Emrecan Şahin
Marketing and Import Executive of Vega Turkey
Breaking new grounds in its field with its latest technology and advantages offered, VEGAPULS 6X now brings revolutionary innovations to its users in the field of level measurement. Creating difference also with its safety features, the device also eliminates the confusion in the selection of the right device for level measurement.
VEGAPULS 6X expedites product selection
Stereotypical questions that are asked in the search for a suitable radar level sensor start with the most suitable frequency for a given situation. Shall we choose either 26 GHz or 80 GHz, or would 6 GHz be the best option? Then, concerns about the attributes of the material to be measured that are likely to affect the measurement, and the conditions at the measuring point start to arise. And this is not all over. Questions on temperature ranges or aggressive substances need to be answered too. Will a standard process connection be sufficient or would highly special materials be a better choice for the most stringent requirements? After all, isn’t it necessary to be well prepared in advance in order to address challenging or doubtful circumstances? Wouldn’t it also require additional utmost attention if the sensor is required to measure high levels or have to run in foul weather every other day?
As indicated by these and many similar questions that need to be discussed and decided upon, making a choice and reaching to a decision can become very tormenting. Customers are generally required to choose one among many radar sensors. Considering that the sensors offered are becoming more diverse as the application areas are becoming more and more multi-layered and processes are getting more complex every other day – it is necessary to search through the sensor market meticulously. It is inevitable to have extensive knowledge and vast experience in order to attain reliable measurement results and to prevent bad investments which are costly.
30 years of knowledge and experience…
Being the leader in the global market of today’s radar level measurement technologies, The success story of VEGA started 30 years ago. The story goes back to the production of the first two-conductor radar sensor in the world and becoming the first manufacturer that has released the first 80 GHz frequency radar sensor for liquids to the market. VEGA’s measuring devices have been used in over 1 million applications in many fields such as chemicals, energy, food, oil and gas industries in particular since then. The company set new standards and brought out new features with each generation of the radar sensors and took it forward by always designing more reliable, more precise, more durable and more flexible products. And it always focused on superior quality for the sensors.
VEGAPULS 6X features four-stage and multidimensional safety
VEGAPULS 6X is offering major technological innovations. The sensor is equipped with a comprehensive safety concept. The functional safety of the sensor satisfies the requirements of the relevant Safety Integrity Level. Certified VEGAPULS 6X features exceptional SIL numbers and offers an operational safety necessary to minimize the risks of applications where safety stands out as priority. Another core aspect that has come to the forefront is “cyber security” which is becoming more and more important. VEGAPULS 6X satisfies the stringent requirements set forth by IEC 62443 standard for the reliability of communication and access controls in this respect. Thus, the global safety of the process extending to the control system is ensured. The third stage of the comprehensive safety equipment is the self-diagnosic system. This system continuously detects whether the safety functions of the sensor are impaired to offer significant contribution to the continuous availability and performance of the sensor.
These significant features are backed by a second[1]generation radar chip developed directly by VEGA. VEGA’s Research and Development team took over the task and designed a brand new chip since none of the chips available on the market was able to satisfy these demands fully. VEGA Product Manager Jürgen Skowaisa makes an explanation about the resulting product: “The outcome is just like the summary of our thirty years of experience in radars. The chip is unprecedented throughout the world in terms of its scope and accomplishments.” Extremely low power consumption, high sensitivity, scalable structure and universal usage are among the unique features offered by the chip. The antenna system and the chip can be directly interconnected without requiring to use any cable.
Being involved in the development of the device from the very beginning, Florian Burgert, the Product Manager says: “What matters in the end is not the device itself, but what the operators can reach in their own processes using that device. The sensor chosen by the operator shall not only make it possible to reach the target quickly, but also ensure that the best solution is being used. This is what makes the difference in daily routine tasks.
VEGAPULS 6X was developed as a brand new and distinctive device
VEGA Radar Team was also dealing with questions that are far beyond product design in addition to key technological features since the very beginning. Some of these questions were: What kind of an impact does this developed technology have in the long term on the people who use it? How is it possible to make the work of these people further simpler? How is it possible to transform the future goals of the industry or to realized them again by making use of this technology?
This new approach which is taken as basis provided the necessary inspiration and VEGAPULS 6X was developed as a brand new and distinctive device. Different areas were focused on by adopting a different perspective by taking the users and their process circumstances to the core. Challenges to be taken into consideration during operation such as pressure, expectation for a continuously higher efficiency, complex control methods and time pressure were among those.
“Maximum simplicity”
The task of the level sensors is to facilitate and support the operators in their industrial processes. However, while the sensors generally control the processes and make the processes more efficient, their ease of use in principle lies behind a complicated selection process, which makes it difficult to operate the sensor. VEGA realized VEGAPULS 6X by setting off from there. Jürgen Skowaisa, the Product Manager summarizes this just with two words: “Maximum simplicity.” He makes a comparison in this respect: “Multiple sensors could be of question for a single application until now, but today, a single sensor can be used for all applications thanks to VEGAPULS 6X.” He states that commissioning procedures can be carried out with just a few clicks or a few basic data and that the processes are kept at a minimal level and adds: “Our customers can order sensors in specific configurations down to the smallest detail from the factory and it will be sufficient to install and connect them to the positions where the sensors will be used when the sensors are delivered to them. It doesn’t get any easier than this.”
VEGA has expanded its radar measurement technology with four key innovations that VEGAPULS 6X features: Further safety and self-diagnostic system; brand new radar chip technology; new possibilities in applications; easier to use.Jürgen Skowaisa concludes his words by saying: “We also achieved an extremely high standard today with this technology. Yet the key point here is not the safe functions but the fact that the residual risk is caused by an incorrectly selected sensor. VEGA offers the right sensor model for each application with a reliability rate of 99% with the new method that VEGAPULS 6X adopts while our team of experienced application technicians are always ready to support you for the remaining 1% special applications. Operators are no longer required to worry about technology, frequency or device models since the measurements are carried out smoothly.”
The safety concept of VEGAPULS 6X is a full offer which includes all of the factors: Functional safety (SIL) is a self-diagnostic system designed in compliance with the latest IT safety standard IEC 62443-4-2 and it offers efficient protection against cyber attacks.
It does not matter if it is a liquid or solid substance, whether high temperatures, pressure, dust or excessive noise are present: VEGAPULS 6X ensures that you always take perfect readings under any process condition.
A VEGA standard which cannot be challenged for years: The display and controller module is straightforward, clear and easy to use. Wireless control is also possible by using VEGA Tools app via Bluetooth connection
Our customer placed an order only for one VEGAPULS 6X. All of the specifications of the finished measuring device were determined by the customer’s application. VEGA manufacturing department custom designed the radar sensor in accordance with the parameters and process conditions stipulated by the customer and installed it.
