Exact level measurement in media with strong foam development is child’s play for SICK’s new LFP INOX level sensor. The measuring principle of the guided microwave ensures the highest possible measuring accuracy; the hygiene-compliant design makes the sensor suitable for numerous uses in the food and beverage industry and the pharmaceutical industry.
Particularly in dairies and breweries, where milk or, respectively, beer is handled, mixed and filled, there is usually strong foam development and wet, dense foams are produced. Many level measurement systems reach their limits in such environments: capacitive systems and conductivity probes provide unreliable data due to product adhesions; float switches often do not meet the hygiene requirements in terms of cleanability and sterilization. For applications like these, the LFP INOX is the ideal solution.
Unaffected by foam, designed with hygiene aspects in mind
Thanks to the Time Domaine Reflectometry (TDR) measuring principle, i.e. the guided microwave, the LFP INOX can reliably detect the difference between liquid media and foams or adhesions. The measuring probe is CIP and SIP resistant and can be easily shortened from the maximum measuring range of 4,000mm to 200mm. It is made from FDA-certified, food-grade stainless steel and has a polished surface with Ra = 0,8μm, which facilitates the residue-free cleaning, minimizes the adhesion of product residues and thus prevents the multiplication of bacteria and other microorganisms. The same applies to the changeable, hygienic process connections of the LFP INOX. The level sensor has been certified by the EHEDG (European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group) and conforms to the 3-A sanitary standards of the US food industry.
Makes flexible automation possible
LFP INOX combines continuous level measurement with the detection of limit levels – offering considerable cost advantages in contrast to separate systems. Display, switchable analog output 4 – 20mA or 0 – 10V, IO-Link for individual parameterization, diagnosis, and visualizing options, and two binary outputs are integrated in a compact sensor housing which meets the requirements of both enclosure ratings, IP67 and IP69K.
Thanks to the cutable probes and the interchangeable process outputs, the LFP INOX is extremely versatile in use. Easy commissioning, maintenance-free operation, a sensor that is influenced only insignificantly by the properties of the medium measured and does not require recalibration – all this results in considerable savings in time and costs.
This makes the LFP INOX the ideal solution, technically and economically, for level measurement in buffer tanks of filling systems, for level control in rinsing systems and CIP systems as well as in cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical mixing systems.
