Clear Answers: Sick'S Customer Magazine 1 - 2 0 0 8

S I C K S C U S T O M E R M A G A Z I N E
> Clear
answers
Inspector the intelligent vision solution
for fast and reliable quality inspection
Page 29
www.sick.com
1 _ 2 0 0 8
Packaging
The worlds first facility
with IO link technology at Duni
Page 04
Free-running AGV
The worlds first outdoor safety con-
cept with laser measurement systems
Page 08
Level measurement
Vibration level switch for
storage tanks and pipes
Page 23
: Applications
2 01 2008
Of big steps and big footsteps
Dear Readers,
Together with New Zealand, Australia, the continent down under,
is not just worth a journey for vacationers it also offers interesting markets
to innovative enterprises. SICK recognized this very early on, establishing
in 1982 one of the first sales companies abroad. Practically from nothing,
things developed single-mindedly toward market leadership in many areas.
Throughout, the basis of this story was consistent orientation to what
customers needed. Sensors for the textile industry, inspection solutions for
steel processing, as well as barcode readers and photoelectric switches
for automation and safety technology transformed SICK quickly into a rec-
ognized brand in the marketplace. The Australian branch has taken great
strides since these early days because for a long time it sold supplementary
products from other manufacturers that were important to the clients total
solution. Whether the products concerned were inductive sensors, encoders,
or gas analyzers apart from contributing to sales, this phase also generat-
ed new expertise that has benefited the steady expansion of our own range
of products over the years.
Today, SICK Australia is market leader in sensor technology operating
from more than ten territorial sales offices with 30 sales engineers overall.
Peter Horman, who had been directing the fortunes of the enterprise since
its foundation, played a crucial role in this success, and I consider follow-
ing in his footsteps an honor but also a commitment. Many applications,
whose solutions seem natural to us today and were presented frequently
between the covers of this customer magazine, can be traced back to his
involvement and that of his team. We intend to continue this success story.
I would like to wish you an enjoyable read of the latest issue of SICKinsight.
Best wishes,
David Duncan
Managing Director SICK Australia
Competence Guide on Direct Part Marking (DPM)
Knowing what counts!
>> The DPM (direct part marking) Com-
petence Guide introduced by SICK re-
cently conveys basic
knowledge, decision
tools, tips, and applica-
tion examples. It offers
extensive information
on the topics of direct
marking, identifica-
tion, and traceability
of products and it ex-
plains connections be-
tween code, marking,
and reading technology
>> Informative, easy to read, high-qual-
ity, and modern using these attributes,
several hundred readers assessed the
SICKinsight customer magazine. This
time around, some of them are looking
forward not only to the upcoming issue
but also to their prize.
On many counts, the evaluation of the
reader survey turned out very positively:
The magazines appearance is fine for
nearly 90 percent of readers and so is the
information content as well as the journal-
istic quality. The scope is appropriate, and
so is the ratio of text to illustrations. The
recipients of SICKinsight are particularly
interested in new product developments,
application reports, and current topics in
Feedback from numerous readers
SICKinsight receives positive evaluations
technology. Small wonder, therefore, that
almost two thirds of those responding
would be pleased about a third or even
fourth issue per year. The only sour note
only one in four readers is familiar with the
archive offered at www.sick.com, which
allows accessing all of the contributions
on applications appearing over the years
via application- or product-related search
functions.
Navigation system won
Jrgen Stadler from Fichter Maschinen
GmbH in 79358 Eichstetten navigated
perfectly through the questionnaire and lit-
erally had the luck of the draw to boot. Just
recently, he has become the proud owner
of a new TomTom navigation device. Ten
additional winners can delight in their priz-
es, one book each entitled The 10-Minute
Life Coach by Fiona Harrold.
SICKinsight would like to extend a warm
thank you to all participants.
: News
03
Penam large bakery in Prague
Automated by
SICK throughout
Trade fairs with SICK in April:
Book Tip
On occasion, researchers
and scientists come up
with the strangest ideas,
delighting in the most
bizarre investigations. Let
yourself be inspired on page 40
Bill Bryson
A Short History
of Nearly
Everything
>> More than 2,000 sensors most-
ly photoelectric switches along the
2.5-kilometer conveying system, 60,000
containers with RFID chips, numerous
reading stations within the material flow, as
well as 3D smart cameras for high speed
roll counting Penams newly opened bak-
ery in Herink near Prague boasts automa-
tion technology of the finest quality.
You can look forward already to the
detailed article about Penams high-
tech bakery featured in the fall issue of
SICK insight! www.penam.cz
sickinsight.com
Current reports and application examples
>> The new advertising link provides new opportunities! As of May 2008, we would
like to introduce you to new, interesting contributions at this link. On pages 18 and
34 of this issue you will find, in keeping with the latest developments, so-called
teasers concerning articles offered in full length on the Internet at www.sickinsight.
com. We would like to extend a sincere invitation to give it a try!
and states what matters with respect
to the topic of DPM and traceability. In
addition, the Compe-
tence Guide supplies
contact information to
suitable project part-
ners and integrators.
The Competence Guide
provides answers to all
questions related to
coding, marking (DPM),
and reading. Order your
own copy at
www.2d-code.com
: Editorial
An annual overview of all trade fairs with SICK
is available on p. 41
: Applications
First facility with IO link communication ...............04
Audi relies on optical accumulation advisors .....05
For medical and pharmaceutical products ............06
Deflecting mirror as optical bumpers ...................07
Outdoor safety concept for a free-running AGV ....08
Empty/full inspection of transport containers .....09
Combined parcel identification and video coding ...10
Pallet control with RFID ...........................................11
Plug & play exchange possible ................................12
Position detection at 950 C ...................................13
-precise thickness measurement ............................14
Positioning decentralized drives correctly ...............15
Checking lumber per camera .....................................16
3D cameras control robot assembly station ............17
sickinsight.com.......................................................18
: Technology
Image processing at SICK......................................19
Fiber-optic photoelectric switches.........................19
: SICK MAIHAK
Ultrasonic meters optimize gas transfers.............20
Measurement of process gases and
monitoring of emissions ........................................21
: Products
Innovative technology
in a combined level sensor....................................22
Compact level sensor with a vibration fork ..........23
New range of sensors for the food industry .............24
Added value: IO link versions now available ........24
The new MZT8 magnetic cylinder sensor .............25
Flexi Soft Flexible due to modularity ..................25
Product news Safety Systems ...............................26
Product news Auto Ident ........................................28
TITLE: Inspector An intelligent vision solution ....29
Smart light grid solutions.......................................30
Distance measurement per laser .........................30
OD Precision Precision in the fifth generation .31
Best idea for aisle stackers ...................................32
Incremental hollow-shaft encoders
of the DFS60 series ..............................................32
safetyPLUS
the added portion of performance ...33

Measuring accuracy in any weather .....................33
sickinsight.com.......................................................34
: HMI Special ............................................35
: SICK Tour
SICK Czech Republic ..............................................36
SICK and SEW Eurodrives .....................................36
SICK Australia Twenty-fve years down under ....37
Go-ahead for subsidiary in Israel ..........................37
: Standards
Series of articles on rules and regulations ...........38
: Museum
BMW Welt in Munich..............................................39
: Book Tip
A Short History of Nearly Everything ........................40
: Info ...................................................................41
++ Outlook ++ Outlook ++ Outlook ++
HANOVER TRADE FAIR 2008
from 21 25 April 2008
Hall 9 Stand 9F54 and
Hall 7 Stand 7B17 (SICK MAIHAK)
www.hannovermesse.de
Find out more about the HMI exhibition stand on p. 35
Control in Stuttgart
Hall 1 Stand 1635
www.control-messe.de
interpack 2008 in Dsseldorf
Hall 6 Stand 6E02
www.mesago.de/sps
: Applications
01 2008
: Applications
04 05
Since September 2007, WLR2 photoelectric reflex switches en-
sure at Audis Ingolstadt factory the reliable detection of differ-
ently sized wheels in the wheel conveyor system for the Audi A4
and Audi Q5 series and they autonomously control the 24 V DC
motorized rollers at accumulation areas.
>> The new wheel conveying facility is
made by Wegener + Stapel Frdertech-
nik GmbH in Bergen. The company spe-
cializes in conveying installations for the
automotive industry as well as conveyor
and line linking systems for logistics and
production. Many of the conveying facili-
ties for example, the new wheel convey-
ing system for the Audi A4 and the Audi
Q5 feature accumulation areas and
sectors whose buffering function serves
to absorb peak loads, uneven transport
volume, as well as disruptions of the ma-
terial supply. In this context, what counts
is not just dependably detecting difficult
objects such as black tires or shiny rims
in different sizes, but controlling the mo-
tor rollers logically. The WLR2 solves
both assignments reliably.
Optical and optimum accumulation
advisor for motorized rollers
The WLR2 is just like the WTR photo-
electric proximity switch specifically
planned for this application segment.
Thus, the housing construction was de-
signed with a view to the unique spatial
conditions between the transport rollers.
In terms of installation, the connection of
several WLR2s in series allows controlling
extensive accumulating lines exactly
what happened at Audi. This reduces the
overall wiring effort to a minimum, since
the logics and operational voltage can
be looped through like a bus line. Apro-
pos logics: Apart from the integrated logic
functions for single feed and single dis-
charge, what distinguishes the WLR2 is
its new sleep/awake feature. This operat-
ing mode permits need-oriented control of
motorized rollers such as the RollerDrive
EC300 from Interroll with a 24 V DC op-
erating voltage and integrated DriveCon-
trol in order to prolong the service life of
the motor rollers. If after approx. 9 sec-
onds, the WLR2 does not detect another
wheel, i.e., the conveying section is empty,
the WLR2 turns the motor rollers off. The
WLR2 remains activated, and as soon as
another wheel enters the light path of the
photoelectric switch, it restarts the motor
rollers. One accumulating roller sensor
In practical operation at Duni:
The worlds first facility
with IO link communication
Recently, meurer Verpackungssysteme has commissioned the
worlds first facility with IO link used in productive operations for
Duni GmbH & Co. KG, a manufacturer of table and banqueting
table decor in Bramsche (Lower Saxony). Photoelectric proximity
switches of the WT18-3 series from SICK communicate with the
controller of the packaging machine, offering the end user more
flexibility, operating reliability, and availability.
>> Tablecloths, table sets, or napkins
functional table decor in fine design
constitutes the main production empha-
sis of Duni at its site in Bramsche. One of
the products enjoying great popularity is
the Dunicel Tte--Ttes.
Tray packer: the communicative
carton-packaging machine
The tray packer from meurer follows
immediately upon the film packaging and
labeling station of the table runner rolls.
Important process steps are controlled
with photoelectric proximity switches
featuring IO link. At the infeed of the ma-
chine, two sensors detect the arrival of
rolls as well as any undesired congestion
of rolls. In the roll magazine that follows,
two additional WT18-3s take on the mini-
mal and maximum detection, thus ensur-
ing the correct and complete stacking of
the rolls in several tiers. Parallel to these
processes, two photoelectric proximity
switches monitor the precise position of
the cuts in the respective roll magazine
that is active at the time. In the carton
erector, a further monitoring of presence
regarding the cuts occurs; the same ap-
plies in the packer, where the tiers of rolls
are pushed into the carton.
IO link talks turkey during sensor con-
figuration and error analysis
Both the communicative capacity of the
IO link sensors via the PROFIBUS fieldbus
of the carton packer and the easy-to-follow
display of sensor signals on the interface
of the touch-screen panel designed by
meurer have simplified operations of the
machine to an unprecedented extent. That
applies equally to the changeover between
different packaging orders and to error
correction as well as preventive equip-
ment maintenance. Thus, in the start-up
phase, exact configuration of the photo-
electric proximity switch for each of the
formats to be processed was carried out
via the teach-in field on the touch screen.
During operations, the parameters, e.g.
detection range, hysteresis, or the serial
number of the sensor are retrieved from
the automation system, transmitted to the
sensors, and if required shown on the
display. Mechanical readjustment of the
sensors for each change of order is no lon-
ger necessary; as well, their configurations
are reproducible 100 percent and thus ab-
solutely reliable. In case of a malfunction,
the machine operator can immediately
gain an idea of the potential cause. Touch-
ing the respective sensor depiction on the
panel immediately gives the operator all
of the important information. This data in-
cludes signal quality as a figure and bar
graph, the status of the switching output,
the degree of contamination, any indica-
tion of a possible short circuit as well as
information concerning the potential in-
fluence of any external sensors or other
sources of interference in the machine.
Advantages, availability, and security
of investment: users are getting ready
for the whistle
The example of the worlds first production
installation of IO link at Duni shows that us-
ers are getting ready for the whistle. They
are recognizing the advantages of active
sensor networks in machines, benefiting
from the fact that an increasing amount of
suitable sensor technology is emerging in
the market. In this context, even today SICK
already offers a wide variety of devices
photoelectric proximity switches, light grids
for automation, magnetic cylinder sensors,
connection modules and much more.
Further product information:
www.sickinsight.com
More about the customer:
www.audi.com
after another successively activates the
subsequent conveyor section in the direc-
tion of transport. When a particular accu-
mulation area is empty again, the sleep
mode resumes, recommencing the ener-
gy-saving and cost-cutting rest phase.
