Leuze introduced the GSX, presented as the world's first combined fork sensor, expanding its fork-sensor product range by adding a combined model that can do both light and ultrasonic sensing. Combining the advantages of optical variants with those of ultrasonic solutions, the sensor is best suited for labeling machines used in the packaging industry.
Affixing labels of various shapes, sizes, and materials on products and packaging by means of a labeling machine is one of the fundamental tasks carried out in the packaging industry. For its precise positioning, the label must be safely and reliably detected, even at high conveyor speeds. This task is performed by fork sensors, which house the transmitter and receiver in a single device and ensure high operational safety.
The GSX fork sensor combines the two detection methods of ultrasonic and light in a single housing, bringing together the advantages of both principles in a flexible platform. It reliably, quickly, and precisely detects a wide range of labels, regardless of material and surface characteristics. This increases the machine throughput and avoids downtime.
Even labels made of inhomogeneous cavitated BOPP material can be reliably detected through the optical operating principle. The fork sensor is well-suited for applications in which various types of labels need to be detected. Until now, this often required several different fork sensors. The user saves not only space, but also additional time and costs of installation. The fork sensor can be quickly and easily set up via a teach button to program the label-carrier combination. Only one universal mounting position is required for all objects.
The GSX fork sensor also features an IO-Link interface, which serves to configure the sensor easily, quickly, and economically. The interface can be used to enable remote teaching, or to lock the buttons, among other things. In addition, recipe management facilitates easy format changeovers when replacing rolls, so re-teaching is not necessary when changing to a different label format. This parameter selection is directly carried out on the labeling machine via the HMI.
