Page 19 - EngineerIT March 2022

MEASUREMENT

Four-stage, all-round protection
VEGAPULS 6X also offers decisive technical
innovations: it is equipped with a
comprehensive safety concept. Functional
safety is guaranteed, as it conforms with all
the requirements of safety integrity level
(SIL). The certified sensor has exceptional
SIL characteristics and provides the
necessary operational safety to minimise
risks in safety-related applications.
Another increasingly important focus
is “cybersecurity”. In this regard the
VEGAPULS 6X conforms to IEC 61511,
which fulfils the strictest requirements
for security of system access and
communication control. It thus guarantees
comprehensive process security, right throughout the world.” It is especially characterised by its low energy consumption, high
through to the control system. sensitivity, scalable architecture and universal applicability. The radar antenna system and
An important third aspect of its the chip are connected directly to each other, without any cable, for maximum performance.
extensive safety features is its self-
diagnosis system. It continuously monitors New in a different way: Innovation of values
the function of the sensor and recognises Beside the technical highlights, the VEGA radar team addressed questions that, from the
if it has been impaired in any way, thus very beginning, went far beyond product design: what will be the long-term impact of this
contributing significantly to higher plant technology on the people who use it? How can their work be simplified? What future goals
availability and sensor performance. of industry can be realised with the new technology?
Central to these important features This new approach gave rise to the impulses that make VEGAPULS 6X different. By
is a new, second generation radar chip carefully considering the users and the process conditions of their applications, other points
directly from VEGA. Because there was no came into focus. These include the challenges in using measuring instruments such as
chip available on the market that would complicated adjustment procedures, the constant pressure to increase efficiency, and time
have met all requirements, the research constraints in general.
and development team set to work to
design one themselves, from scratch. “The Focusing on the application
result pretty much consolidates our entire The actual task of level sensors is to help users and make it easier for them to monitor their
radar experience from three decades”, industrial processes. They often make processes more controllable and efficient, but even if
says VEGA product manager Jürgen they are basically easy to use, the process of selecting the right one for an application can
Skowaisa, praising this achievement. “In its still be difficult. Product manager Jürgen Skowaisa sums up in two words the strategy VEGA
scope and functionality, the chip is unique is pursuing with VEGAPULS 6X: “Maximum simplification.” He makes a comparison: “Until
now, there were many different sensors that could be used for an application, but today,
with VEGAPULS 6X, there is one sensor for all applications.” Even setup and commissioning,
he says, has been reduced to a minimum, requiring now just a few clicks and the input
of basic data. “Our customers can even order a sensor that has been factory calibrated,
customer-specific down to the last detail, that only has to be installed and connected. It
doesn’t get any easier than that”, says Skowaisa.

Radar made for people
With VEGAPULS 6X, VEGA has rounded out its radar measurement technology with four
important innovations: more safety and self-diagnosis, new radar chip technology, new
application possibilities and simpler adjustment. “Furthermore”, says Jürgen Skowaisa with
emphasis, “our technology has reached such a high level today that reliable function is
no longer the issue. The only risk now is choosing the wrong sensor.” Thanks to the new
approach with VEGAPULS 6X, VEGA now provides the tools to get right sensor version for the
application in 99 % of all cases, while keeping experienced application engineers on standby
to help with the special, more difficult applications. “In the future, the user will no longer
have to worry about the technology, frequency or instrument version – the measurement
will simply work.” n

EngineerIT | March 2022 | 17