Positive project and
operating experiences
The accumulating roller conveyor for the
wheels of the Audi A4 and the Audi Q5
has been operating since September of
2007. Accordingly, the project and oper-
ating experiences have been positive.
For Wegener + Stapel, the WLR2
sensors constitute the optimum solu-
tion, since they offer maximum detec-
tion reliability with respect to the kinds
of low-reflectance objects that black
tires or wheels naturally are. Due to the
bus-like construction, the WLR2 mini-
mizes the wiring and installation effort.
Moreover, the logic functions of the ac-
cumulating roller conveyors do not re-
quire separate programming, since they
already come with the sensors.
For buffering systems in conveying systems
Audi relies on optical
accumulation advisors
for motorized rollers
At Audi, the logic functions of
single feed and single discharge
as well as the sleep/awake oper-
ating mode permit autonomous
control of the motorized rollers
www.sickinsight.com
www.duni.com
www.meurer-gruppe.de
Packaging facility Wheel conveyor facility
: Applications
01 2008
: Applications
>> The solution was realized by ERMO In-
dustriemontagen Reuner GmbH, a plant
manufacturer based in Mainhausen. The
challenge was making the vehicles safe
with optical systems and in compliance
with the highest control category, even
though they operate entirely without
electricity.
Xella the company behind
brands like YTONG and Hebel
The internationally operating Xella
Group, with its lead company Xella In-
ternational GmbH in Duisburg, supplies
the YTONG, Hebel, and Silka brands,
making it the worlds major producer of
aerated concrete and lime-sand bricks.
Subsumed under the Hebel brand, Xella
Aircrete Systems GmbH in Alzenau offers
a system program comprised of assem-
bly components made of aerated con-
crete as well as construction elements
for large-scale projects built in modular
style, e.g. massive halls, logistics centers
as well as production and warehous-
L4000/UE402 photoelectric
safety switches and deflector
mirrors help protect workers
from collisions with current-
less transport cars in the weld-
ing facility for rebar steel cages
at Xella Aircrete Systems.
07
www.sickinsight.com
www.xella.com
www.ermo.net
Making currentless transport cars safe:
Deflector mirrors as optical bumpers
ing facilities. Depending on the type of
use, the construction elements made of
quartz sand, limestone, and concrete are
reinforced with rebar steel mats and cag-
es. The latter are manufactured in a ro-
bot welding facility for cages where apart
from three large transport cars, workers
are also present. Since the vehicles are
entirely currentless, classic safety solu-
tions such as laser scanners and con-
necting elements on the vehicle were
out of the question from the beginning
not so, however, the L4000/UE401
as fixed-mounted photoelectric safety
switch systems. By means of deflecting
mirrors mounted to all four corners of
the transport cars, the stationary pho-
toelectric switches generate a mobile
safety bumper directly on the vehicle,
simultaneously monitoring its drive path.
Overall, a total of three pairs of sensors
are installed in the facility to cover the
different driving situations.
Making the cage transport cars safe
is extremely efficient and user-friendly.
It was possible to integrate the entire
sensor and control technology into Xella
Aircretes existing facility at modest in-
vestment and installation cost.
Hazardous area protection with the
L4000 (right) and the UE401 (top)
photoelectric safety switch system
06
>> Employing a staff of about 500,
Harro Hfliger GmbH in the Baden-Wrt-
temberg town of Allmersbach is one of
the leading packaging partners of phar-
maceutical and medical engineering.
By means of their modular platform for
packaging systems, the engineers from
Hfliger have designed a system to man-
ufacture formed film and foil packages
for cylindrical medical products that is
adjustable to a clients production pe-
riphery. In terms of equipping the facil-
ity with sensors, we attached particular
importance to the technical quality of the
products and to consulting competence,
but also to being able to obtain them
as completely as possible from a single
source, says Christian Vogel, the design
engineer from Hfliger responsible for
the facility. Add to this that more than
For medical and pharmaceutical products
Complete sensor package
for packaging facilities
In the facilities of Harro Hfliger Verpackungsmaschinen GmbH,
process steps involving the plastic wrapping of small tubes are
controlled and monitored by optical, magnetic, and distance-mea-
suring ultrasonic sensors from SICK.
85 percent of our systems are exported
which means we need a partner that
is internationally present and capable of
support as well. That also explains why
nearly all processes within the facility
are controlled and monitored by sensors
from SICK.
Complete automation
from a single portfolio
A total of 17 process steps are required
to package 140 small tubes into formed
film and foil packages. The packaging
consists of a bottom and a cover film,
to which handling and product labels
are attached by means of various pro-
cesses. In this context, DGS60 encod-
ers from SICK-STEGMANN determine
the exact positioning of the labeling unit
that travels sideway. Simultaneously, a
KT3 contrast scanner ensures that the
label was actually attached to the bot-
tom film. At the first sealing station, the
bottom film is heat-sealed 80 percent
with the cover foil. Subsequently, an
insertion robot pushes the small tubes
into the package in packets of ten. The
automatic feed and the provision of the
small tubes are monitored by photoelec-
tric switches with fiber-optic cables of
the WLL170 and WLL190T-2 series fea-
turing four-digit digital displays. In case
the facility is undergoing maintenance or
congestion hampers the supply of small
tubes, the robots externally accessible
cabin is monitored by an S300 safety
laser scanner.
Packaging control: tactile detection
with magnetic evaluation
A particular challenge was the verifi-
cation to see whether each package
actually contained a small tube after
the insertion by the robot. Together
with SICK, we have realized a means
for checking presence via pneumatic
cylinder sensors featuring integrated
magnetic cylinder sensors of the MZ2Q
series, says Christian Vogel. The spe-
cial feature of this sensor is that it of-
fers two independent switching points
on a very short construction thus al-
lowing three sets of status information
concerning piston position. Piston re-
tracted means that the sensor issues
an enable signal for the automatic feed
of the package. The second piston po-
sition issues a signal once the tactile
finger detects a small tube in the pack-
age. Piston extended as the third state
means that there is no resistance and
thus no tube present which implies an
error, resulting in the extraction of the
affected packaging unit via a shifting
register, explains Christian Vogel. After
checking the package for contents, it is
sealed completely. A CSM1 color sensor
checks the correct remaining sealing of
the packaging seams. Following attach-
ment of the opening device on the pack-
age, the medical products reach the
ejection station, the last process step.
In the infeed area, one ultrasonic sen-
sor of the UC12 series per path monitors
their arrival.
www.sickinsight.com
www.hoefliger.de
Completely equipped with sensor technology from SICK: the facility for
manufacturing formed film and foil packages for cylindrical medical products
Film packaging Welding facility for steel cages
: Applications
01 2008
: Applications
9
Text Text Text Text
>> The monitoring and testing signals
of several LMS211 are evaluated by a
UE4470 flexible safety controller in such
a way that the overall solution meets the
requirements of Category 2 according to
EN 954-1 and, respectively, performance
level c according to ISO 13849-1.
Required: safety for automatic
transport of concrete blocks
The AGVs developed by Lintel for pack-
ages of concrete blocks represent a novel
vehicle with hinge-mounted motor driven
legs that can travel in any desired direc-
tion at a maximum speed of 1.2 m/s.
The vehicle receives its positioning data
via GPS; a navigation processor handles
these data further, sending them as navi-
gation information and driving commands
to the automation system of the AGV.
Due to the construction design of the
AGV, both in the inner section between
the struts and around the vehicle, per-
sons are subjected to various hazards
that call for safety precautions by means
of a safety device designed appropri-
The worlds first outdoor safety concept for a free-running AGV
was realized for the concrete block manufacturer Lintel in Rheda-
Wiedenbrck. A short while ago, the solution was approved by
TV Rheinland as the OS2000 safety scanner system.
ately. Assessment of different safety
features showed that horizontal area
protection with laser scanners would be
the option most reasonable in terms of
operations if there werent restrictions
related to outdoor use.
Laser measurement systems
overcome outdoor restrictions of
classic safety scanners
Up to this time, all of the safety laser scan-
ners approved by EC pattern evaluation
test were designed and certified for indoor
use only. At the time, outdoor use was
technically impossible because of various
ambient conditions. For example, snow
and rain can lead to reflections and thus
to an unintended response. The same
occurs in case of a wet windshield or the
extreme incidence of light caused by low
sun. Certainly, these problems may be re-
solved partially by means of software, but
not to the extent that the requirements
of safety and availability are fulfilled si-
multaneously in the best possible way. At
outside temperatures below 10 C, the
scanners available in those days diverge
from the specification entailing the
danger of inadmissible component toler-
ances. These limitations are unknown to
the outdoor laser measurement systems
from SICK such as the LMS211. Tech-
nically, they are based on the certified
and pattern approved PLS laser scanner
with their hard and software, however,
designed specifically for outdoor use.
UE4470 endows best technical
solution with required safety
The LMS211 has only one limitation: It
certainly is the best possible technical
solution but not an approved safety com-
ponent according to the EU Directive on
machinery. Nevertheless, the laser mea-
surement systems achieve the required
safety level namely in combination with
the UE4470 safe programmable logic con-
troller from SICK. The controller, certified
according to control category 4 (EN 954-1)
and SIL3 (IEC 61508) takes on the equip-
ment-related linking of the LMS211s, the
evaluation of their output signals as well
as the controlling of cyclical testing of the
laser scanners. On top of that, the UE4470
processes the signals of the AGVs automa-
tion system: Depending on GPS position
and operating status, the safety control-
ler activates the monitoring areas of the
: Applications Automated loading station
09 08
www.sickinsight.com
www.betonwerk-lintel.de
LMS211s within and outside of the vehicle.
Any detection of persons or obstacles dur-
ing ongoing operations of the AGV causes
activation of the safety lock of both travel-
ing drives as well as the vertical drive. The
same happens if during testing, the test
object is not detected or the cycle duration
of the testing impulse is exceeded. Finally,
the UE4470 triggers a safety stop if certain
temporal or spatial prerequisites between
GPS positioning and detection of desired
positions are not met, e.g. the AGV reach-
es the transfer station at the deal belt too
late. In this way, even the components that
are not safety-oriented, such as GPS, navi-
gation processor, automation system, and
PROFIBUS gateway are integrated into the
monitoring of the safety function.
With laser measurement systems and safety controller
Making outdoor AGVs
safe according to Category 2
Safe outdoor solution
goes into series production
Whether mobile as in the case of Lintel
or stationary for a number of outdoor
applications, a scanner solution repre-
sents the best possible safety option. In
order to avoid having to carry out an in-
dividual inspection, SICK has presented
the concept to TV Rheinland, receiving
certification at the end of 2007. Under
the label of OS2000 (see p. 27) the solu-
tion described is now certified as an ap-
proved system for up to three scanners
and ranges of up to 20 m. The overall
system reaches performance level d in
accordance with EN ISO 13849-1.
Knows no outdoor restrictions: the
LMS211 laser scanner
>> Drilling, cutting threads, clearing the
toothing, hardening, straightening, check-
ing, grinding, polishing, scrubbing and con-
serving overall, ten different stages of
work are necessary to turn a round piece of
solid steel material into a steering rack for
the steering of a Ford, Volvo, or Landrover.
In order to transport the finished steering
racks to the steering assembly, they are in-
serted into special transport containers by
a gantry robot, explains Recep Erdogan,
process engineer at tedrive steering. To
ensure that each empty pallet in this pack-
ing station is empty indeed, we are using
S100 laser scanners. However, even as
full indicators, the devices provide valu-
able service as well.
S100: Tried and tested
20,000 times a year
In 2007, tedrive steering produced about
1.8 million steering racks thus packing
approx. 20,000 containers with 90 units
each. Thanks to the S100, there was not
a single case of collision of the gantry
robot with any steering rack remaining
in one of the transport containers. Be-
fore the filling process commences, the
S100 scans the container horizontally,
ensuring that the integrated perforated
plate for the 90 steering racks overall is
entirely empty. Following this, the robot
begins removing the steering racks from
the scrubber and inserting them into the
containers. If all of the 90 spots are oc-
cupied, querying of the second container
begins. If all the spaces are empty there,
the container is ready for collision-free
loading. While now the filling of the sec-
ond container commences at the pack-
ing station, there is time to remove the
full container from the machine and re-
place it with an empty one.
In an automated loading station for steering racks at tedrive steer-
ing in Wfrath, S100 laser scanners assure the gantry robot of al-
ways finding an empty spot at least until the container is full.
Empty/full inspection of transport containers
Checking out the steering rack
www.sickinsight.com
www.tedrive.com
The S100 laser scanner ensures that
the perforated plate for all of the 90
steering racks is free and indicates
when the filling process is complete
Freely moving AGV
: Applications
10 01 2008
: Applications
11
>> As a book wholesaler, KNVs core
competence for more than 175 years
has been the distribution of books, maps,
new media, calendars, games, and gift
items in a word, anything for sale in a
bookstore. The enterprise serves as a
connecting link between publishers and
bookstores, with 450,000 titles available
at the warehouse at any given time.
Project with high demands
The implementation of the project had to
meet above all three requirements: on the
one hand, the extremely confined installa-
tion space for the identification systems in
the conveyor system; on the other hand,
modernization of the facility during ongo-
ing operations; and finally, the approach-
Combined parcel identification and video coding
Not a closed book at all
In the course of modernizing the video coding facilities at their
distribution center in Stuttgart, the book wholesaler Koch, Neff
& Volckmar GmbH (KNV) opted for an all-inclusive identification
package from SICK. Four ICR890 camera systems and calibra-
tion-capable VMS510 volume measurement systems each en-
sure delivery capability at any time.
ing start of the 2007/2008 school year
that would require productive operations at
peak capacity for KNV book wholesalers.
