Des Plaines, IL -Parker Hannifin's new 2MA pneumatic cylinder with linear position sensor accurately senses a piston's position in relation to its stroke to the nearest one-thousandth of an inch. "We use a new magnetostrictive transducer for providing feedback to a PLC or digital readout that indicates the piston position," says Fiona Abrams, a Parker-Hannifin design engineer responsible for the product. "The sensor is mounted externally, so there are not a lot of retrofit issues."
With this new magnetostrictive technology, no re-homing of the device is necessary. In addition, the transducer compensates for differences in magnetic fields with automatic tuning.
The company uses standard cylinders from their product line and adds the electronics on top. Externally mounting electronics eliminates drilling through the rod and special end covers. "There is nothing else like it out there," says Mary Morris, engineering manager at the company's pneumatic business unit.
"The 2MA is suitable for use with clevis mounts, head or cap trunions, extended tie-rods, or side or angle mounts," says Abrams. Its typical pneumatic applications are in automotive, material handling, packaging, and mobile equipment industries. Bore sizes range from two to eight inches.
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