Position Sensors in Industry Bakeries The P103 linear position sensor is used across many different settings and industries. Today we look at how they are used in bakeries. Linear Position Sensors in BakeriesWe love seeing all the different applications of position sensors in all types of industrial applications, so here is the first instalment of our in-depth look at how sensors are used, what role they play and how the use of certain sensors has improved productivity and quality across various industries. Where better to start than in a bakery?Large scale bakeries produce a wide range of different products, from pastry sheets to biscuits, cakes and even crisps and flatbreads. Each product is a different thickness a scone as flat as a digestive biscuit would not be acceptable, and ready-to-roll pastry sheets as thick as an iced bun would also not meet customer requirements. In order to produce many different products at different thicknesses, the machinery used to roll out the dough needs to be adjustable, and more importantly, consistent in achieving the correct thickness every time; there is no room for error as inconsistency in dough depth will affect the baking process as well.It may seem like the answer to achieving the right size of product every time is to have a dedicated piece of rolling equipment for each product, that is always kept on the same setting, thereby removing any risk of inconsistency in size. In a factory that produces 20 or 30 different products this would mean using a lot of space, adding time to the production process for changing the rollers over between products and maintaining several pieces of equipment. The better answer to this problem is to use linear position sensors to detect and calibrate the gap between the rollers in order to change it for each product being made.The Positek P103 sensor used in a bakery resulted in better accuracy of roller distance compared to the previous LVDT technology, with a response within ± 0.25% of the distances required. This accurate response means that these sensors can be used to calibrate the machinery for a much wider range of thicknesses than the old technology, resulting in far greater potential for the factory and improved productivity.The older LVDT system needed complex installation with an extra power supply, as well as manual calibration of the equipment initially and during ongoing maintenance. The P103 sensor can be fitted very quickly, requiring just two connections to the machinery and no external connections. It uses inductive coil technology and comes ready calibrated, meaning that once it is installed it's ready to use and there are no longwinded calibration processes to go through each time it is changed. As well as rolling out dough, the production line in a large bakery has to cope with weighing, mixing and proving products, moving them through ovens and turning to prevent sogginess. Many bakeries also package the products ready for sale, and all these processes rely on position sensors to ensure that the product moves along the line at the right pace, and that each product is consistently handled at each stage, from initially making the recipe to baking and packaging it. If just one part of the production line is out of synchronisation with the rest, it can be very costly to the business and results in product wastage and low productivity, so it is vital that the position sensors used are reliable and not prone to failure due to ingredients getting on the equipment. Non-contact position sensors like the ones made by Positek are ideal for food production environments as they will not fail if there is any matter on the sensors and they will keep the factory running smoothly at all times. Without non-contact position sensors the cost of baked goods would be considerably higher. Article published on: 01/01/1900 Article last updated on: 01/01/1900