Better reading performance =
better intralogistics
The objective of one day being able to de-
liver all of the orders overnight across the
country via the in-house delivery service
requires smooth intralogistical handling
of the clients parcels. This relates above
all to the parcels being identifiable based
on their dispatch barcodes. In cooperation
with the systems provider Frnz & Jger
based in Aachen, SICK was able to realize
four efficient complete ID facilities com-
prised of ICR890 camera systems for
code reading and video coding, as well as
VMS510 volume measurement systems
for detecting the parcel dimensions.
IDeal solution package
The ICR890 is a high-end reading system
for barcodes as well as PDF and data ma-
trix codes. The construction of the code
reader, which integrates, in a modular way,
the individual system components LED
lighting, real-time focus control, and high-
performance decoder into the overall
system, is designed for highest image qual-
ity in any operating conditions. Essential
for use at KNV was the fact that due to its
image-capturing feature, the ICR890 is not
only suitable for exclusive barcode reading
but also for OCR and video coding applica-
tions. If by chance at a throughput rate
of 15,000 parcels per hour one of the
target codes cannot be read, that parcel is
detected via video coding and then trans-
ferred to separate workstations, where
subsequent detection of zip codes and
manual application of a router label takes
place. In this connection, the transfer of
image data occurs in real time via two
Gbit Ethernet interfaces. By means of the
VMS510, KNV counts the parcels and re-
cords their volume. The systems are linked
with the code readers via CAN bus, allow-
ing the overall solution to manage with a
single interface to the control processor.
Positive operating experience
Putting the new parcel identification and
video coding at KNV into operation was fea-
sible as scheduled. Converting the facility
during ongoing operations did not impair
the delivery capability of the distribution
center. Using the video coding by Frnz
& Jger Company allowed an increase of
automatic parcel detection to over 99% of
the merchandise without any slowdown
of the goods flow. Practically, now only
merchandise that is delivered without a
label or completely illegible requires any
manual processing. In total, the system
carries out 4,000 detections per hour in-
cluding volume detection, weight detec-
tion, and re-labeling. The change from
the old systems to the new ICR890s and
VMS510s unfolded without any problems;
as a result, delivery of the schoolbooks at
the beginning of the school year was pos-
sible with familiar dependability.
>> Anyone deciding against the cheap-
er barcode and in favor of a more ex-
pensive RFID system for controlling an
intralogistical cycle expects from the
system a concrete additional benefit.
What mattered to us were several as-
pects, says Hakan Zander, responsi-
ble for control automation at the Pergo
laminate factory in Trelleborg. On the
one hand, it is the nearly 100-percent
availability in contrast to a barcode, be-
cause contamination in the surrounding
area does not impair the identification
of the pallets. Moreover, unlike labels,
the data carriers also cannot peel off
the pallet. Finally, the system provides
us with an opportunity to carry along on
the pallet considerably more data, e.g.
batch information or product codes.
Another crucial point for the economic
efficiency of the solution at Pergo was
the fact that the data carriers can be
reused virtually ad infinitum.
Manufacturing or shipping?
At the laminate plant, both pallets
with finished goods and pallets with
At Pergos laminate factory in Trelleborg
Pallet control
with RFID
Semi-finished product or finished laminate that is the question
deciding on the path pallets travel at Pergo in the Swedish town
of Trelleborg. The answer is delivered by the RFI341 from SICK,
sending the goods in the right direction right away.
semi-finished products are passing the
same conveyor system. At the point
where their paths go off in separate
directions, either toward shipping or
further processing, Pergo has installed
an RFI341 (radio frequency interroga-
tor) read-write device. As the pallets ar-
rive, the information of the data carrier
is read out. The RFI341 evaluates this
information, controlling directly, i.e.
without any further PLC, the material
flow switch that sends the pallets in the
right direction. In the shipping area, the
puck-like data carriers are removed to
be reused for labeling new pallets.
Trouble-free, reliable,
and economical
The 13.56 MHz system from SICK pro-
vides a high degree of reading reliability
and availability and thus a maximum
amount of operating benefit, confirms
Hakan Zander, who installed and ad-
justed the system together with Janne
Engqvist from SICK. Since that time,
the switch control with the RFI341
delivers convincing performance due
www.sickinsight.com
www.knv.de
www.fraenz-jaeger.de
Four complete ID facilities featuring systems from SICK were implemented
to make sure that clients parcels can be delivered on time
to its trouble-free operation and great
reliability. The acquisition costs of the
RFID system were certainly higher; but
the operating reliability and flexibility
have resulted in cost savings that al-
low fast amortization, Hakan Zander
praises the economic aspect of the in-
vestment.
With SICK toward the
best possible solution
Whether barcode or RFID SICK offers
innovative solutions for both labeling
technologies, thus being able to pro-
vide each client with the best individual
solution.
www.sickinsight.com
www.pergo.com
The RFID system reads the data of
the puck-like data carriers
which are reused to label new pallets
Video coding facility Pallet inspection
: Applications
12 01 2008
: Applications
13
>> ASYS Automatisierungssysteme
GmbH in Dornstadt has been a leading
system solver for the electronics indus-
try for years. The company develops
Optical sensors are very precise which may sometimes be a
disadvantage. Therefore, it is helpful when users like ASYS can
switch from one active principle to another while using the same
installation and connecting technology.
and supplies various facilities for print-
ed circuit board production, including
so-called panel separator (depaneler)
systems. One panel represents up to
>> In order to form the slabs, liquid steel
heated to about 1,560 C is filled into the
slab mold. Water cooling makes it possi-
ble that both on the narrow side measur-
ing about 250 mm and on the wide side
measuring 2,600 mm, the steel forms a
shell within the short distance traveled
through the slab mold, allowing it to be
pulled off horizontally across rollers at a
speed of 1m/min. At a residual tempera-
ture of roughly 950 C, the slab strand
reaches the cutting torch facility, to be cut
into slabs that are easy to handle, i.e.
transportable by crane; these will under-
When distance measurement becomes a hot issue
Position detection at 950 C
Its a rather heated affair as liquid steel is cast into slab ingots
at Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbHs continuous casting plant. In
the midst of the heat, dust, steam, and tinder, DT500 distance
sensors take care of accurate detection of the continuous steel
strands and control of the slab cutting torches.
go further processing in the hot strip or
cold rolling mill for example into sheet
metal for cars, pipes, kitchen appliances,
or pots.
Distance measurement
for the perfect start of the torches
The decisive factor for cutting the steel
slabs is that it takes place continuously
from one side to the other, for any re-
maining material crosspiece would make
handling by crane impossible, explains
Matthias Klppelt, operations assistant
at the continuous casting plant. There-
www.sickinsight.com
www.salzgitter-flachstahl.de
fore, it is essential to detect the position
of the slab on the roller conveyor accu-
rately in order to position and start the
torches about 100 mm to the side of the
slab strand. To this end, the cutting torch
facility is equipped with two DT500 laser
distance sensors. Their special housing
and additional installation behind a guard
plate make the high ambient tempera-
tures manageable for the device. One
DT500 each measures the distance of
the left and, respectively, the right nar-
row side of the steel slabs. Based on
this data, the torch controller calculates
the position of the slabs and sets up the
torches in their starting position. At a cut-
ting speed of approx. 300 mm/min, they
set out to complete their task, allowing
one 40-ton cut slab to be transported off
every 4-5 minutes.
All of Salzgitter Flachstahls three
continuous casting facilities are
equipped with DT500s for controlling
the torches. This will also apply to the
fourth production line a thick slab cast-
ing plant whose construction is already
under way.
The distance sensor sustains the
high ambient temperatures because of
its special housing and additional instal-
lation behind the guard plate
20 individual circuit boards connected
by a frame and thin dividers. In this way,
they can pass the handling, marking,
and assembly units as a single circuit
board, before a plastic cutting machine
cuts through the dividers and detaches
the individual circuit boards at the end
of the production cycle.
Photoelectric switch is first choice,
ultrasound at times the better one
For detecting the panels in the vari-
ous processing and transport systems,
ASYS has relied for many years suc-
cessfully on photoelectric switches
and photoelectric proximity switches
of the W4-3 series. Depending on the
conveyed length and panel layout, the
holes and slits between the individual
circuit boards result in unwanted trig-
gering of the photoelectric switches.
Therefore, together with SICK, the
people at ASYS searched for a sensor
using a more suitable active principle,
one that practically ignores the gaps on
the panel. Since this sensor for ASYS
had to be designed in a way compatible
with mounting and connecting require-
ments, SICK simply integrated its ultra-
sound technology into the photoelec-
tric switch housing of the W4-3. This
approach yielded the UC4, one of the
smallest miniature series of ultrasonic
sensors available for industrial use.
Plug & play exchange possible
Neither the installation geometry nor
the attachment nor the sensor connec-
tion show any differences the W4-3
photoelectric switch and the UC4 ultra-
sonic sensor can be switched for one
another 1:1. For companies like ASYS,
this constitutes a huge advantage,
since during start-up or any inspection
tests, one sensor can be exchanged
with a few simple touches against a
device with a different physical active
principle.
www.sickinsight.com
www.asys-group.com
When the broad cudgel
is better than the tiny light spot
Exchange program
The W4-3 photoelectric switch
(top of the illustration) and the
UC4 ultrasonic sensor can be
substituted for one another
Printed circuit board production Continuous casting facility
: Applications
14
: Applications
15
>> The Fritz Egger corporate group in
St. Johann in Tyrol is among Europes
leading manufacturers of wood-based
materials. One of the latest highlights
in their product portfolio is the EURO-
LIGHT
lightweight board. The product

involves using a polyurethane adhesive
to glue a cardboard honeycomb core,
up to 94 mm thick, on top and on the
bottom together with chipboards up to
8 mm in thickness. Since the primary
products may already entail tolerances,
Fritz Egger has to ensure in the produc-
tion process that the final product, i.e.
each bonded lightweight board, deviates
only by a maximum of 0.2 mm from the
The people at the Austrian wood-based materials manufacturer
Fritz Egger GmbH & Co. attach great importance to small toler-
ances. To ensure that the EUROLIGHT
lightweight boards feature

top quality, i.e. stable bonding together with constant thickness,
high-precision distance sensors monitor the production process.
desired thickness. Because of the semi-
matt dcor finish on some of the boards,
the envisaged sensor solution was sup-
posed to work without contact, be cost-
effective and space saving as well as
easy to install and operate.
Displacement sensors as
precise inspection devices
Devices from the OD Max series fulfill
these requirements. For each facility,
the thickness of each of the boards un-
dergoes continuous measurement at the
center and on both sides. Positioned at
these three measuring points are two
optical heads, which, mounted opposite
-precise thickness measurement
of lightweight boards
Non-contact, cost-
effective, and online
one another, measure the lightweight
boards transported between them at a
frequency of 10 kHz. Linked to a com-
mon evaluation unit, calculation of the
board thickness takes place directly in
the evaluation module. The machine
control system requests the material
thickness every 100 ms, visualizing it
together with the deviation from the de-
sired thickness on the equipment panel,
both as figures and in a graph. Thus, on-
line measurement via OD Max not only
proves itself as a precise means of in-
spection but also allows readjustment of
the ongoing pressing process.
Economical solution
Various aspects contribute to the high
degree of economic efficiency connect-
ed to the OD Max solution. In contrast
to the manual measurement practiced
before, it is now possible to inspect the
lightweight boards without destroying
them. Sensitive surfaces do not suffer
damage by tactile measuring styluses.
Compared to the complete packages
available on the market, the cost for the
OD Max was many times less, and so
was the space required on the facilities,
says Josef Nothegger from Fritz Egger.
Three measuring points with OD Max:
For each facility, the thickness of the
boards is continuously measured at the
center and on both sides, respectively
www.sickinsight.com
www.egger.com
>> Temperature resistance, high resolu-
tion, multiturn design with mechanical
transmissions, and high resistance to
interference qualify the SKM36 for de-
manding operating conditions. Its space-
saving design allows simple incorpora-
tion even into compact integrated drives
such as the Milan drive advanced series
from GFC AntriebsSysteme GmbH. In
this connection, absolute value encod-
ers provide for significant operating and
safety advantages.
Multiturn motor feedback system has the right twist
Positioning decentralized
drives absolutely correctly
When absolute positioning values and compact construction are
what counts in drive technology, in many cases the SKM36 mul-
titurn motor feedback system has the right twist. This also ap-
plies to the integrated Milan drive advanced servo drives from
GFC AntriebsSysteme GmbH.
Ready for operation and safe
from the starting signal onward
The decisive element for many users is
the integrated concept of the Milan drive
advanced, which firmly combines the drive
and the control system as a compact unit
that is easy to install, operate, and main-
tain. It relieves master controllers and
achieves shorter reaction times, says Mat-
thias Bolanz, head of sales at GFC Antriebs-
Systeme GmbH. By means of the SKM36
absolute value encoder in the Milan drive
advanced, the machine or assembly de-
vice can begin operating immediately after
the starting signal, without the reference
run required otherwise, e.g. in the case of
a resolver. For an ever increasing number
of clients, this constitutes an essential ad-
vantage, because the entire drive becomes
a plug & play component, which does not
unnecessarily delay machine operations,
for instance after restarting or a disruption
of the supply voltage, Matthias Bolanz re-
ports from conversations with end users.
