Sensor for solids not liquids

rigicon · Nov 24, 2009

Any one have a idea about a sensor for solids but not liquids.
Coming out of a pipe is a solid "bullet" and then jets of water.
Want to sense the bullet made of steel & plastic but not the water.
was thinking about a light barrier mounted in a frame. ???

SteveMaves · Nov 24, 2009

Hi Rigicon, what type and color is the plastic? Is it very opaque? I wonder if one of these new low-cost Vision Sensors would be appropriate for this application with a backlight? Something like this...
http://www.bannerengineering.com/en...ision-Sensors/503/iVu-Series-TG-Image-Sensor/

Perhaps overkill, let us know about the plastic, that will be the key to picking something that can "burn through" the water without burning through the plastic.

JesperMP · Nov 24, 2009

An inductive proximity sensor maybe.

SteveMaves · Nov 24, 2009

Prox won't work if he wants to detect plastic. The OP can clarify, but my read is he wants: Plastic and Metal ON, Water and everything else OFF, is that correct, rigicon?

TurpoUrpo · Nov 24, 2009

For me

made of steel & plastic

reads, one part is made of both, steel and plastic.

rigicon · Nov 24, 2009

The "bullet is made with steel and a plastic outer covering".
The water shoots the bullet along cleaning as it goes. If it gets stuck the water can get past so Don't want to sense liquid(water) just the bullet.
Camera seemed good idea but constantly programming it, that's why I thought of light guards.

OkiePC · Nov 24, 2009

What are the dimensions of the bullet?

What is the estimated velocity of the bullet?

How about a metal detector?

Or, perhaps a pressure switch to detect a "jam"?

504bloke · Nov 24, 2009

Endress and Hauser in the UK, not cheap but superb products and support.

They probably do something.

We detect solids in a vacuum pipe of an extruder with a thermocouple (either J or Infra Red), the solid is generally a lot hotter than the vapour. Worked well for our appliaction, customer now has them on all extruder.

JesperMP · Nov 24, 2009

Cant see why a plain ordinary prox wont work.
Stainless steel is not so easy to detect on as normal steel, but not impossible at all.
It is cheap, does not need cleaning, does not need programming, can be mounted flush or virtually flush with the pipe.
What's not to like ?
Is there something we have not been told ?

rigicon · Nov 24, 2009

An ordinary prox would be terrific. I apologise to the forum for not mentioning that the tubes are steel been.

SteveMaves · Nov 24, 2009

If the "Pig" always has Steel in it, I agree, the Inductive Prox. would be the best choice.

That way the KISS Principle may counteract Murphy's Law.

Roy Matson · Nov 24, 2009

This has been done for many years Google pig detector
Just one example

http://info.smithmeter.com/literature/docs/sspp006.pdf

Roy

SMOKE · Nov 24, 2009

If the metals are different enough try this.

http://www.turck-usa.com/Press_Room/mat_det.htm

rigicon · Nov 29, 2009

Sorted A circular prox at the end of the pipe I only had half the story myself. Was under the impression that we had to read it in the pipe. Simple Thanks to the forum. You guys are the bee's knees. Cheers esp JesperMP & SMOKE.

Sensor for solids not liquids

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