Siko has developed a redundant magnetic sensor to enhance safety in forklift trucks. The MSK320R bearing-free rotary encoder assists operators in implementing safety requirements such as EN 1175 (safety of industrial trucks) and means the compact magnetic sensor can be used directly on the wheels for speed or rotation detection.
“To meet functional safety requirements, many manufacturers rely on redundant signals, this can be achieved either by attaching two sensor heads or a redundant sensor,” said a Siko spokesperson.
“The MSK320R is equipped with two magnetic sensors for redundant position measurement; it thus has two completely separate position channels (A1, A2, /A1, /A2, B1, B2, /B1, /B2), and can be used in combination with a secure input card in the overall system up to performance level PLd.”
Despite a higher component density, the MSK320R remains small at just 35mm long, 25mm wide and 10mm deep, providing cost and space savings compared with the use of two separate magnetic sensors with simple channels. There is also no need for the additional wiring and mounting required for two sensors.
Selecting the appropriate scale, the new sensor can be used for linear displacement measurement in combination with the MB320/1 magnetic tape or for angle and speed detection alongside different Siko rings.
With an operating range of -40 to 85?C the sensor can cope with a range of extreme conditions, while it is also resistant to dust, chips, oils, grease and moisture.
April 7, 2017