Furthermore, safety aspects are increas-
ingly receiving attention as well. Queries
by the machine control system concern-
ing the operating state of the encoder or
rpm monitoring within a certain tolerance
range can be satisfied reliably and ef-
ficiently only with absolute
value encoders.
www.sickinsight.com
www.gfc-antriebe.de
Motor feedback systems are
becoming a trend for high-end drives
The Milan drive advanced drives find
use in the most diverse applications:
on spray robots, cross-cut units, for syn-
chronized movement of large-format
screens, for retrofitting old special ma-
chines, in assembly and pick & place
automated machines, testing and in-
spection stations, or feed and position-
ing systems. The same principle applies
in all of these cases: The more the drive
becomes a high-end component within
the equipment, the greater the value us-
ers attach to the integration of absolute
value encoders such as the SKM36. If at
the moment reasons related to practical
operations are above all crucial for this
development, the future will see added
aspects such as machine safety and
personnel protection, for all of which
absolute positioning and rpm data are
indispensable.
Due to the SKM36 absolute value
encoders integrated in the Milan drive
advanced from GFC, the machine can
begin operating without delay right from
the starting signal
Production of wood-based materials Drive technology
01 2008
: Applications
16 01 2008
: Applications
17
>> IPL Transmission is a leading pro-
ducer of transmission components such
as V-belt, toothed belt or poly-V-belt pul-
leys, clutches, weld-in and bolted hubs,
sprocket wheels, and flanges. The parts
are manufactured on more than 80 CNC
machines. The components reach the
assembly stations either via a belt con-
veyor or on a pallet. Feeding parts toward
the process, which took place manually
Using two IVC-3D smart cameras and one Motoman robot, the
Danish IPL Transmission Company has efficiently automated the
assembly of pulleys and flanges. The solution was implemented by
a local system integrator.
in the past, has now been resolved by us-
ing two 3D smart cameras of the IVC-3D
series from SICK. They enable a twin-arm
Motoman robot to grip the pulleys and
flanges with great precision, assembling
them into complete units.
Cameras detect unknown
positions and random orientations
The flanges, transported via the conveyor
www.sickinsight.com
www.motoman.com, www.ipl.dk
www.kp-industri.dk
belt to the assembly unit, rest on the belt
in an entirely random lateral position or
orientation as well as alignment. In order
to enable the robot to grip accurately, the
IVC-3D uses various attributes, some of
which may only differ slightly, to determine
those points where the robot can subse-
quently get a reliable grip with one of its
two arms. By means of the second arm,
the robot picks up a single pulley, sitting
ready for use on a palletized stack next to
the assembly station. In this case, too, the
exact gripping position is unknown to be-
gin with, since the access height changes
with every pick and the stack or, respec-
tively, the pulleys also shift because of the
pallet handling, thus potentially resting in
a random picking position. Supplied by a
second IVC-3D, the robot now receives
exact data on where the part to be picked
up is located. Following the assembly
process, the robot sets the finished unit
down on a storage pallet.
Perfect: technology and
programmability of the camera
Keld Peterson from the KP-Industri sys-
tems integrator, who has been dealing
with image processing for years, on the
one hand praises the camera per se:
The IVC-3D works without separate
lighting, is insensitive to ambient light,
processes the 3D image data online on
the camera chip, and supplies the kind of
high-precision measuring results that are
necessary for visual guidance of robots.
On top of that, though, he is quite taken
with the software design: The program
library of IVC Studio with its well over 120
tools allows fast implementation of even
more complex applications, without the
operator being forced to have profound
expert knowledge. External specialists
are not necessary either.
The example of IPL Transmission
demonstrates that KP-Industri and other
system integrators are capable of utiliz-
ing the IVC-3D to provide their clients with
camera solutions at reasonable cost.
Detection of orientation, visual guidance,
and process control
3D cameras control
robot assembly station
>> Wood is a living material that may
exhibit a large number of features and
defects. At the same time, it undergoes
rapid treatment in industrial processes,
which renders the detection of flaws in
the wood and their differentiation, e.g.
from contamination, a real challenge. To-
ward this task, the Luxemburg Luxscan
Company has developed the Easy-Scan
inspection system that involves two
Ranger vision cameras scanning the sur-
face with high speed and precision.
Simultaneous application
of different imaging processes
The Ranger camera systems set the
standard when it comes to gauging 3D
object inspection in an industrial envi-
More throughput, better quality, lower production costs
Checking lumber per camera
The 3D vision systems of the Ranger series from SICK offer
possibilities not only for contour measurement but also for surface
analysis. The Luxscan Technologies Company utilizes these pos-
sibilities in their Easy-Scan systems for checking lumber.
ronment. They provide scan rates of up
to 35,000 profiles per second, thus al-
lowing maximum feeding speeds. Each
profile can include more than 1,500
high-precision 3D data points with high
resolution all the way down to a few mi-
crometers. Due to the patented multi-
scan function, the Ranger cameras are
capable of carrying out several different
imaging processes on the same object
simultaneously: gray-scale for conven-
tional 2D analysis; measurements of
height profiles for 3D modeling; and the
capturing of scatter images containing
surface information.
The latter are used to evaluate the
scattering characteristics of organic ma-
terials such as wood.
Easy-Scan: 3D surface scanning with
high-precision defect detection
Easy-Scan is a twin-sided scan system for
scanning the surface of boards up to a
length of 6 m, a thickness of 150 mm, and
width of 260 mm. By means of the two in-
tegrated Ranger cameras, Easy-Scan can
measure boards three-dimensionally up to
a feed rate of 160 m/min and recognize
variations in dimension. Using multiscan,
it detects different types of defects such
as bark edges, knots, cracks, pith, resin
galls, blue rot, red rot, and other significant
wood-related flaws. The controller of Easy-
Scan can optimize the subsequent cutting
processes carried out by cross-cut saws in
terms of value, utilization, or specific pro-
duction targets. For the user, Easy-Scan
contributes to a reduction of inspection
costs with concurrently increased produc-
tivity and consistently high quality. Fur-
thermore, it provides a maximum amount
of flexibility, since the analysis parameters
of the cameras and the sorting criteria
of the overall system lend themselves to
easy and rapid modification.
Thanks to Ranger, the Easy-Scan
system is headed for success instead of
barking up the wrong tree.
www.sickinsight.com
www.luxscan.com
Lumber inspection Handling of transmission components
Keld Pedersen greatly appreciates the
kind of high-precision measuring results
from the IVC-3D smart camera that are
necessary for visual guidance of robots
01 2008 18
sickinsight.com
>> Whether in factory, logistics, or process
automation when it comes to automa-
tion, safety and identification technology,
SICK AG has available not only one of
the worlds broadest product portfolios
but it ranks, in this regard as well, among
the technological leaders. Numerous in-
novations based on image-processing
sensors and systems assist very suc-
cessfully in developing and implement-
ing industry-oriented solutions. The trend
toward a type of image processing, which
is capable, as much as possible, of plug
& play, as a technical and economical
From platform to application-oriented portfolio
Image processing at SICK
In recent years, image processing has evolved into a driving force of innovation
and a fixed quantity in industrial automation technology. Based on the exper-
tise of the subsidiary SICK IVP, today SICK AG has at its disposal a platform
of image-processing technology from which a broad portfolio of sensor and
system solutions have developed that meet the most diverse requirements
depending on the operating environment and the task.
Intelligent combination for flexible solutions
Fiber-optic photoelectric switches
alternative to complex vision systems
had been recognized years ago, with the
necessary expertise built up in response.
You can find out more about the platform
on which the vision systems from SICK
are based and about the versatile ways
in which they are used in automation,
safety, and identification technology at
www.sickinsight.com
>> Photoelectric switches with fiber-
optic cables constitute the first choice
wherever little space for installation is
available. Transmitter and receiver are
accommodated in a single housing and
installed in an easily accessible spot.
Sheathed plastic or glass fiber cables
carry the light to the confined install-
ing location. Apart from the detection
of objects, fiber-optic cables serving as
slender access from the sensor to the
object also allow the detection of gray-
scale and color contrasts or fluores-
cent markings. Consequently, the ap-
plication field of fiber-optic sensors is
broad: It includes, among other things,
the semiconductor industry, electron-
ics production, packaging machines,
handling and assembly systems, pre-
cision engineering, and diverse types
of special machine construction. It is
obvious that the different fields of ap-
plication cannot be served with a sin-
gle fiber-optic system only intelligent
combinations of various sensor and
fiber-optic cable designs permit com-
petent complete solutions even for
explosion areas.
Learn more about the sensor and fi-
ber-optic cable portfolio from SICK at
www.sickinsight.com
On the Gattermax (GM) bread slicers from MHS Schneidetechnik GmbH,
C2000 safety light curtains from SICK ensure that the baker, confec-
tioner, apprentice, or the friendly sales assistant at the bread counter are
only slicing the respective bakery produce. >> Search word: MHS
Light curtain for bread slicer
Every year, the EECV Company handles 24 million tons of iron ore and
approx. 4.5 million tons of coal at the Europoort area of Rotterdams
port. Laser scanners from SICK monitor the miles and miles of belt
conveyors and control the worlds largest continuously operating
unloading crane. >> Search word: EECV
For handling and transport of coal and ore
When wooden slats are banging with great force against mechanical stops
in a stacking facility such as they do at Bien-Holz in Lauterbach, the sen-
sors operating in this environment require more than normal robustness.
In cases like these, the WTB27-3 photoelectric proximity switch proves its
worth: Its shock resistance is up to ten times greater than demanded by
the standard for optical sensors. >> Search word: Bien-Holz
Shock resistance up to 600 g increases service life
Driving collision-free and positioning accurately on the unmanned trans-
port vehicles at Schlott GmbH in Freudenstadt, S300 safety laser scan-
ners manage the automatic traffic between the electroplating lines, the
high bay warehouse for cylinders, and the printing presses.
>> Search word: Schlott GmbH
Safety with optimum protective fields
: Technology
: Applications Current reports in their entire length
When mounting space in a machine does not even suffice for miniature sensors,
photoelectric switches with fiber-optic cables often constitute the only solution
for detecting objects. When increased demands, e.g. on range, temperature re-
sistance, material robustness, or flexible installation are added to this, only an
intelligent combination of sensor design and fiber-optic cable can provide the
perfect solution.
19
The IVC-2D smart camera allows, for
instance, solving a variety of inspection
and control tasks
20
: Applications
21
Text Text Text Text : SICK MAIHAK : SICK MAIHAK : in emission and process gas
21
Thinking ahead in: gas flow
01 2008
Until the Baltic Sea Nord Stream pipeline is built, the 2,000-kilo-
metre-long Yamal-Europe pipeline remains the most important
gas line for conveying Russian gas from Siberia to Germany. How-
ever, measuring station operators and transportation companies
at the national borders frequently get annoyed about losses due
to the billing process when relaying it onward into the gas net-
works. This is due to measuring equipment that is imprecise and
prone to breakdowns. The FLOWSIC600 from SICK MAIHAK is
now helping to solve this problem. Following an installation at the
Mallnow transfer station in Brandenburg, the station at Kondratki
in the East of Poland is now being modernized using this highly
precise, low-maintenance ultrasonic meter.
>> Around 33 billion cubic metres of
natural gas flow to the West every year
through the Yamal-Europe pipeline. About
90% of this is conveyed from Kondratki to
the German border near Frankfurt (Oder)
by EuRoPol Gaz, a Polish transportation
company. Given such large volumes, the
interest in accurate metering equipment
is naturally very high: Even if measure-
ments are only tenths of a percent out,
large volumes of natural gas would be
billed incorrectly every day. That soon
adds up, explains Edward Sucharda,
SICK Polands project manager.
When the pipeline was built in 1999,
Kondratki was equipped with convention-
al metering technology using orifice me-
ters. As in-line secondary measurement
the constructors installed turbine-type
gas meters. Their disadvantages soon
became apparent they needed factory
overhauls and high-pressure calibration
much more frequently than expected.
That cost time and tens of thousands of
euros per meter on each occasion.
Work convincing
Russian decision-makers bears fruit
EuRoPol Gaz ultimately contracted
SICK MAIHAK in Poland to install the
FLOWSIC600 ultrasonic meter at the
Kondratki station. The decisive factor in
this was the meters reliability and excel-
lent track record at the German station
in Mallnow, where the operators, the Ger-
man/Russian gas supplier WINGAS (Win-
tershall/GAZPROM) had the FLOWSIC600
fitted already. But it was only after wed
done a lot of work convincing primarily the
Russian decision-makers at GAZPROM,
who were still very attached to convention-
al turbine-type metering technology, says
product manager Jrg Tretner, recalling
numerous meetings, presentations and
comparative measurements in Russia.
The subsequent Kondratki order
nearly became a mammoth project. As
the stations ongoing operations needed
to be disturbed as little as possible, the
old turbine-type meters had to be re-
moved one after another from its six mas-
sive metering sections (each 600 mm in
diameter) and the FLOWSIC600 meters
in turn fitted perfectly in their place.

