Part feeding is a necessary function in every assembly plant. At Balluff, we understand how sensors can improve the accuracy and reliability of bowl feeders, hoppers, and in-line feed tracks. Take a look at how we've helped others solve actual feeding challenges.

Level Control
Replace traditional mechanical switch method with Balluff solution
Maintaining correct product level in a feeder bowl is essential for correct operation. Bowl level detection is often accomplished with the use of a contact arm connected to a mechanical switch. When the level falls, the switch activates and signals the hopper controller to start dispensing the product until the selected upper limit is reached.

Balluff solutions:
Contact arm and inductive prox sensor
Contact arm and analog inductive prox sensor
Non contact method with background suppression photoelectric sensor

Part Detection
Replace fiber optic sensor with self-contained thru-beam sensor
Detecting parts in an inline feeder track is typically done with a fiber optic thru-beam. This method has been used due to the small fiber size and the tight, controlled detection beam.

A typical feed track detection system uses a fiber optic approach. This system consists of a separate emitter, receiver fibers, and the amplifier to control them. The emitter and receiver fibers must be held in alignment for best operation. This is often done with a special bracket. Because of alignment issues, the extra space required for the amplifier, and the cost of separate components, a self-contained thru-beam sensor is the ideal alternative.
Balluff Solution: Feed track part detection with thru-beam sensor

Sorting System
Replace expensive machine vision with true color sensor
Feeding and sorting parts based on color is often a production challenge. Vision systems can sometimes be used to identify product colors, but this can be a costly and time-consuming method when compared with a simple true color sensor.
Balluff Solution: Feed track part sorting with full/true color sensor