The mass production of food products is a fascinating business, requiring the specification of many different types of technology in many different operating environments. In some cases, massive amounts of raw food product has to be carefully cooked and packaged and kept at certain temperatures for certain amounts of time, all done in a hygienic way so as not to poison folks and such.
A great example that recently came to our attention was for a rotary conveyor in a huge freezer shown above. In this case, the food is already cooked and simply needs to be moved around within cold storage via trays that ride on a track. In this environment, moisture, condensation, and icing is an unavoidable problem and the machinery occasionally gets off track – literally. CPI Cold Operating Limit SwitchesUnlike typical commercial switches and sensors that run from 0 to 70 C, even basic CPI limit switches are fully IP68 rated and sealed in Santoprene which gives them a default temperature rating of -40C to 100C. But long and deep experience has taught us that cold and wet environments pose unique problems for switch operation that even switches with low temperature ratings may have challenges overcoming. In one such experience it was found that switches that were actuated for long periods of time would “freeze” in place upon release due to the deformity of the thermoplastic boot which could not be pushed back into its original state upon release. In cases that exist at the edge of cold temperature operation, CPI recommends our military grade limit switch where the temperature range goes all the way down to -65F. These switches are encased in neoprene rubber which avoids the semi-permanent deformity that is possible with thermoplastic seals. And with CPI’s USA based, in house manufacturing team, the cost of producing these in quantity is on par with their Santoprene cousins. In the case of our rotary conveyor, a series of CPI E1100 angle mount brackets using our B series momentary switch provide feedback to the rotary controller when the system is off the track. In this application our switches are daisy-chained so that any detection of a failed conveyor will immediately pause the conveyor, while requiring only one monitoring point at the controller. CPI Tastes Good on Food Processing EquipmentIn the mass production of food products, CPI limit switches have been used for position and safety sensing in both hot and cold environments. They not only take the heat/cold, but they do it for a really really long time. Call our team today, lets see what we can cook up for you! This blog was originally published at https://www.cpi-nj.com/conveying-food/ Lately it feels like there is a race between the widespread improvement and adoption of renewable energy sources, and the worst effects of a rapidly warming planet. We’re not there yet but the dedicated and intelligent work of so many individuals and companies who announce exciting advances every day, gives us hope that we may yet win the race.
It turns out that CPI Thermal switches have a part to play in a number of renewable energy technologies that form part of the overall solution for green energy production. Because of our Thermal Switch capabilities related to both cold and hot temperature detection, CPI switches get designed in to many systems. Here’s just a few ways in which CPI is doing it’s part to help the green energy movement. Ocean Based Windmill Farms Large wind turbines, especially ocean based, can be protected from cold related failure by use of special anti-freeze fluids, that create heated gearboxes or trigger internally heated electronics which can also fail in extreme cold.This is a proven application for CPI thermal switches which have been used in power grid applications including windmills to detect cold weather conditions which might affect the operation of components. in one such application windmills depend on critical voltage converters to translate the mechanical energy of the turbine to electrical energy. These converters have a lower limit on the temperature under which they can safely operate. Our switch is used as a cold temperature indicator that the converter controller software reads. If the temperature hits the low temperature set point (in this case -3C) it is a signal that the internal heating system for the voltage converter has failed to turn on. To prevent a failure, our switch sends a signal to raise a fault and shut down the converter. In other applications the same switch closure is used to turn on local heating elements which prevent the gearbox and associated electronics from reaching freezing temperatures which may exceed their ratings. The switch closure can also be used in windmills to enable the flow of antifreeze by turning on pumps and generating alarms when various temperature thresholds are reached. Fuel CellsThe promise of hydrogen based fuel cells is certainly one of the most exciting energy technologies on the cusp of mainstream acceptance. Fuel cells are expected to be over a 40 billion dollar industry by 2030 as advances in technology and adoption continue. Reactions within a fuel cell are carefully temperature controlled to allow for maximum efficiency in energy conversion. That’s where our AD173 bimetallic thermal switch comes in. This switch has a small form factor that can detect temperatures from –18C to 148C with tolerances as tight as 2.8C.Deployed at a 35F set point, our AD series switches have been used to initiate anti-freeze protection extending the useful temperature range of outdoor fuel cells. Electric Bus Charging SolutionsPrototype electric buses employ magnetic charging solutions that actually charge the bus while its sitting at each bus stop. Because of the high electromagnetic field in use, CPI developed special versions of our AD190 Thermal Switch with a dielectric resistance up to 5000 VAC. Their double snap action and hermetic sealing option, make them perfect for this application. Nuclear Energy Thermal SensingNuclear energy may be the overlooked child in the green energy revolution. While this is somewhat understandable given public perceptions of the danger of Nuclear Power plants and the difficulty dealing with used fuel rods. Still most experts consider modern nuclear power plant reactor designs to be exceedingly safe, and that the energy generated will be an important stopgap energy solution on the way to a completely green world. While temperature measurement inside an active reactor are the province of extremely specialized thermocouples due to high neutron bombardment, it turns out there are a boatload of other temperature measurements that could be perfect for a robust, standalone, high precision thermal switch product like those that CPI makes. Here’s just a few examples:
CPI Thermals Can be Customized for Your ApplicationIf you have an emerging or existing application in the renewable energy area, we want to be your partner. Changes to our thermal switches for a specific requirement can be readily made by our engineering team. Set points for your switches are programmable for you in our factory and lead lengths and terminations are fully customizable as are electrical parameters and other elements. Call our engineering team today to discuss your application. This blog was originally published at https://www.cpi-nj.com/renewable-energy-applications-use-cpi-thermals/ Sometimes clients come to us because they have a small need for switches on an outdoor application and want to design in a sealed switch that they won’t ever have to worry about. A switch that is truly waterproof, with reliability over tens of thousands of actuations, and just the right tactile feel. Applications on jet ski’s and speedboats come to mind. Or motors on specialized enduro-mountain bikes, motorized fishing reels for the handicapped and push-to-talk helmet mounted buttons for cops. Dozens more like this. All small but important CPI customers because they just didn’t want to mess around with the switch. They wanted a bulletproof implementation from the get-go.