Conversion in record time
with no break in operations
In preparing and carrying out what was
therefore both tricky mechanical and
electrical conversion work SICK Poland
was assisted by Gazoprojekt, the Polish
project management firm, and by the
experts from SICK MAIHAK in Dresden.
Every single parameter such as flange
sizes and internal diameters had to be
adapted to the existing facility. The con-
nection of the existing volume converter
also had to be readjusted in terms of both
>> Its all about the successful com-
binations of process-specific necessity
on the one side with intelligent applica-
tion solutions on the other, points out
Frank Hehl, Head of Product Manage-
ment. That often means the fewest mea-
suring devices possible, yet as much
measuring capacity as required. SICK
MAIHAKs products feature a markedly
broad array of measurement technolo-
gies. Therefore,we are able to offer the
ideal solution for your monitoring job,
even in explosion hazardous areas. On
top of this comes customer support that
covers engineering, commissioning and
maintenance. It is an all-round service
for our customers that leaves little to be
desired.
Every industry has its specific re-
quirements. It is therefore all the more
important to understand each individual
sector and its industry-specific process-
Better, faster and with greater precision! There is no end to such
demands even for the measurement of process gases and moni-
toring of emissions. Increasingly fewer people have to meet more
rigid process specifications and stricter laws and environmental
regulations. That is a lot of responsibility for each and every one.
SICK MAIHAK is conscious of this responsibility and sees itself in
analysis and process measurement field as much more than just a
provider of measuring devices and analysis systems. SICK MAIHAK
provides optimum solutions for the measurement of gases, liquids
and particle matter. All from a single source in order to give our cus-
tomers total confidence. So that is possible to simply switch off!
es. Our expert team is familiar with the
market and its challenges. Incineration
plants, power stations and steel and ce-
ment works are just as much SICK MAI-
HAKs domain as the oil, gas, chemical
and petrochemical industries.
We are near to our customers all over
the world in more than 50 countries.
An international presence of appreciable
value. We supply centrally from Germany
and yet ensure personal support for our
customers wherever they may be.
And sometimes its that something
extra that money just cant buy. SICK
MAIHAK.
Ultrasonic meters optimize gas transfers on the Yamal-Europe pipeline:
Now the bills tally
frequency and signal level. In order that
the volume converter could as planned
be swapped out at a later date, the
measuring system was provided with ad-
ditional signal outputs.
The conversion, including the staged
tests recommended by SICK MAIHAK and
the crane work with equipment weighing
many tons, was then carried out in record
time of just five weeks. Inflow sections
and gas meters were removed from each
measuring line, with new flow condition-
ers, inlet sections and meters fitted in
their place. With 24 giant threaded bolts
and 48 nuts for each one, the labourers
used torque wrenches to screw every in-
dividual flange connection tight.
In total 50 tons of equipment was
installed. Each section of pipe and each
meter were provided in the process with
material certificates to EN 10204. Even
all of the smaller assembly parts have got
their own passport. The documenta-
tion weighed just as much as the materi-
als, says Edward Sucharda with a smile.
High pressure flow calibration
In order to achieve the best possible
measurement results, the FLOWSIC600
meters, including inflow sections and
flow conditioners, were calibrated in the
Bernoulli Laboratory at the NMI (Neder-
lands Meetinstituut). This was done at
operating pressure of 62 bar and with
gas flows of 800 to 16,000 m
3
/h. The
calibration made it possible to reduce
the inaccuracy to a minimum.
Can you simply switch off?
A
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: T
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.
www.sick-maihak.com
www.flowsic600.com
Visit SICK MAIHAK
at the Hanover Trade Fair!
Hall 7 Stand 7B17
More about the trade fair on page 34.
23
www.sick.com/S3000
: Products : Products
With the LFT, SICK is presenting a new type of level measurement
system for nearly all water- and oil-based liquids. The combina-
tion of TDR technology (time domain reflectometry) and a highly
resistant coaxial measuring probe made of stainless steel results
in a maximum degree of independence from liquid properties as
well as installing and ambient conditions.
Simple operation,
high degree of reliability
The start-up of the LFT is rather simple.
Pressing just one button sets the switch-
ing points, changes over the switching
outputs between NC and NO contacts,
presets the hysteresis for the switching
points, and determines the actual mea-
suring range along the coaxial probe.
Finally, thanks to its sensor technology,
the LFT provides high availability. The
device lacks any moving parts that might
thus potentially be prone to malfunction.
Consequently, the LFT is virtually wear-
free and maintenance-free.
Wide range of applications
Typical fields of use for the LFT are con-
tainers and tanks in water management,
machine construction, machine tools, in
plant construction, and in facility man-
agement technology. In these areas, the
nearly wear-free and maintenance-free
device proves its high degree of accuracy
and robustness with respect to the most
diverse filling materials, including cool-
ants, grinding and hydraulic oils, or clean-
ing, degreasing, and disinfecting agents.
>> With gauge lengths nearly free from
dead zones, ranging from 30 to 1,980
mm, the G A and, respectively, NPT
connection threads as well as the teach-in
configuration via a single button, the LFT
level measurement system is suitable as
an overfill protection particularly for small
to medium-size containers and tanks.
Great precision in any conditions
The special feature of the LFT please
refer to the accompanying info box
is the innovative measuring principle,
which involves feeding low-energy mi-
crowaves into a stainless steel coaxial
probe. When they reach the surface of
the liquid medium, a portion of the elec-
tromagnetic impulses is reflected. Based
on the duration that passes until the re-
flected impulses arrive at the sensing
head, the device calculates the current
filling level with an accuracy of only few
millimeters. This technology makes the
detection of filling levels with the LFT
independent of such influencing factors
as installation, shape of container and
filling medium, since the ambient con-
ditions prevailing within the measuring
probe are firmly defined and free from
interference at all times. If the physical
attributes of the liquids change, the LFT
does not require reconfiguration.
Analog and switching
outputs usable individually
By employing the LFT, users can solve
their detection of filling levels individu-
ally. Apart from a 4-20 mA analog out-
put, the LFT also features four switching
outputs that can be programmed sepa-
rately, e.g. as full, demand, or empty in-
dication. As a result, the more switching
points need to be detected, the more
economical the LFT is by comparison
to separate level switches. If a high/low
level control needs to be realized, e.g.
for pump control between minimum and
maximum levels, it is possible to couple
two switching points.
>> Detecting filling levels constitutes
an essential safety feature for nearly
all storage tanks. The same applies to
pipes whose dry running must be de-
tected early on in order to protect the
connected pumps.
Evaluation of vibration frequency
The LFV is designed as a vibration
level switch; it can detect filling levels
in tanks and pipes independent of the
properties of the filling medium such
as density, viscosity, or the dielectric
constant. The vibration element of the
sensor at 40 mm very compact in size
is operated by piezoelectric means,
vibrating in its mechanical resonance
frequency. Intense external vibrations
or even changing the filling media do
not impair the reliable function of the
LFV. When the vibrating fork either
as a maximum or minimum value en-
coder depending on the function is
covered or, respectively, exposed by
the medium, the frequency changes.
The electronics of the LFV recognizes
this and issues a switching signal via
the transistor output.
Integrated monitoring of function
The electronics of the LFV is accom-
modated in a robust stainless steel
housing. The dimensions of the con-
nection threads are optionally or
1. The vibrating fork is made of stain-
less steel. As for the food variant, it
is polished, thus endowing it with the
reduced roughness required for this
application. At the same time, this ver-
sion features tri-clamp connections
With the LFV, SICK presents a compact level sensor with a vibration
fork at the 2008 Hanover Fair. The device is suited for detecting
liquids in storage tanks as well as in pipes. In addition to a design
intended for process engineering, the LFV is also available as a
variant that is compatible with hygienic standards for use in the
food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries.
and dairy couplings in compliance with
DIN 11851. Thus, the LFV has the ro-
bustness necessary for each respec-
tive application especially since it
is specified for process temperatures
from 40 C to +150 C. During oper-
ation, the vibration level switch con-
tinuously checks the vibrating
fork for corrosion or dam-
ages, detecting any loss
of vibrations as well
as any interruption of
the connection to the
piezoelectric drive.
The LFV consti-
tutes the optimum
supplement to LFT
level measurement
system as well as
SICKs entire portfo-
lio of level measure-
ment technology.
Depending on the
application, the cli-
ent may choose the
optimum solution
from various prod-
ucts see also the
accompanying info
box.
www.sick.com/lft
Level switch and continuous level measurement system in one package
Innovative technology
in a combined level sensor
Vibration level switch for
storage tanks and pipes
Detects filling level and
protects against dry running
>> Level measurement technology at SICK
Both in continuous measurement and level detection of liquids, bulk ma-
terials, and sediments, SICK offers solutions based on different active
principles from radar, ultrasound, guided microwave to laser with pulse or
time-of-flight-measurement all the way to capacitive sensors, pressure and
vibration level switches as well as electromagnetic rotating paddle systems.
Since numerous applications call for more than merely standard devices,
there are also solutions that have ATEX approval, are designed for higher
temperatures up to 800 C.
>> Time domain reflectometry
The measuring principle of the LFT is
based on the so-called time domain
reflectometry (TDR). This involves a
method for detection and analysis of
run lengths and reflective character-
istics of electromagnetic waves and
signals. Initial insights in the area
of time domain reflectometry were
gathered as early as the 1930s. In the
1960s, the technology was used for
localizing cable breakages and crimp-
ing. The late 1960s and early 1970s
saw the first applications in chemistry.
However, the breakthrough of the new
technology came only in 1980 in the
geosciences among other things,
with respect to determining the volu-
metric water content in the ground.
Today the TDR technology finds use
for measuring length and localizing
sources of interference, as well as the
measurement of moisture, conductiv-
ity and filling level, e.g. in the LFT.
Level measurement
01 2008 22
www.sickinsight.com
24 01 2008
>> The new complete series of the
V18V, MH15V, and IMF, available for
the first time from SICK and aimed
Due to an ideal mix of product per-
formance and features, the new op-
tical and inductive sensors defy the
extreme challenges posed by use at
food and beverage producers.
>> In terms of installation, the MZ2Q-C
series was designed for the C-slot mod-
els produced by leading manufacturers
of pneumatic cylinders. Because of short
overtravel, minimal hysteresis, and short
response times, the sensors ensure very
accurate detection of the set switching
points.
The IO Link version now offers the
possibility of integrating the sensor into
the controller and thus into the visualiza-
tion of a machine.
The MZ2Q C-slot the worlds first
teachable cylinder sensor with two
independent switching points is
now available in the popular IO Link
version.
extremely short M18 housing allows
mounting even in confined spaces.
Moreover, the designers attached spe-
cial importance to a sensor construc-
tion that is durable and adapted to the
needs of cleaning. Inductive sensors of
the IMF series also present themselves
as sturdy and highly efficient. Their
waterproof IP 69K housing is made of
an extremely robust blend of stainless
steel (316L/1.4404) and FDA-certified
PPS plastic, defying the harshest loads
in everyday use even at temperatures
from 40 C to +100 C. The IMF se-
ries includes two sizes: IMF12 und
IMF18. Both are available with single
and double sensing range.
Certificates from independent in-
stitutions such as Ecolab and John-
sonDiversey concerning resistance
against cleaning chemicals, as well as
from Fraunhofer Institute with respect
to seal tightness in protection class
IP 69K confirm the high level of robust-
ness. For the user, this means higher
machine availability through reliable
sensor technology.
The new Flexi Soft is a highly efficient modular safety controller
designed for user-friendly start-up; because of its scalability, the
device can be adapted effectively to the demands of the safety
application. Its strengths include intuitive user software, allowing
very easy combination of functional elements and logic functions,
as well as extended possibilities toward fieldbus integration.
www.sickinsight.com
www.sickinsight.com
Position detection with magnetic cylinder sensors
Added value: IO link versions
now available
>> The CPU is the basic module of
the safety controller. Following the
drag&drop principle, the necessary sen-
sors and actuators can be parameter-
ized and wired easily to the Flexi Soft
module selected beforehand. The logic
editor provides a large number of dif-
ferent logic and functional components.
It is possible to connect up to 12 Flexi
Soft modules to the CPU, setting the
limit of the system at 96 inputs and 48
outputs. The series offers multichannel
input modules, I/O mixed modules, relay
modules, as well as fieldbus modules for
Flexi Soft the safety controller
that just simplifies things
Flexible due to modularity
integration into the standard controller.
In terms of input, the extension modules
permit integration of any safety sensor,
including, among other things, SICKs
entire sensor portfolio. In using intelli-
gent safety sensors from SICK, such as
the S300 and S3000 safety laser scan-
ners or the C4000 safety light curtains,
the user may opt for the CPU with EFI
(Enhanced Function Interface). In this
scenario, the electro-sensitive protec-
tive devices communicate directly with
the controller, permitting the implemen-
tation of functions such as switching of
protective fields via Flexi Soft.
In order to save time in case of re-
placement, the Flexi Soft features a
memory connector that contains the
entire configuration, which it loads au-
tomatically to the CPU following replace-
ment.
Ideal due to adaptability
from small to large
The safety controller grows module after
module depending on the assignment.
Integration into fieldbus environments
and the associated bidirectional com-
munication between sensors, actuators,
controllers, and the control level make
Flexi Soft particularly interesting for
small to medium-sized machines.
