Self-contained wireless photoelectric sensor

Banner Engineering SureCross Q45 is the world’s first self-contained, wireless standard photoelectric sensor designed for control and monitoring applications, the company said.

Wireless sensing offers advantages when traditional solutions are significantly more costly due to infrastructure requirements—complexities of cables, conduits and installation—operators can quickly integrate a scalable, wireless sensor network to improve efficiency by monitoring and coordinating multiple machines and processes. It was developed from the ground up for industrial automation, according to Banner Engineering. Proprietary power management delivers extended battery life up to five years on two replaceable AA Lithium batteries, depending on sensor and application. It communicates up to 3,000 ft (1 km) line-of-sight minimum. The IP67/NEMA 6P protection can support up to 47 Q45 sensors per gateway.

“The SureCross Q45 was developed from the ground up, exclusively for the demands of industrial automation,” said Scott Pritchard, director of wireless at Banner Engineering. “The proprietary, self-contained battery, radio and sensor solution, featuring easy deployment and untethered communications, provides the functionality, reliability and determinism required for factory applications,” Pritchard said.

The SureCross Q45 is said to be ideal for many applications, including cable replacement, moving applications, remote applications and productivity solutions. To meet diverse application requirements, models are available in polarized retroreflective, convergent visible, remote device interface and fiber optic.

“The flexibility of the SureCross Q45 sets it apart from anything else our customers have used,” said Bob Gardner, senior product manager at Banner Engineering. 

“With performance capabilities ranging from the detection of objects in simple presence/absence or alignment applications to call-for-parts and error-proofing in productivity solutions, the SureCross Q45 can accurately connect and solve applications that were difficult, costly or nearly impossible with conventional technologies,” Gardner added.

www.bannerengineering.com

- Edited by Mark T. Hoske, content manager, CFE Media, Control Engineering, and Plant Engineering, mhoske@cfemedia.com.