The PS300 pressure sensor family by Turck meets the requirements for hydraulics engineering.

Pressure sensors that are used for hydraulic systems have to meet specific requirements, but mainly they have to be very robust. Usually the hydraulic pressure is between 6 and 600 bar, but it is dynamic and not static. The constant alternating pressure not only strains the cells and the sealing material but also the housing itself. It is important to choose the right combination of cell technology, sealing material and the housing to ensure a reliable pressure monitoring.

To resist dangerous pressure peaks, which exceed the usual pressure by several times over, the choice of the right cell technology is essential. Pressure measuring cells made of ceramic are approved for these kinds of applications. They offer over-pressure safety, a good drift performance and a fast reaction time. Furthermore, ceramic is resistant against aggressive substances.

Therefore, a measuring cell made of ceramic is the core of the pressure sensor family, PS300, from Turck. This piece of equipment processes the measuring signals directly from the cell and forwards them in digitalised form to the evaluation electronics. That intensifies the positive qualities of the ceramic. The result is better performance when it comes to excess pressure, compared to standard ceramic cells.

High protection category IP69K

The pressure sensor is not only stressed by the hydraulic pipes, but also through outside influences like oil spray, mechanical forces or EMC influences. The PS300 family is rated for IP69K for all areas of pressure measuring. The case made of special steel and the sealed control and display elements do not allow moisture into the device. Mechanical forces up to seven joule – even onto the display – do not have any effect. Because of the new cell technology with integrated digitalisation of the data, the PS300 reaches a high electromagnetic tolerance as well as a high accuracy of 0.5 per cent. The repeatability of sensors like this is mostly underestimated. Often people look at the data sheet for the tolerance and the error information first. What looks accurate at first may not be because temperature, hysteresis and other factors have not been considered.

The reason for inadequate repeatability often results from choosing the wrong material, which cannot guarantee the perfect interaction under pressure and temperature load changes. Naturally, the electronic components play an important role. Turck took this into account and made sure that the new cells had an improved repeatability by working on the signal processing. The signal is no longer analog but digital, which reduces interfering signals that occur through the development of extra-low voltage.

User-friendly

The product characteristics are not the only important factors; manageability is an essential criterion. This includes, among other things, enough space for the use of tools during mounting, sufficient access for the electronic connections and adequate possibilities to program the equipment.

Turck did not compromise and used the same philosophy from its PS400/500 and TS400/500 series in the new pressure sensor family. A large, four-digit display shows the user the operating pressure, even through oily glass. The equipment is parameterised with two push buttons that are easily operated with gloves. A recessed push button needs to be pushed to con-firm the changes with the parameterisation; mistakes can be avoided with this safety feature. Optionally, the PS300 family can be operated according to the VDMA specification 24574-1.

IO-Link capable

Until 15 years ago, mainly contact switches were used for monitoring pressure. These were reliable, but only to a certain extent. Higher requirements of the applications – like easily switching the units or versatile reprogramming the switch points – made the electronic push button necessary. Today we face a change again, because better access to the instruments is needed. A simple binary or an analog signal is not sufficient any longer.

The solution for all this is called IO-Link. With this technology, the users have a standardised tool for the world of sensor technology and actuating elements. The technology offers new possibilities to make machines and systems even more efficient. The IO-Link is integrated into the pressure sensor family PS300. The investment into PS300 sensors is safe, even if the user wants to switch to the IO-Link at a future date and not at the moment.

If you talk about investment protection, you also have to talk about reliability and quality. A low price is tempting, but if there is a quality problem with the equipment it gets more expensive in the end, i.e., when there is a shutdown of a machine because of a low-quality sensor. To guarantee availability, many users have their important components in stock

During the development of the PS300 family, Turck focused on quality and longevity of the product, as well as on the cutback of storage costs. As a press key with two switch points or as a measuring tool with an analog output, the PS300 family offers a device type for all applications and a reduction in storage costs. And with the IO-Link, the sensors adept very quickly to different situations.