New range of sensors for the food industry
Hygienic, robust, and versatile
>> Featuring a length of only 24 mm, the
MZT8 is among the most space-saving
magnetic cylinder sensors on the mar-
ket. Another highlight is its user-friend-
liness achieved, among other things,
by the possibility of one-hand installation
and the captive mounting screw, which
cannot fall out while the sensor is fixed
into the cylinder slot.
Since the sensor element of the
MZT8 is located toward the front of the
The new MZT8 magnetic cylinder sensor from SICK offers a whole range of in-
novations. SICKs ASIC chip technology permits one of the shortest construc-
tion designs in combination with utmost accuracy. Due to the new design
and the novel manufacturing process, the MZT8 achieves first-rate results in
terms of handling and tightness.
housing, the device can detect piston po-
sitions without any loss of stroke. In do-
ing so, it achieves consistently high accu-
racy: scattering amounts to only +/5%.
The MZT8 is suitable for harsh op-
erating conditions. The materials are
resistant, among other things, against
cutting oils and coolants. Due to a new
manufacturing process, the housing is
completely tight and the electronics are
thus protected from moisture.
Magnetic cylinder sensor benefits from new technologies
Short construction, simple handling, and great robustness
www.sickinsight.com
25
www.sickinsight.com
Please find the complete article
at: www.sickinsight.com
at the food & beverage sector, are
highly efficient solutions for reliable
processes.
The new V18V series of photoelec-
tric switches offers new, patented sen-
sitivity adjustment, touch teach-in,
optimized materials, extremely long
ranges, and an extended temperature
range of up to 100 C. The MH15V
family of photoelectric switches in an
Sensor technology Safety controller
Perfect for pneumatic cylinders:
the new MZT8!
26 01 2008 27
112
Safexpert
DIV 02
Keine Bilder
Safety engineering with Safexpert
5.5
NormManager ensures up-to-dateness
of applied standards and directives
Changes and amendments are common in the sphere of standards, directives,
and regulations. The NormManager in Safexpert 5.5 is able to cope with this
situation: With this software tool, it is possible to comply safely and easily with
the obligation of having current standards and directives ready and of updating
the status of the data continuously.
Space-saving, fast, and suitable for hand protection thats the new V300 WS
safety camera system from SICK. It is the first device of this kind hazardous
points protecting that meets control category 3 in accordance with EN 954-
1 or, respectively, PL d according to EN ISO 13849-2 and SIL2 according to
IEC 61508 that are not covered by safety light curtains.
>> With the vision system, it is now pos-
sible to monitor operating areas on as-
sembly, handling, and industrial robots,
test equipment as well as other operable
workstations and facilities involving cy-
clical or sporadic intervention with op-
timum safety and in a barrier-free way.
The new system, mounting, and connec-
tion design allows, in some cases, enor-
mous cost savings. Even as a single sen-
sor, the V300 WS generates a protective
field for machine apertures up to 1 m by
1 m. If larger monitoring areas are re-
quired, two devices can be synchronized
with each other via a serial input, thus
doubling the size of the protective field.
This also allows implementing protective
measures diagonally across.
>> Purged of redundant elements and
integrated into just one pair of sensors,
the C4000 Palletizer in the Standard
and Advanced versions solves the prob-
lem. It was possible to manage without
numerous component parts, e.g. muting
sensors, signal lamps, safety switches.
Because of these reduced sources of
error, the C4000 increases plant avail-
ability permanently. The multiscan and
reduced resolution functions serving
as invisible helpers in the background
In the area of final logistics, workers need to be protected from dangerous
movements in case of inadvertent access; materials, on the other hand, need
to move in and out without any hindrance. Typically, today a complex muting
construction differentiates between humans and material.
Under the label of OS2000, SICK will be presenting at the 2008 Hanover
Fair the worlds first safety laser scanner system approved for outdoor use.
It combines the hardware and software solution of a well-tried LMS laser
measurement system, specifically designed for outdoor applications, with
the safety level of the UE4470 safety controller already certified as a safety
component.
>> The OS2000 involves the evaluation
by the UE4470 safety controller of moni-
toring and test signals that originate from
up to three LMS depending on the task.
The controller takes on the sensor-related
linking of the LMS, the evaluation of their
output signals as well as controlling the
cyclical testing of the sensors by means of
test targets. The functional principle of the
OS2000 is protected by patent law, and it
complies with the requirements of Perfor-
mance Level d according to ISO 13849-1
as well as SIL2 according to IEC 62061.
This was confirmed in late 2007 on the
part of TV Rheinland by certifying the
pattern evaluation test for stationary and
mobile use with ranges of up to 20 m.
Wide range of uses
The OS2000 can be used in any place
where outdoor hazardous areas need
to be monitored horizontally or verti-
cally. This includes securing doors and
gates, crane facilities, manned and
unmanned vehicles, shipping facilities
such as bascule bridges or sluice gates,
rail tracks or conveying systems.
The OS2000 has rendered obso-
lete the special operating permits for
outdoor facilities that were required in
the past due to lack of certified sensor
technology.
provide for even more productivity. The
device tolerates damaged pallets as well
as remnants of packaging materials and
straps for securing loads.
www.sickinsight.com
www.sickinsight.com
www.sickinsight.com
Safety camera system
For protection in compliance with control category 3
Safety light curtain optimizes productivity and
minimizes downtimes
Utmost availability integrated
Certified by TV Rheinland
OS2000 the worlds first
outdoor safety scanner system
>> NormManager makes it possible to be
up-to-date constantly with respect to stan-
dards and directives without investing sub-
stantial resources and to incorporate this
information directly into the development
of equipment. Integrating NormManager
in the CE process also allows checking,
per mouse click, applied standards and
directives for ongoing projects as to their
up-to-dateness. The update results can be
adopted directly into Safexpert
projects
in progress.
Via an online database, NormMan-
ager provides access to more than two
million data sets. Whether the issue in-
volves a current standard, a repealed di-
rective, or a transitional period the re-
sults of the enquiries and status checks
as well as the substance of possible
changes are displayed on the screen
within a matter of seconds.
NormManager can be used separately
or in conjunction with Safexpert.
Safety engineering with NormManager in
Safexpert means quick retrieval instead
of lengthy searches, without overlooking
anything in the process.
www.sick.com/safexpert
Safety and more
28 01 2008 29
On to new markets
Laser measurement in its most compact design
For the first time at the 2008 Hanover Fair, SICK will present the new LMS100
laser measurement system. High detection capacity in any environment, inte-
grated distance measurement, dynamically switching monitoring fields, and a
variety of interfaces distinguish the lightweight and energy-saving device.
>> The LMS100 complements SICKs
portfolio of measuring scanners and is cur-
rently available in two versions: for indoor
use in IP 65 enclosure rating or in IP 67
enclosure rating with integrated heating
and fog correction for outdoor applica-
tions. Linkage to an automation or moni-
toring system can be realized via Ethernet,
RS-232, and a CAN bus. Furthermore, the
LMS100 features two switching inputs,
one encoder input, as well as three switch-
ing outputs. The target markets of the
LMS100 include container handling, ser-
vice robotics, site protection and monitor-
ing perimeters, traffic-related applications,
automated agricultural vehicles, as well as
various control and monitoring functions in
order picking and intralogistics.
>> If the objective is to read a code when
an object is at a standstill or moving at
low speed, the ICR840-2 constitutes the
ideal solution particularly since it pro-
vides extremely high resolution due to its
1.3 megapixel optics. As a code reader
for standstill or high conveying speeds,
the new ICR845-2 is the best choice, be-
cause it can take and evaluate up to 60
images per second. In addition to its high
The ICR series of code readers will have a new generation of devices in store at
the 2008 Hanover Fair. It features better reading performance, shorter evalu-
ation times, and even more simplified operation.
speed of up to 12m/s, the ICR850-2
offers the benefit that even in case of
a large image field, it can still decode a
code with low resolution.
>> By means of the new CDF600 con-
necting box, the CLV630 like all of the
other barcode scanners of the CLV6xx
series from SICK can be integrated
easily into PROFIBUS I/O networks.
By the way: In terms of connecting
technology, the CLV6xx product family
is compatible with the CLV42x-CLV45x
Also for Food & Beverage
Laser scanner offers data output in desired format
Simple parameterization, high scanning performance, and an integrated Ether-
net gateway are some of the highlights of the new CLV630/CLV640 series of la-
ser scanners from SICK. Thanks to fast clock frequencies and an optional optical
window made of plastic, the devices are not only suitable for warehousing and
conveying engineering but also for use in the food and beverage industries.
product family, permitting easy switching
to the new generation of scanners.
www.sickinsight.com
For fast and reliable quality inspection
Inspector
An intelligent vision solution
in an easy-to-use sensor
>> The Inspector was developed for the
most diverse fields of application. Its ro-
bust and reliable design makes it perfect
for the toughest environments, such as
in the automotive industry. As well, the
Inspectors intelligent and evaluation pro-
cesses enable it to keep up in the packag-
ing industry with its fast speeds.
Automatic parts inspection: simple
and reliable, like never before
Efficient like a camera and easy-to-handle
like a standard photoelectric sensor
these are the attributes the Inspector com-
bines in an unprecedented way. The sen-
sor features its own light source, standard
ring light or unique dome light integrated
At the 2008 Hanover Industrial Fair, SICK will present, for the
first time, the new Inspector, a compact, user-friendly, and pre-
cise 2D vision sensor with integrated lighting, image evalua-
tion, and Ethernet interface. The Inspector can check parts in
any position and orientation and reliably determine in real-time
whether objects pass or fail.
Innovations concerning code readers
Reading more efficiently, performing better
:
T
I
T
L
E

T
O
P
I
C
in the IP 67 metal housing. The dome light
offers an advantage when working with
glossy or reflective surfaces. It provides
a very robust image the key to solving
many vision applications. With other vision
sensors on the market, this is only possible
using elaborate and expensive external
light solutions.
The Inspector provides several pos-
sibilities of configuration from simple
teach-in with just a signal on the teach wire
to external teaching of new parts contours
and all the way to PC-assisted configura-
tion. Configuration via PC provides fast
teach-in within a few steps. Expert param-
eters ultimately allow solving even more
complex tasks.
Reliable quality assurance
in any orientation
Inspecting parts with the Inspector does
not require the objects to be in exactly the
same orientation. Irrespective of the parts
position and orientation, the sensors soft-
ware algorithms evaluate the contour,
edge pixels, or gray value pixel sums of
each test object within a few milliseconds.
There is no need for a trigger signal as
soon as the object is within the measure-
ment field, image capture of the part
takes place. The rapid image evaluation
allows parts inspection even in high-speed
processes, e.g. inspection of labels, print,
and closing processes in the packaging
and beverage industries. In the automo-
tive field, the typical applications include
assembly inspection of components.
The Inspector from SICK a decision for
quality!
www.sickinsight.com
www.sickinsight.com
www.sickinsight.com
Auto Ident 2D vision sensor
30 01 2008
>> Multi-functional switching outputs for
stand-by, preset, and additional system
Ranges of up to 220 m, integrated
velocity monitoring, as well as an
extraordinary price-performance
ratio these are some of the fea-
tures offered by the new DME4000
laser measurement device from
SICK. Due to an optional cooled
housing, it can be used for measur-
ing the distances of objects even at
high ambient temperatures up to
+80 C or in outdoor areas.
>> Doing without an evaluation unit
is possible if the OD sensor head is
integrated directly into the automa-
tion system, e.g. of a robot or a han-
dling system, via an RS422 interface.
Speaking of sensor head, in this re-
gard, the new series offers eight vari-
ants overall for five different measur-
ing areas from the close-range ver-
sion (24 26 mm) to the long-range
model (300 700 mm). With respect
OD Precision the name of the fifth generation of displacement
sensors from SICK is at the same time programmatic. Improved
precision, linearity, extremely fine resolutions, and measuring
algorithms optimized to materials OD Precision ensures fulfill-
ment of the highest quality requirements if needed also without
an evaluation unit.
to the sensor heads for shorter mea-
suring distances, both versions with an
extremely small and a wide light spot
are available. Use of a wide light spot
provides for averaging across a greater
area, eliminating possible influencing
factors such as scratches on the sur-
face. Another highlight of the OD Preci-
sion is the measurement of glass thick-
ness, for which the system requires
merely one sensor head.
Flexible evaluation possibilities
The OD Precision series offers two evalu-
ation units optionally, NPN or PNP
each of which can be connected to a
maximum of three optical heads. The
internal processing of the values from
the sensors permits the solution of tasks
for which the most important aspect is
differential measurement, e.g. of thick-
ness, planarity, or centricity. In order to
render this functionality usable in the
easiest way possible, the designers at-
tached special importance to very simple
operability. Thanks to resolutions and a
degree of precision improved yet again,
the OD Precision provides extremely
exact results in this context. It does so
even when things have to move fast, as
the measuring and output rate reaches
up to 10 kHz.
OD Precision is the right decision
when the thing that counts is m-precise,
distance-measuring quality control, fine
positioning, or classification of objects.
>> Whether elevator, automatic door, or-
der-picking rack, or conveyor belt the
SLG is a reliable and installation-friendly
solution for numerous types of prob-
lems. The system is available optionally
in a flat or narrow housing made of ex-
truded plastic. The various mounting fix-
tures, which can be modified specifically
to clients wishes, provide for optimum
attachment of the SLG. Transmitter and
receiver are optically synchronized. The
light grid features easily legible diodes to
serve as alignment aids during start-up.
