Application Note...

PCS400 Precision Pressure Controller

Application:

Production Line Sensor Calibration and Trimming

Challenge:

A sensor manufacturer had a high throughput sensor production line which required calibration pressures at multiple trimming and testing stations. They were looking for a low cost, but accurate solution that allowed them to independently calibrate sensors at three separate pressure points, upscale and downscale. The average time to calibrate and trim these points was 7 seconds per unit.

Solution:

Mensor provided the pressure controllers and the overall system design to meet the customer’s requirements. The system included three PCS400 pressure controllers modified to respond to pressure changes in a large volume system. Due to the distributed nature of the setup and the independent speed and consumption of pressure at each test head, separate measuring and controlling lines were provided in the PCS400 along with larger capacity valves as shown below. The final system installed required a large pressure vessel on each PCS400 sized to handle the downstream capacity, the production line speed and the pressure restrictions. Downstream volumes (the pressure volume between the test sensor and the valve used to control the pressure to the test head) were minimized to reduce the overall gas consumption.

The system also included a warning system that detected out of tolerance pressures in the system that allowed appropriate action to be taken by the users.

Related Equipment: Due to the test pressures used in the system, a common in-house compressed air system and common vacuum system were utilized as pressure and vacuum supplies reducing the overall cost and maintenance. Large pressure vessels on the order of 60 gallons each were used to store set pressures.