From May 25 to 27, Gefran will participate to the second edition of the SPS Italia Digital Days. Three days full of round tables, scientific conferences and workshops dedicated to the most innovative developments in industrial automation, a unique opportunity for companies to discuss the digitalisation of the Italian manufacturing sector.

The event will be the showcase for the launch of the WPA-F and WRA-F position sensors, the first with Hyperwave magnetostrictive technology and Profinet connectivity, available with RT (Real-Time Ethernet) or Synchronised IRT (Isochronous Real Time) transmission protocol. The new transducers are characterised by the capability to simultaneously detect the position and speed of up to 16 independent cursors over a stroke of 4,000 mm, with a position reading update rate of 4kHz, i.e. over 4,000 times per second, for a precise position reading with the highest degree of repeatability. Among the new features of the WPA-F and WRA-F models, both cULus certified, those standing out are the diagnostic functions designed at communicating, for example, anomalies in the power supply system, the reaching of temperatures out of range, the incorrect parameterisation at start-up, the possible lost communication between the electronics and the sensing element or, further, the absence of a magnetic cursor inside the work area. Finally, the transducer’s actual operating time and the actual and maximum temperature reached, can be monitored.

“The new Profinet certified sensors, with Encoder profile vr.4.2., are enriched with new and better performing features while maintaining the advantages of the Hyperwave series which continues to stand out for a resolution of less than 0.5 microns and a very low linearity error, equal to 0.01%/FS”, comments Edoardo Zilioli, Gefran Sensors Marketing Manager, who continues: “A further strength is how easily our solutions are implemented: Profinet transducers are designed to ensure maximum compatibility with the entire Hyperwave family range, as well as with the current market offer”.

During the second day of the Digital Days event, Paolo Buzzi, Gefran Controllers & Power Controllers Marketing Manager will speak at the webinar “IO-Link for the Digitisation of modular machines: advantages and perspectives”, exploring the advantages of an architecture based on IO-Link, the open standard for sensors and actuators which, in addition to simplifying communication from the field level upwards, increases the exchange of multiple data and information useful for the functions of advanced diagnostics and optimisation production processes.

“IO-Link is the technology that can fully satisfy the needs of today's Industry 4.0, which small and medium-sized industries are increasingly investing in with excellent results: Gefran is successfully supporting the Italian Industry's transformation and, in this respect, 2021 will be a year full of innovations for product upgrades so we can meet our customers' application requirements”, stated Paolo Buzzi. He concluded, “The launch of two renewed series of PID regulators is expected in June and July: the Performance CC (Carbon Controller) series, capable of managing the case hardening process of metallurgical steel through the use of a zirconium oxide probe to calculate and adjust the percentage of carbon necessary for the heat treatment, and the new Multifunction line, compliant with the USA's FDA (Food and Drug Administration) regulation CFR21, developed to meet the requests for data traceability in the Food and Pharma processes”.