Per teach-in: different resolutions
in one device
The SLG offers, for the first time, the pos-
sibility of adjusting the beam technology
and thus the resolution only in the start-
up phase, without the need to specify it
beforehand when ordering. With respect
to parallel-beam technology, the SLG
provides a resolution of 40 mm; using
cross-beam technology, this value can
be improved to 25 mm. All of the adjust-
ments take place via a capacitive teach
element, which is integrated and protect-
ed within the housing.
Reasonably priced, compact, user-
friendly the SLG is the smart solution
among light grids.
For elevators, automatic doors, and industrial applications
Smart light grid solutions
For the first time at the 2008 Hanover Fair, SICK will present the new SLG
light grid. The smart light grid is available in two housing variants, and
it features, an absolute novelty, integrated teach-in optionally for either
parallel- or cross-beam technology. The SLG is suited for monitoring heights
from 200 mm to 1,400 mm.
www.sickinsight.com
www.sickinsight.com
For indoor and outdoor use
Distance measurement per laser:
long range, reduced costs
Precision is tradition, in the fifth generation as well
OD Precision after all,
you want to know exactly
Displacement sensor
31
functions, a device display with the entire
data provided at a glance, as well as a
particularly user-friendly installation and
alignment design constitute additional ad-
vantages of the lightweight and compact
device. Important fact for internationally
operating OEMs and plant builders: the
certifications of the DME4000 according
to CSA and UL have been granted.
www.sickinsight.com
High-performance sensors
32
: Products
>> The DFS60s are rotary position sen-
sors for motors used in machine and
plant construction. The device is very ro-
bust and at the same time very precise;
it is not affected either by eccentricity
effects or leakage currents and features
an operating temperature range from
20 C to +100 C as well as line num-
bers from 1 to 65,536. With one face
mount and one servo flange for solid
The incremental hollow-shaft encoders of the DFS60 series leave nothing to
be desired in terms of installation. Starting immediately, the position sensors
are available in every mechanical design common in industry. That certainly
constitutes one reason why in the USA, the encoder received the Product of
the year award in Plant engineering magazine.
www.sickinsight.com
>> The individual sensor systems com-
plement each other to form an integra-
tion-friendly solution, offering a good
price-performance ratio.
Position detection, fine positioning on
stack compartments, double-depth
monitoring of compartment occupan-
cy, and wireless data transmission
all of these features come with the
all-inclusive sensor package for aisle
stackers from SICK.
Perfect position detection
The DME4000 laser distance measuring
system is ideally suited for detecting the
position of the aisle stacker relative to the
aisle. It features ranges of up to 220 m,
integrated velocity control, as well as mul-
tifunctional switching outputs, e.g. for pre-
set distance values or pre-failure message,
though they can also be programmed as in-
puts. Thanks to a temperature range from
+55 C to 40 C, the DME4000 is also
suited for use in freezer storage facilities.
With respect to fine positioning the lift-
ing attachment of the aisle stacker, the
perfect solution is the new DMP3 posi-
tion finder on the one hand, because
it manages without a reflector, and sec-
ondly, because it features extraordinarily
high reproducibility and thus depend-
able positioning. The only fine position-
ing sensor on the market, it is capable
of saving two separate positions for stor-
age deposition and retrieval.
Stack compartment occupied?
The answer to that question is supplied
by the new DS30 distance sensor. To this
end, it peers into the respective stack
compartment before pick-up or transfer
of the load. Because of its two switching
outputs, the DS30 is suited particularly
for checking occupancy in double-depth
storage compartments.
Mobile communication per light
The new ISD400 photoelectric data trans-
mission device maintains permanent con-
tact between the aisle stacker and the su-
perimposed control system over distances
of up to 160 m and a transmission rate of
3 Mbaud. The ISD400 is extremely com-
pact in size, and due to its display, it pro-
vides a high degree of user-friendliness in
terms of parameterization, alignment, or
status requests.
Sensor technology in one package
the perfect solution for aisle stackers!
shafts, as well as blind hollow shafts and
through hollow shafts with five metric and
three non-metric diameters, it covers all
of the common installation scenarios.
: Products
33
High-end technology and openness to systems
SafetyPLUS
the added
portion of performance
Safety technology is important concerning all phases
of the machine life cycle. With its safetyPLUS philoso-
phy, SICK is your partner for complete safety applications
at any time.
Eighteen mechanical designs available
Which variant is required?
Multi-level measurement
with long range
The LD MRS scans and measures si-
multaneously by means of four parallel
levels quite important, for instance, to
compensate for the pitching of a vehicle
or to detect gradients. In addition, for
each measurement and level, it detects
up to three consecutive reflections, and
all this at a range from 0.3 m to 50 m at
10 % remission. Four parallel scanning
levels as well as multi-pulse evaluation
make the LD MRS particularly suitable
for outdoor use. This means that the
LD MRS is highly resistant to windshield
contamination and that it can work reli-
ably in any weather and light conditions.
New product announcement
Measuring accuracy in any weather
By virtue of these superb outdoor capa-
bilities, the LD MRS is especially usable
for areas such as ports, security, as well
as commercial vehicles, e.g. cleaning
vehicles and agricultural machinery. The
LD MRS thus completes SICKs already
known and proven family of outdoor
products, the LMS2XX and the LD LRS.
Serial production of the LD MRS will be-
gin in the third quarter of 2008. >> The LD MRS is the automation ver-
sion of the ibeo LUX laser scanner that
was developed for the automotive sector.
Distinguished chiefly by its robustness in
all types of weather, it works reliably in
any kind of light and weather conditions
even in snow, rain, dust, or darkness.
Day or night, no matter what the
weather the LD MRS laser scanner
makes it possible to warn, for instance,
the driver of a snow groomer or com-
bine harvester of obstacles or protect
facilities from unauthorized entry.
www.sickinsight.com
www.ibeo-as.com
www.sick-safetyplus.com
32 01 2008
www.sickinsight.com
ISD400
DMP3
Sensor technology package for
aisle stacker in high-bay warehouses
Best idea for aisle stackers
>> In addition to high-end technology
and openness to systems, SICK attaches
particular importance to the simplic-
ity of safety products, for only they offer
the essential added efficiency in terms
of construction, programming, start-up,
and maintenance. Examples of this con-
ception are the C4000 Palletizer safety
light curtain, which permits muting with-
out muting sensors, the new V300 as
an alternative to light grids, unrivalled in
terms of easy installation, or the modu-
lar Flexi Soft safety controller featuring
modules that are only 22.5 mm wide.
In conjunction with SICKs range of ser-
vices and consulting, SICK complements
the PLUS in terms of service for clients.
By April 2008, you will be able to find
out about SICKs safety competence in
the new Guide to Safe Machinery or
during your visit to SICK at the 2008 Ha-
nover Fair.
35
: HMI Special
Robustness, easy and cost-effective handling, as well as assembly
result in utmost availability. Appropriate accessories for muting appli-
cations, e.g. omega holders and partially mounted muting arms com-
plete the new family of device and mirror columns from SICK.
>> Search word: Mirror columns
New robust device and mirror columns
With the emergency stop pushbuttons of the ES21 series, SICK is con-
sistently expanding its product portfolio in safety technology further.
>> Search word: Emergency stop
Emergency stop pushbuttons supplement
portfolio of safety products
The magnetic safety switches of the RE series constitute the optimum
solution for safe monitoring of hoods, hatches, or doors on machinery,
since they master tolerances in door guides and machine openings, with-
stand harsh environmental conditions, and are free from wear and main-
tenance. >> Search word: RE-series
Ideal protection for hoods, doors, and hatches
: Products Current reports in their entire length
Sensor technology, controllers, engineering, and service comprising
integrated safety solutions that is what sens:Control from SICK rep-
resents. The strengths of this comprehensive concept are related to
its user-friendliness, modularity, and integrative capacity.
>> Search word: sens:Control
sens:Control
Integrated safe control solutions
>> Join us to gain an overview of the lat-
est developments by one of the worlds
most innovative sensor suppliers. Clearly
structured according to task settings,
the stand will familiarize you with sensor
solutions from A to Z. Whether you wish
to obtain a general overview or talk with
one of our expert its entirely up to you.
If your automation tasks are what mat-
ters, we are the place for you to find your
solution. So call on us we are looking
forward to it.
Terrific: Getting to know new
products and winning
We will show our appreciation for your
visit with a very special thank you.
Innovative products and solutions deserve innovative presenta-
tion. Exactly! This year you can find both in Hall 9 at the Hanover
Trade Fair. A large number of new products and solutions will be
introduced in the unique atmosphere of a new, interesting exhibi-
tion stand.
Sensor technology solutions from SICK for factory and logistics automation:
Welcome to the marketplace
of innovations
Get to know our innovations and win
attractive prizes, e.g. an 80GB iPod,
a Nikon reflex camera set, a special
navigation system for hiking, and many
other prizes.
Legendary: SICK after-fair party
On Wednesday, 23 April, it is on again
SICKs after-work party: starting at
6 p.m., with excellent music, culinary
delights from the Black Forest, and a
clean, crisp brew from Rothaus Brewery
on tap.
A fabulous opportunity to finish off a
successful day at the fair. You shouldnt
miss it.
>> Visit us:
Hall 9, Stand F54
More about SICK at the 2008 HMI:
www.sick.de/hmi
sickinsight.com
Text Text Text Text
01 2008
: SICK Tour : SICK Tour
>> In February 2008, SICK Czech Repub-
lic received accreditation from DATech
for the inspection of protective measures
on machines and plants, the inspection
of electrical equipment of machines, and
for determining stopping/run-down times
of dangerous machine movements.
In todays economic world, an accredi-
tation fulfills an important role. Via the
accreditation, an independent institution
confirms that an agency is competent to
carry out a specified activity with a high de-
gree of reliability and the required quality.
By obtaining this successful rec-
ommendation from DATech concern-
ing accreditation in accordance with
EN ISO 17020, the Czech subsidiary
has succeeded, as yet another affiliated
company, in providing evidence of its
competence to complete safety-oriented
inspections of machines and facilities.
>> Correct application of standards and
directives is an essential element in the
construction of machines and plants. In
the context of a two-day seminar, partici-
pants learn how to draw up a risk analysis
with subsequent validation by means of
an assembled functional facility. One of
the most important standards is EN ISO
Planning of a machine and plant according to safety-related aspects
Joint seminar of SICK and
SEW Eurodrives companies
For inspecting protective
measures on equipment
SICK Czech Republic
accredited according
to EN ISO 17020
>> As of 1 April 2008, SICK Sensors Ltd.
is selling products and solutions in fac-
tory and logistics automation in Israel. The
fact that the company also commands its
own development and manufacturing ca-
pacities sets it apart from sole distributors,
endowing it with a special position on the
Israeli market.
SICK Sensors Ltd. has emerged from
an assets deal with the encoder producer
Netzer Ltd. SICK Sensors has been so far
a Technology Center for SICKs Encoder
Division, developing and producing En-
coders based on its Capacitive Technol-
ogy. The headquarters of the enterprise
comprising 25 qualified engineers and
employees are located in Misgav/North-
ern Israel. SICK Sensors will offer to the
Israeli customers enhanced technical
support capabilities and diverse mar-
keting tools, such as a local Website in
Hebrew, direct supplies from local stock,
etc., all in line with SICKs traditional top-
of-the-line customer support.
In October of 2007, SICK Australia organized a great party to
celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary. At the same time, the
event with about 150 guests provided a festive setting to see
the general manager and founder, Peter Horman, off to his well
earned retirement.
>> With sensors for the textile industry, in-
spection solutions for steel processing, as
well as barcode readers and photoelectric
switches for automation and safety tech-
nology, Peter Horman and his colleagues
made the first steps in a market that was
still dominated by other suppliers in 1982.
The early product portfolio of the fledgling
subsidiary included commercial agency
products that enabled SICK to develop as
a competent solution provider. Thus, even
in the early years, SICK served in Australia
as a comprehensive and competent one-
SICK Australia celebrates anniversary
25 years down under
stop supplier in the area of automation
technology. This standing among clients
became the basis on which economic suc-
cess developed: Today SICK is recognized
as market leader in Australia and New
Zealand in many fields.
Members of SICKs Executive and Su-
pervisory Boards, employees, colleagues,
and fellow travelers from 25 years as well
as numerous clients would not pass the
opportunity to celebrate the twenty-fifth
anniversary of SICK Australia in October
2007 at the Melbourne Aquarium. One
man stood at the center of attention:
Peter Horman, the founder and general
manager, was honored for his achieve-
ment and commitment, and seen off to
his well-deserved retirement. That retire-
ment, though, will probably not always
be as calm as it sounds, because the
company will be able to retain Peter Hor-
man in an advisory role, making his ex-
pertise available to SICKs sales offices
in the Peoples Republic of China and in
Taiwan as well.
Development, production,
and sales under one roof
Go-ahead for
subsidiary in Israel
Satisfied with
products,
logistics,
and service?
Your opinion counts!

How satisfied are you
as a customer of SICK?
Would you recommend us to others?
Let us know at
www.opinioscope.de
The automation barometer
37
The founder and general manager of
SICK Australia, Peter Horman,
was honored by Gisela Sick and
Markus Paschmann (right)
36
Subsidiaries are celebrating!
