By: Engr Syed Shahzeb Sami 7

 Standard Target
• The active face is the surface where a high-frequency electro-
magnetic field emerges.

• A standard target is a mild steel, 1mm thick, square form with

side lengths equal to the diameter of the active face.

By: Engr Syed Shahzeb Sami 8

 Target Correction Factors
• To determine the sensing distance for materials other
than the standard mild steel:
– A correction factor is used.
– The composition of the target has a large effect on sensing
distance of inductive proximity sensors.
– If a target constructed from one of the materials listed on
next side is used, multiply the nominal sensing distance by
the correction factor listed in order to determine the
nominal sensing distance for that target.
– Note:
• Ferrous-selective sensors will not detect brass, aluminum or
copper.
• Nonferrous selective sensors will not detect steel or ferrous-type
stainless steels.

By: Engr Syed Shahzeb Sami 9

 Target Correction Factors
• The correction factors listed below can be used as a general guideline.
Common materials and their specific correction factors are listed on each
product specification page
(Nominal Sensing Range) x (Correction Factor) = Sensing Range.

Target Material Approximate Correction Factor

Brass 0.50
Aluminum 0.45
Copper 0.40
Stainless Steel 0.85
Mild Steel 1.0

By: Engr Syed Shahzeb Sami 10

 Important Notes
• Flat targets are preferable .

• Rounded targets may reduce the sensing distance.

• Nonferrous materials usually reduce the sensing distance for all-

metal sensing models.

• Targets smaller than the sensing face typically reduce the sensing
distance.

• Targets larger than the sensing face may increase the sensing
distance.

• Foils may increase the sensing distance.

By: Engr Syed Shahzeb Sami 11

 Capacitive Proximity Sensors
Principles of Operation:
• They generate an electrostatic field and detecting changes in this field
caused when a target approaches the sensing face.
• The sensor’s internal workings consist of a capacitive probe, an oscillator,
a signal rectifier, a filter circuit and an output circuit.
• In the absence of a target, the oscillator is inactive.
• As a target approaches, it raises the capacitance of the probe system.
• When the capacitance reaches a specified threshold, the oscillator is
activated which triggers the output circuit to change between “on” and
“off.”
• The capacitance of the probe system is determined by the target’s size,
dielectric constant and distance from the probe.
• The larger the size and dielectric constant of a target, the more it
increases capacitance.
• The shorter the distance between target and probe, the more the target
increases capacitance.

By: Engr Syed Shahzeb Sami 12

Capacitive Proximity Sensors

By: Engr Syed Shahzeb Sami 13

 Ultrasonic Proximity Sensors
• Ultrasonic sensors detect objects by emitting bursts of high-
frequency sound waves which reflect or “echo” from a target.
• These devices sense the distance to the target by measuring the
time required for the echo to return and dividing that time value by
the speed of sound.
• This allows these devices to detect objects of any shape and
material that can sufficiently reflect an ultrasonic pulse.
• Analog models provide an output voltage proportional to the
distance from the sensor face to the target, while digital/discrete
output models change output state when this distance crosses a
pre-set threshold.
• Ultrasonic sensors depend on a reflected sound wave for proper
operation, the correction factors and target requirements used for
inductive proximity sensors do not apply.

By: Engr Syed Shahzeb Sami 14

 Assignment #1
• What are shielded and unshielded sensors?

• What is Hysteresis loop?

By: Engr Syed Shahzeb Sami 15