VEGA

VEGA is a world-leading manufacturer of process instrumentation. Their product portfolio includes sensors for measurement of level and pressure as well as point level detection, with additional devices and software for integrating sensors into process control systems.

Founded in the Black Forest in 1959, VEGA today employs over 1,800 people worldwide, more than 750 of them at the headquarters in Schiltach in the Black Forest. Each and every one of them works with great passion to find the best solution for the customer’s application – across all industries.

A new heart for radar sensors

Today, radar sensors can be found in all areas of daily life, from simple motion detectors for door openers to complex distance sensors in vehicles. The technical requirements for industrial level measurement, however, are completely different. While people and vehicles refl ect radar signals very well, process media are often difficult to detect. For this task, sensors require a much higher signal sensitivity. That’s why VEGA have developed their own radar microchip, a component specifically optimized for the requirements of level measurement. This microchip is at the heart of the new sensors.

Thanks to its small size, low energy consumption and optimized frequency ranges, very compact radar instruments can now be built. These are considerably less expensive and can replace ultrasonic measurement technology in virtually all applications.

Radar sensors measure much more reliably than ultrasonic sensors. During the development of the new compact instrument series, the focus was also on simple installation and operation. All application parameters can now be set very quickly. Via the VEGA Tools app, also wirelessly with a smartphone or tablet.

Process and environmental influences

Due to their physical measuring principle, ultrasonic sensors are easily affected by ambient conditions: the transit time of sound, for example, is affected by variation of temperature (e.g. solar radiation), changing vapours or gasses affect the accuracy. Strong wind or rain, or even fog, can also damp the emitted sound waves and further restrict the measurement performance. Radar sensor performance is not affected by temperature, pressure or vacuum and remains able to deliver correct, reliable readings under all environmental conditions

Radar sensor performance is not affected by temperature, pressure or vacuum and remains able to deliver correct, reliable readings under all environmental conditions.

Dead zone and submersion

Due to process conditions, sensors are regularly flooded in some applications. To counteract this, ultrasonic sensors are often equipped with anti-submersion shields. However, these shields can also easily collect dirt and flotsam, which ultimately degrades their measurement reliability. Radar sensors have no dead zone (blanking distance) so they don’t need this protection, they function reliably, even when flooded.

Radar sensors enable reliable measurement right up to the sensor antenna itself, even when flooded.

Dirt and condensate

In many applications, sensors struggle with buildup. This applies especially to ultrasonic sensors: build up affects the reliability of the measurement signal and increases the dead zone. Optimized signal processing enables radar sensors to suppress interference caused by buildup on the antenna system.

Radar sensors are immune to the effects of dirt and buildup and do not have to be cleaned.

Reliability and accuracy

Thanks to the strong focusing of 80 GHz technology, the radar beam can be aimed at the measured medium with pinpoint accuracy. As a result, even narrow shafts or deposits on vessel walls or internals such as pipes
or pumps cannot generate interfering signals. In contrast to ultrasonic, no false signal suppression is necessary.

Radar sensors are highly suited for use in confined spaces and vessels with internal installations.