The transition to electromobility brings with it far-reaching challenges for the automotive industry. Pepperl+Fuchs will be showcasing a range of smart components for automating the changing production processes - such as ultrasonic sensors for battery cell production or vision sensors for robot positioning. A particular highlight is the 'IQT3' HF RFID read/write head, whose reading range can be adjusted to up to 30 cm - which, according to Benedikt Rauscher, Manager Global IoT/ I4.0 Projects, is unique for this product class. For seamless integration into control and IT systems, all sensors support communication technologies such as IO-Link or the various industrial Ethernet protocols.

The second topic is hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuels, which plays an important role in curbing climate change. Its combustion does not produce any harmful CO2 emissions, only water vapor. However, hydrogen is an explosive gas. Consequently, the hydrogen economy faces enormous challenges in terms of production, distribution and use. This is where Pepperl+Fuchs' more than 70 years of experience in the process industry and especially in explosion protection is proving helpful: the company's portfolio is broadly positioned along the entire hydrogen value chain, so that, according to Benedikt Rauscher at Pepperl+Fuchs, people like to talk about the company's "hydro gene":

'Hydrogen is only 'green' if it has been produced using renewable energy, for example with wind turbines. This is where encoders and inclinometers are used. Pepperl+Fuchs ensures safety in the production of hydrogen using the electrolysis process with components for explosion protection. For maintenance personnel, the subsidiary Ecom offers mobile devices suitable for Zone 1 and Zone 2.

Valves with manual actuation are often used when transporting hydrogen through extensive pipelines. Their position is rarely changed, which is why electric or pneumatic actuators are not used and therefore no corresponding energy is available at the valve. The 'Wilsen.valve' product study demonstrates how the actuating positions of such valves can be detected reliably and cost-effectively. NAMUR or 2-wire low-power DC sensors are combined with the battery-operated 'Wilsen' unit. The position detected by the sensors is wirelessly connected to higher-level asset management systems or IoT platforms. Data is transmitted over a distance of several kilometers using the LoRaWAN standard. With the high-performance battery integrated in the 'Wilsen' unit, the system operates maintenance-free for years due to the low power consumption of the sensors. In addition to the sensor signals, diagnostic data such as temperature and battery charge status are also transmitted.

Hall 7A, Stand 411