End-stroke switches can be extremely useful, greatly enhancing the performance of a cylinder. Yet, at times abnormal signals occur, and it can be quite distressing when that happens. That’s what happened to one of our customers some time ago, as his V250 Vega cylinder started experiencing loss of signal. How did that happen?
Analysis Results:
A careful examination of the cylinder revealed what caused the above-mentioned loss of signal—the deterioration of the magnetic ring, as the following picture clearly shows:
There are usually two reasons why a magnetic ring wears down and gets deteriorated:
- Working temperature higher than recommended. The recommended working temperature is usually indicated on the Vega catalog of products or on the metal label on the cylinder itself, and it should be carefully followed
- Use of aggressive fluids such as water and glycol. The chemicals contained in glycol solutions may attack the protective coating (resin or nickel plating) of the magnet, causing its structure to deteriorate and thus reducing the intensity of its magnetic field. This happens when the working temperature of the fluid are constantly between 60 and 80° C. (140-176° F.)
Possible Solutions:
- If the ring deterioration is caused by high working temperature, we strongly suggest placing isolating plates between the cylinder and the mold: usually, these plates should be able to lower the temperature of transmission by 25/30° C. (77/86° F.) In case it’s not enough, we suggest producing liquid cooling plates
- In case the deterioration of the ring is caused by aggressive fluids, there is one solution—regular periodic maintenance
Switches can greatly improve the performance of our cylinders, but it is vital that we learn how to use them in order to avoid misuses. It is also extremely important to learn how to perform a careful, regular maintenance. In this regard, the following article can prove to be very useful: https://www.icvega.com/support/maintenance-importance-quick-accurate
