WIKA has been an internationally recognised partner for all measurement tasks for most decades. The merchandise portfolio includes pressure, temperature, force and level measurement, and also flow measurement, calibration and SF6 gas solutions. In the next article, we would like to take a closer look at the measured variable of force. These five reasons show why force measurement is of particular importance.
Reason 1: Protection of people and machinery
Protecting people from harm may be the highest priority in virtually any workplace. Likewise, the machinery should remain undamaged in order to minimise downtime and repairs. In this context, force measurement ensures a safe working environment, especially through overload protection. In cranes, for example, this prevents heavy loads from falling. With construction machinery and robots, on the other hand, uncontrolled machine movements are prevented. This makes it possible to work safely, and completely harmlessly, close to sufficient reason for machinery. In production lines, for example, the machinery is prevented from pulling, pushing or pressing unchecked, and thereby destroying both components and itself. Another example is port logistics, for which WIKA supplies a globally unique, certified system.
Added value: Safe working environment
Reason 2: Ensuring system stability and production safety
Just collecting data is not enough. The right measured values may also be required to be able to monitor processes seamlessly. Using force measurement in linear drives, for instance, thus improves process control in addition to automation, while simultaneously ensuring quality. Force measurement also supplies the right data for the correct functioning of brakes and drives, conveyors, presses and weighing systems. Is Here is to lessen running costs. The bigger the quality of the measured data, the better the data analysis. The look of an instrument change is thus more precise, so that changing it prematurily . doesn?t cause increased costs nor does unplanned maintenance cause longer downtimes. The savings in consequential costs alone shell out the dough many times over.
Added value: Full process control
Reason 3: Optimisation of production conditions
The savings potential, and therefore the maximisation of profit, have been completely mentioned in the previous section. Only through the perfect usage of materials and machinery can margins be increased. A key issue in manufacturing plants is machine availability. In addition to reducing downtime, the focus is on minimising maintenance costs. Among this are welding tongs. With one of these, the contact force of the electrodes could be precisely monitored through the use of tension/compression force transducers. In this way, optimum quality is permanently guaranteed and, simultaneously, wear is minimised. Higher profits can also be achieved through saving time, for example, when containers are weighed ?on the fly?.
Added value: Maximum profits
Reason 4: Improving product quality and saving materials
The usage of force measurement in welding tongs ? as explained in the section above ? is an extremely good example of improving product quality and saving materials. Force measurement supplies the right data for the most accurate process control. As a result, machine tool wear is only minimal. Furthermore, force measurement offers many other areas of application. For instance, spreading fertiliser where this action is adapted to the soil conditions is one way to save material. This protects the environment. Furthermore, it is beneficial to know the (supporting) forces functioning on mobile cranes. The vehicle?s centre of gravity can thus be calculated exactly, which means that the safety margin can be reduced. In this case, loads could be lifted further, yet accidents, e.g. because of slipping or tipping, can be avoided.
Added value: Lowering costs
Reason 5: Ensuring quality
Finally, the utilization of force measurement also offers many advantages in your community of quality assurance, which includes already been touched upon. On the main one hand, the machinery could be optimally controlled by registering the force. On the other hand, by recording the values, live and also saving them for later use, conclusions could be drawn for specific batches. In addition, the most precise force measuring instruments meet up with the highest requirements, for example, in materials testing machinery or in medical engineering. Incidentally, WIKA offers a DAkkS-accredited calibration service for force measuring instruments.
Added value: Exact measured values
Note
Further information on our portfolio of force measuring instruments can be found on the WIKA website. There you will also find information on our calibration service for force measuring instruments. Furthermore, our brochure on force measurement: ?Force measurement is really a matter of trust? is also available. Do you want to buy force transducers? Inside our WIKA online shop you?ll find some of our standard versions. Should you have any questions about force measurement, please ask your contact person.
Also read our articles
The ELMS1 overload protection saves lives
Force measurement in linear drives

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