By Konner Fierek, Key Account Manager Mobile Automation
Whether on construction sites, in agriculture, or in intralogistics, mobile machines interact with people and their surroundings in complex environments worldwide. As automation increases, the focus on safety continues to grow, and manufacturers face increasingly greater challenges.
SIKO offers reliable draw-wire encoders for exact position measurement that can directly be integrated into the hydraulic cylinder to ensure safe positioning and optimal protection from external conditions. Draw-wire encoders in the SGH series are based on more than 30 years of development history and the experience gained from a large number of demanding applications in a wide range of industries. The smart design and functional principle of the measuring devices enables measuring ranges from zero to five meters, despite their very compact dimensions.
Applications in which maximum functional safety is required can be supplied with redundant SGH versions (CAT3, PLd) in accordance with EN13849. For these safety variants, SIKO offers redundant analog interfaces, redundant CANopen, redundant SAE J1939 or CANopen-safety.
This makes the SIKO safety sensors suitable for use in applications up to Performance Level d (PLd). In addition, the sensors meet the requirements of various machine-specific C standards, such as EN12999 (loader cranes), EN280 (aerial work platforms), ANSI 92.20 (MEWP), and more.
SGH sensors are designed for the highest requirements of mobile hydraulics. The wire-actuated sensor must meet the prerequisite of an extremely long service life in this context. It has been tested and designed for the service life of a cylinder both electrically and mechanically. As far as shock and vibration resistance is concerned, the SGH sensors set the standards. They have been tested to the toughest vibration standards, which are otherwise used for helicopter drives, and easily withstands individual shocks of up to 100 times the force of gravity, for example, when an excavator shovel hits the ground hard when being set down. Draw-wire encoders, which are operated on the basis of a flexible cable, absorb this effect with ease.
With a maximum measuring range of up to 5 meters, the draw-wire-based SGH sensors offer significant advantages to cylinder designers as far as manufacturing costs are concerned, as hollow boring of the piston is no longer necessary. With the integrated teach-in function, the measurement length of the sensor can be taught individually from 0 to 5 m. This leads to a significant reduction in the number of variants for OEMs and cylinder manufacturers.
The SGH sensors can also be integrated into telescopic cylinders, which is not usually possible with conventional measurement systems.
SIKO offers one of the most comprehensive portfolios of safe and powerful position sensors to prepare machines for the future. Whether addressing new safety requirements, complex motion controls, or innovative applications, as a strategic development partner, SIKO develops robust, application-oriented sensor solutions and supports the entire process, from planning to implementation.
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