New Baumer sensor takes dairy innovation award

By Jim Cornall

- Last updated on GMT

 The PP20H is suitable for CIP (clean in place) and SIP (sterilization in place) processes. Pic: Baumer
The PP20H is suitable for CIP (clean in place) and SIP (sterilization in place) processes. Pic: Baumer

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At the Process Expo in Chicago, the PP20H pressure sensor from Baumer MDS GmbH was the winner of the Innovations Showcase Award in the dairy product category.

The pressure sensor prevailed among the 17 finalists due to its condensate-resistant silicon measuring cell, precision across the entire temperature range, and IO-Link interface.

“An IO-Link interface is the latest trend in the sector and we have incorporated this technology in our PP20H,”​ Baschar Al Hammoud, product manager for pressure sensors, said.

In addition to the digital IO-Link interface, the PP20H also offers an additional analog output.

Al Hammoud said, “With this combination, the PP20H offers users more flexibility than any other pressure sensor.”

This way, during commissioning of the sensor, users can benefit from all IO-Link advantages, which simplifies sensor parameterization while allowing process control by the sensor via the analog output.

The IO-Link makes it possible to call up additional process data such as the pressure of the measurement cell or the temperatures of the pressure sensor and the microchip in the central processing unit.

Access to this information allows for investigations such as whether an unusual temperature rise has occurred in a container, which may indicate a defect or faulty dosage of the ingredients in a tank. As high temperatures may decrease the service life of the sensor or other system components, this may indicate the need for preventive maintenance.

The company said the PP20H series offers the advantages of IO-Link, such as quick parameterization during operation and prior to installation. It said a new sensor learns the parameters of the old sensor via the master and is immediately ready for operation upon installation.

Baumer said it is planning additional functions based on IO-Link.

The PP20H’s measurement cell is completely sealed even during relative pressure measurement, preventing the entrance of warm and humid ambient air, which may precipitate with low process temperatures. This is the case, for example, in milk or ice cream processing.

At the same time, the sensor must be somehow “open” to the surroundings because the sensor will also determine the difference to the ambient temperature. Baumer devised a technical solution for this challenge, placing a barometric pressure sensor in the back of the housing that can measure the reference pressure of the environment via an opening. This way, the actual silicon measurement cell in the front remains hermetically sealed.

Baumer said the PP20H is therefore not only suitable for CIP (clean in place) and SIP (sterilization in place) processes, but also for sudden changes in process media temperatures.

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