Inductive position sensor for valve efector 100 / AS-Interface
In industrial processes where liquids, air or gases are used cocks serve for dosing and control. There is a wide variety of valve types, butterfly or ball taps being the most common quarter-turn types.
In large plants these valves are seldom operated manually. Mechanical actuation is normally done by separate actuators suppliers. The valve position must be monitored electronically. This is necessary to give feedback to the controller when a certain position (e.g. "open" or "closed") is reached and to monitor the valves centrally from a control room.
Mechanical switches are still often used for position feedback on the actuator industrial shaft. For other solutions several proximity switches are used together with a switching target for position detection. Disadvantage of these solutions: Mounting is mechanically complex. During switch mounting the signal wires can be reversed when they are connected in the top-mounted junction case. Where there are temperature fluctuations condensing humidity leads to corrosion and thus malfunction.