35 years of SICK France: founded on 28 Oct. 1972
15 years of SICK Taiwan: founded on 28 Jan. 1993
15 years of SICK Sweden: founded on 17 March 1993
5 years of SICK MAIHAK China: founded on 01 Jan. 2003
5 years of SICK China: founded on 01 April 2003
More information on training courses and seminars at: www.sick.com/seminare
Now available with the new 2008 seminar program for download!
13849-1, the changes to which will be
treated in greater detail based on the re-
alistic practical example. By way of conclu-
sion, participants will discuss each of the
suggested solutions.
Current dates: 2728 May 2008 and
1617 Sept. 2008
38 01 2008 39
: Standards
>> The series of articles focuses on the
essential directives relevant for machine
construction.
As well, the rules and regulations
panel of experts is also monitoring cur-
rent reforms in the area of New Approach
(according to the Treaty establishing the
European Community, Art. 95).
Sometimes, changes of directives
also have considerable repercussions
Currently and in the years ahead,
there will be changes in some
cases substantial with respect to
EU directives, national regulations,
and numerous standards. SICK is
following this process with its own
rules and regulations panel of ex-
perts, who on a regular basis will be
reporting in this issue of SICKinsight
and upcoming ones about what is
normal at the moment.
European
Directives
Standards listed in Official Journal of the EU Note
Machinery
Directive
old 98/37/E
Current communication in EU Official Journal (06 Nov. 2007): http://eur-lex.
europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2007:264:0001:0057:EN:PDF
Valid until 29 Dec. 2009
Machinery
Directive
new2006/42/EC
Applicable as of 29 Dec. 2009 No transitional period!
EN 60204-1:2006-06 Safety of machinery Electrical equipment of
machines Part 1: General requirements
Listed for the Machinery Directive since 06 Nov. 2007
Transitional period for previous standard: 31 May 2009
Please note! Listing also for the Low-Voltage
Directive since 01 Feb. 2008
EN 1088: 1995-12 Safety of machinery Interlocking devices
associated with guards Principles for design and selection
The change of EN 1088/A1:2007-04 is
binding as of 30 April 2008
EN ISO 10218-1:2006-06 Robots for industrial environments
Safety Part 1: Robot
A correction of DIN EN ISO 10218-1 was newly published on
10 Aug. 2007! The change/AC was published on 06 Nov. 2007
and is applicable
EN 775: Industrial robots; safety Withdrawn! Replaced by EN 10218-1
EN 848-1:2007-02 Safety of woodworking machines
One side molding machines with rotating tool
Part 1: Single spindle vertical molding machines
EN 848-2:2007-07 Part 2: Single spindle
hand fed/integrated fed routing machines
Newly applicable!
Transitional period for previous standards: 30 Aug. 2008
EN 848-3:2007-03 Safety of woodworking machines One side molding
machines with rotating tool Part 3: Numerical control (NC) boring ma-
chines and routing machines
Please note, not yet listed!
In this case, the previous standard is still applicable!
EN ISO 13849-1:2006-11 Safety of machinery Safety-related parts of
control systems Part 1: General principles for design
EN ISO 13849-2:2003-08 Part 2: Validation
Replaces EN 954-1
Transitional period until: 29 Nov. 2009
EN ISO 14121:2007-09 Safety of machinery
Risk assessment Part 1: Principles
Please note, not yet listed! Replaces EN 1050
CLC/TS 61496-2:2006-07 Safety of machinery Electro-sensitive protective
equipment Part 2: Particular requirements for equipment using active opto-
electronic protective devices
Technical specification! No listing in the EU Official Journal
The accompanying DIN CLC/TS was published in February 2008
on the updating of standards, and as
a result, this area will become a major
emphasis of information that needs to
be conveyed to our clients. The follow-
ing table aims at showing the most im-
portant changes to European directives
and, respectively, EN standards that can
be used toward conformity assessment.
39
: Museum
next to it, one can find the newly reno-
vated BMW Museum (scheduled to
open in June 2008) which is also worth
a visit.
Opening hours at BMW Welt are daily
from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Those wishing to
pick up their new BMW at car distribu-
tion are most welcome to arrive as early
as 7.30 a.m. to enjoy the supporting pro-
gram or a tour of the BMW factory.
Find out more at: www.bmw-welt.com
Adventure
Architecture
Exhibition
Delivery of cars
39
BMW Welt in Munich is a world full
of exciting adventures. In the structure
featuring a dynamic twin cone and a
conspicuous roof construction, visitors
are shown blue-and-white i.e. Bavari-
an automotive engineering in all of its
extensive variety. The presentation of
cars and the changing exhibitions are
spread throughout the entire building.
In the technology and design studio,
every visitor has a chance to trace 40
technological and design innovations
related to cars and motorbikes and
to take a glance already at the future
of modern engine, drive, and chassis
engineering.
Children are most welcome guests
at BMW Welt. Junior Campus aims at
arousing the technical imagination
and curiosity of 7 to 13-year olds, thus
conveying knowledge about mobility
to them. While children turn into engi-
neers, the adults have a lot to discover
yet from the lifestyle shop to a couple
of restaurants with a grandiose view of
BMW Welt or the Olympic Park. Right
Please find the complete table
Readers will be able to gain a general
idea of the relevance for them and their
companies. To access more detailed in-
formation, the articles will provide up-to-
date links concerning each case.
39
SICK informs about changes to EU directives and international standards
Series of articles on rules and regulations
40 01 2008
: Book Tip : Service
S
u
b
s
i
d
i
a
r
i
e
s
Trade fair dates Germany
Trade Fair Location Dates 2008
HANOVER TRADE FAIR Hanover 04/2104/25
Control Stuttgart 04/2204/25
interpack Dsseldorf 04/2404/30
Cemat Hanover 05/2705/31
MOTEK Stuttgart 09/2209/25
VISION Stuttgart 11/0411/06
Control Nuremberg 11/2511/27
Trade fair dates Europe
Intertunnel Turin, I 05/2005/22
Logistik & Transport Gteborg, S 05/2005/22
HET Instruments Utrecht, NL 05/2005/23
MSV Nitra Nitra, SLO 05/2005/23
SIAMS Moutier, CH 05/2005/24
ELIADEN Oslo, N 05/2605/29
BIAS Milan, I 05/2705/30
XYLEXPO Milan, I 05/2705/31
TOC Europe Amsterdam, NL 06/1706/19
MSV Brno Brno, CZ 06/1509/19
Swiss Sensor Market Zurich, CH 09/1609/18
PPMA Show Birmingham, UK 09/3010/02
Trade fair dates worldwide
SAFETY IN ACTION Melbourne, AUS 04/2905/01
FENAP/WNAP Bahia, BR 05/0705/09
MECNICA So Paulo, BR 05/1205/17
EMEX Auckland, NZ 05/1305/15
National Postal Forum Anaheim, CA, USA 05/1805/21
Austech Sydney, AUS 05/2705/30
The Vision Show Boston, MA, USA 06/1006/12
FABTECH Las Vegas, NV, USA 10/0610/08
The Safety Show Sydney, AUS 10/2810/30
PACK EXPO International Chicago, IL, USA 11/0911/13
Further trade fair dates with SICK worldwide at www.sick.com/fairs
Trade fairs Imprint Contacts
Australia Phone +61 3 9497 4100
+1800 3 3480 2 tollfree
sales@sick.com.au
Austria Phone +43 22 36 62 28 8-0
office@sick.at
Belgium/Luxembourg
Phone +32 2 466 55 66
info@sick.be
Brazil Phone +55 3215 4900
sac@sick.com.br
China Phone +852 2763 6966
ghk@sick.com.hk
Czech Republic Phone +420 2 57 91 18 50
sick@sick.cz
Denmark Phone +45 45 82 64 00
sick@sick.dk
Finland Phone +358 9-25 15 800
sick@sick.fi
France Phone +33 1 64 62 35 00
info@sick.fr
Germany Phone +49 211 5301-0
info@sick.de
Great Britain
Phone +44 17 27-83 11 21
info@sick.co.uk
India Phone +91 22 4033 8333
info@sick-india.com
Israel Phone +972 4 999 0590
info@sick-sensors.com
Italy Phone +39 02 27 43 41
info@sick.it
Japan Phone +81 3 3358 1341
support@sick.jp
Netherlands Phone +31 30 229 25 44
info@sick.nl
Norway Phone +47 67 81 50 00
austefjord@sick.no
Poland Phone +48 22 837 40 50
info@sick.pl
Republic of Korea
Phone +82 2 786 6321/4
kang@sickkorea.net
Romania Phone +40 356 171 120
office@sick.ro
Russia Phone +7-495-775-05-34
info@sick-automation.ru
Singapore Phone +65 6744 3732
admin@sicksgp.com.sg
Slovenia Phone +386 (0)11-47 69 990
office@sick.si
Spain Phone +34 93 480 31 00
info@sick.es
Sweden Phone +46 10 110 10 00
info@sick.se
Switzerland Phone +41 41 619 29 39
contact@sick.ch
Taiwan Phone +886-2-2375-6288
sickgrc@ms6.hinet.net
Turkey Phone +90 216 587 7400
info@sick.com.tr
USA Phone +1 (952) 941 6780
info@sickusa.com
More at www.sick.com
>> Visit SICK at the Trade Fair!
Publisher: SICK AG Postfach 310 79177 Waldkirch Germany www.sick.com
Phone +49 7681 202-0 Fax +49 7681 202-38 63 info@sick.de
Coordination: Anette Gasche Anette.Gasche@sick.de
Specialist editor: TOP MEDIA Dirk S. Heyden 69469 Weinheim info@topmedia-weinheim.de
Layout: johnson][braun Direktwerbung 76133 Karlsruhe jb@johnsonbraun.de
Translator: Dr. Erwin D. Fink 79106 Freiburg info@transmedia-translations.de
Printing: Dinner Druck 77963 Schwanau info@dinner-druck.de
Pictures: SICK AG, www.ausloeser-fotodesign.de, fotolia, BMW, Wilhelm-Media Wilhelm-Media
Individual contributions may be reproduced after prior consent. Please contact us at:
Phone +49 7681 202-3878 Errors excepted Subject to technical change
>> Imprint
As I got down to work on
another book review
this year, I thought
to myself, No, not
another one of
those motivation-
al or counseling
books. They are
truly very help-
ful, and I have
very much taken
to heart this or
that, reflecting
a lot about some
of them. For in-
stance, about the
fable of the mice
looking for new sup-
plies of cheese, with-
out waiting until the
old ones were used up.
The fable implies that peo-
ple should have a positive at-
titude toward changes in life. Or
that five minutes in ones life may
mean something decisive, yet one
could simply let them pass without
that moment having any influence
whatsoever on the future course of
ones life.
>> This time around, however, I just
felt like reading something altogether
different. Thus, I encountered the book
entitled A Short History of Nearly Every-
thing by Bill Bryson. Brysons is a book
that provides non-scientists like me
with amusing and fascinating insight
into the lives of scientists exploring
the genesis of the earth, humans, the
universe, chemistry, geology, biology,
astronomy, and much more. Coming
more from the humanities, I obviously
cannot judge whether everything de-
scribed there is correct, but I can easily
imagine that brilliant minds came up
with a good deal of bizarre ideas during
the course of their lives. For example,
Bryson tells the story of how the geolo-
gist and clergyman William Buckland
resolved to eat every creature in Gods
Creation at least once: Depending on
his mood and on availability, Buckland
had his guests served up guinea pigs,
mice in beer batter, grilled hedgehogs,
months incredible by todays stan-
dards until the Times published a
small report about a volcanic eruption
on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa
that took the lives of 10,000 people,
and why humankind has an appetite
for exterminating animals.
These are, however, only a few
among the abundance of Brysons re-
ports. I have to admit, my head was
buzzing a bit while reading the plethora
of names and impressions that inun-
dated me. Nevertheless, it was incred-
ibly gripping to learn about science in
general but above all, about life and
the commitment of scientists to
the cause.
Thus to me, this is a
highly readable book that
motivated me in entirely
different ways than
the previous ones. It
motivates me not to
take everything for
granted but instead
to start once again
questioning and dis-
covering a number
of things anew.
Life simply is exciting!
Bill Bryson
A Short History of
Nearly Everything
This book tip is written
by Online Editor
Ingrid Rathfelder
or boiled Southeast Asian sea snails.
Moles, though, he did not fancy. Bryson
also tells a tale or two about research-
ers self-experiments, which quite often
resulted in their premature demise.
For his part, being a travel journal-
ist, he admits not really having a clue
about natural science, subsequently
plowing through numerous scientific
treatises of world literature over the
course of three years.
In my view, the effort was worth-
while. The gentle reader learns what a
supernova is, what scientists have en-
dured just to observe one transit of Ve-
nus and it does not end there. I found
out what bad luck Max Planck had in
his life, that in 1815 it took a full seven
A Short History of Nearly
Everything written by Bill Bryson
Publisher: Black Swan,
ISBN: 978-0552151740
SICK AG Erwin-Sick-Str. 1
79183 Waldkirch Germany
Phone +49 7681 202-0
Fax +49 7681 202-38 63
info@sick.de www.sick.com
Text Text Text Text : Anwendungen
42
01 2008
SICK AG | Waldkirch | Germany | www.sick.com
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