SIKO (Germany) - Position sensor for hydraulic cylinders for lateral mounting.

Mobile machine designers are often faced with the following dilemma: accommodating quite a large functionality in the smallest possible installation space. Some mobile machines and utility vehicles must comply as well with unambiguous regulations regarding the width or height of the vehicle. The difficulty of this task becomes particularly evident when additional functions are to be integrated into an existing machine design, for example, when retrofitting a position sensor in hydraulic cylinders. SIKO has developed the new SGH10L position sensor for hydraulic and telescopic cylinders to give designers and developers maximum flexibility here in designing their cylinders.

Almost no stroke loss thanks to lateral mounting:

The new SGH10L position sensor has been specially developed for use in applications where almost no stroke loss is acceptable when integrating the sensor into the cylinder. This is made possible by the unique lateral attachment of the sensor to the hydraulic cylinder. This is because the SGH10L sensor is not installed in the cylinder base as usual, but in its specially developed housing. The system is fixed to the cylinder by a hydraulic screw connection. The cable is guided into the cylinder and then redirected towards the piston head. The cable is screwed in there – all done. Thanks to this unique design, only the installation space for the sensor ear is required in the cylinder. Because it is only a few millimeters in size, this results in a particularly compact installation shape unlike any other. Sensors with this design open up a new dimension of structural possibilities, increasing flexibility in the design of hydraulic cylinders with integrated position measurement. As a result, the sensor can also be used in hydraulic cylinders with extremely small diameters, e.g., 20 mm and smaller, or integrated in cylinders with mechanical end-position cushioning.

The already known advantages of the SGH series – there have been, to date, three sensor variants with measuring lengths up to 5 meters – are of course also integrated in this sensor. Consequently, hollow drilling of the piston is no longer necessary for the SGH10L either. The sensor also provides the known high flexibility for both the cylinder manufacturer and the user. In addition, many interfaces are available, e.g., analog current or voltage outputs, CANopen and SAE J1939. Thanks to the intuitive teach-in function, the sensor, which is available in two versions (500 mm and 1000 mm measuring range), can be easily and conveniently taught in to the exact measuring range. This significantly minimizes the number of variants, which in turn reduces overall costs. Like all SGH sensors, it of course can also be used in telescopic cylinders: a genuine master of flexibility.

The flexible and robust basic design of the SGH10L is last but not least due to its origin. The sensor was developed as part of the SIKO PURE.MOBILE sensor kit. This means that the sensor was designed from scratch with a 100% focus on mobile hydraulics, and accordingly exclusively for mobile machines. Every sensor equipped with PURE.MOBILE technology meets the EMC requirements for construction, agricultural and forestry machines, the requirements according to E1 (UN ECE R10), and is based on a magnetic, wear-free and sturdy sensor technology. All these features predestine the SGH10L for demanding mobile hydraulics applications where space is at a premium.

The SGH10 wire-actuated encoder measures the absolute direct cylinder stroke in a hydraulic cylinder. The new measuring system eliminates costly boring of the piston. As a result, integration costs are reduced compared to other measuring systems and a possible weakening of the piston is avoided effectively. The highlight of the SGH10L: Thanks to its unique lateral installation, the SGH10L can also be used in almost unsolvable applications, regardless of whether for applications in which no stoke lost can be accepted, extremely small piston diameters or in the case of cylinders with mechanical end position cushioning.

Profile SGH10L:

• Measuring range 0 … 1000 mm (39.37 inches)
• almost no stoke lost thanks to lateral mounting
• Absolute measuring system
• CANopen interface, analog: Current and voltage
• Operating voltage 9 ... 32 VDC
• Pressure-resistant up to 350 bar, pressure peaks up to 450 bar
• High degree of flexibility, adjustable to all measuring lengths thanks to teach-in 
• High electro-magnetic compatibility
• High shock and vibration resistance
• With PURE.MOBILE technology