Autonics Releases PSS Pressure Sensor and SFT Safety Terminal Block

Continuing to grow their product catalog, Autonics has recently announced two new products. No stranger to the automation space, Autonics has developed the PSS Series pressure sensor, a compact sensor that integrates easily with existing control systems. They have also designed a new SFT series safety terminal block that provides an extra layer of safety for emergency stop buttons, light curtains, and other priority safety signals.

PSS Series Contactless Pressure Sensor

The PSS series contactless pressure sensor makes measurements in small spaces much easier. With no indicator or display, pressure sensors can be mounted virtually anywhere. Pressure data is transmitted using an industry-standard 4-20 mA signal or a 1-5 V DC signal and can be integrated with programmable logic controllers (PLCs), computers, and other human-machine interfaces (HMIs) for data display, logging, and control decisions.

PSS Series pressure sensor.

Capable of reading from -103 kPa to up to 1000 kPa (-14.93 psi to 145 psi) depending on the model, this sensor can be used in process control loops to determine the presence of objects on a pick and pull line, direct inflation operations, and certain other applications.

One particularly interesting application of the PSS series sensors is their use in potato chip manufacturing. Potato chip bags are often backfilled with nitrogen or another inert gas to increase shelf life and prevent spoilage. Improperly filling the bag results in a burst bag (especially if the bag is shipped to a higher altitude) or stale chips. With the PSS series sensor, every bag can be filled to the proper pressure.

SFT Series Safety Terminal Block

Another important product Autonics offers is their new SFT Series safety terminal block. In general, safety terminal blocks are connected to handle priority signals, such as those from machine guards, interlocks, light curtains, emergency stop buttons, and other safety-critical devices. Rather than relying on complex controller code that may fail in a time of need, the safety terminal block can direct this traffic so that the proper action is taken immediately.

SFT Series safety terminal block.

Consider a power spike in a manufacturing plant. Such a problem can cause standard controllers to hiccup, perhaps requiring a reboot or software to be reloaded. During this time, it could miss a vital signal from engineered safety controls. The presence of a properly configured safety terminal block has a much higher mean time between failure (MTBF) and provides a layer of redundancy to systems, helping to prevent injury.

The SFT Series safety terminal blocks highlight that simplicity and reliability are the most important features of any safety hardware. They can be screw-mounted or DIN rail mounted and have a single LED to indicate whether they are functioning properly. No fancy screens, no complicated and unnecessary signal processing.

Summary of Autonics’s New Lineup

Compact size, simple operation, and ease of integration make both of these products a good match for many automation lines. A compact pressure sensor will benefit manufacturing, assembly, packing, and many other common operations. While Autonics has targeted the automotive manufacturing industry for the SFT Series safety terminal blocks, they are applicable in virtually any automation line with a risk of grave bodily harm.

All images used courtesy of Autonics