Some of the environmental stress these applications experience can be severe for sure, but a whole different set of environmental challenges exist in the commercial mobile space. This is the place which CPI switches were exactly designed for. Some of these apps represent the most difficult operating environments you will find on the planet. The Non-Automotive Commercial Mobile Vehicle ProblemConsider the use of limit switches on a backhoe loader or other construction vehicles like a crane or dump truck. These vehicles can employ strong hydraulic movement on loader arms, dump bodies, or stabilizers with limit switches exposed to the outdoor elements constantly. This means rain, wind, dust, oil and other chemicals, even power washing. Add to that extreme temperatures, high vibration, constant use and physical abuse by operators and machines alike. Many times, these switches function as a critical safety sensor and so failure in the field can be expensive to resolve and dangerous to leave unresolved. Here are just a few examples: Next Gen Telehandler using J4 Plunger Switch – For this brand-new design, our manufacturer uses outriggers (or stabilizers) to insure stability of the extended platform. The critical safety related nature of this application, and the need to be small form yet durable made CPI the best choice. These plunger switches act as position sensors for the stabilizers with operating parameters held to +-1mm in the CPI switch design. Agricultural Harvester using waterproof Limit Switch E1245-501 – In this value-add addition to a popular harvester model, our client ads our simulated roller limit switch to the side of the harvester. This sensor allows them to determine when the crop harvester head is in the locked or floating position. Key to this design win was the reliability and immunity to chemicals and high pressure water our switches exhibit. Dump Body Detection using E1092 simulated roller bracket with B-Series Switches – Driving down the highway with the dump body raised is both comical and dangerous. The installation of a simple CPI limit switch like our 1092 simulated roller actuator is commonly used to make sure all kinds of things are closed, from dump truck bodies, to safety doors, to engine hoods, and submarine hatches. Switch closure parameters such as force and electromechanical endurance as well as extended temperature ranges can be specified. And no matter what you pick, its always sealed and completely waterproof. You can read more about this dump truck raised body application at this link. Other applications for Construction vehicles Include: Back-up Alarm Switch Brake Over-Temp Cab Closed Interlock Door Interlock Seat Position Door Switch Dump Body Detect Switch Horn Switch Idle Validation Detect Lift Up/Down Control Lift Up/Down Control Operator Presence Switch Park Brake Switch Remote Horn Signal Switch For more information on any of these applications please call a sales engineer at 973-887-9400 CPI – We’re Different on the InsideInside our unassuming santoprene (or neoprene) sealed “pendant” switch, lies a world of experience and field proven technology in switching and sensing. Working for up to 1 million cycles in the environments we reliably operate in, takes a lot of careful thought in both design and manufacturing, and a lot of understanding about how small mods in materials and construction can make big changes in operating characteristics. The other way we’re different on the inside is our company operating philosophy. With all our manufacturing, engineering and design done at a single USA based corporate campus, our ability to make changes, customize, consult, ensure quality and be nimble in delivery are unmatched by any offshore solution to high performance switching you will find anywhere else in the world. With our USA based operations, your supply chain will be unaffected by the policies and hostilities of foreign made products in unstable countries with ever changing export rules. And in quantity, our pricing is usually competitive with those offshore products. But with CPI you will also get a reliable, accessible and incredibly responsive USA based supply partner. That’s worth something. Call (973) 887-9400 or visit https://cpi-nj.com today to discuss your next limit switch design challenge. This blog was originally posted at https://www.cpi-nj.com/defining-harsh-environments-for-commercial-vehicles/ |
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