Product category:
Level and tank contents instrumentation
News Release from: Krohne | Subject: Krohne Optiwave
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 16 September 2005
Tank level radar overcomes turbulence in
plastics
Following successful trials which demonstrated a marked improvement in production efficiency, industrial plastics manufacturer Schwartz has chosen to install two Krohne Optiwave radar level gauges
Following successful trials, which demonstrated a marked improvement in production efficiency, industrial plastics manufacturer Schwartz has chosen to install two Krohne Optiwave radar level gauges The company has since placed orders for additional instruments
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 14 Aug 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Krohne flow product showcase in Scotland
All roads lead to Aberdeen this September 3rd and 4th for the biennial Instrumentation Scotland and Offshore Systems exhibition, and Krohne teams up with Hamall to present oil and gas flow products
Entry level, high performance flow converter
Krohne has launched the IFC100, a signal converter for its Optiflux range of electromagnetic flowmeters that offers excellent performance at an entry level price
Schwartz, which is based in Germany, is one of Europe's leading manufacturers of plastic components, which are used in industry worldwide.
Using the Krohne Optiwave instruments the company has significantly improved level measurement accuracy of the raw material, which is kept agitated in containers prior to processing.
Schwartz manufactures its products from polyamide, which is a plastic made from processing a raw material called caprolactam.
During production, caprolactam, which has a density similar to water, needs to be heated for it to remain liquid - at room temperature the substance will harden.
Before processing, it is stored in relatively small, two metre high containers where it is maintained at 120C.
The containers are fitted with agitators which, because of the turbulent surface they create on the liquid, make it difficult to accurately monitor the precise level of material in the tanks.
Previously the company used float-type devices which led to unreliable measurement readings being taken.
Krohne Optiwave radar level gauges are capable of measuring to an accuracy of +/- 3mm, despite the uneven liquid surface.
Their relatively small antennas and high resolution measurement frequency make them ideally suited to applications involving small containers and turbulent surfaces.
The Optiwave also has a pre-programmed 'Agitator Tank' option, which can be selected via its 'quick setup wizard' menu.
By using this function, the instrument will automatically compensate for fluctuations in level readings to provide accurate measurement output.
"We are really satisfied with these two Krohne Optiwave units because they let us detect the filling levels in our tanks with far more accuracy than was previously possible," said Ulrich Kottlamp, works manager at Schwartz.
• Krohne: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Processingtalk email newsletter
• Processingtalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
