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New Generation of 80 GHz Radar Sensors Designed to Meet Individual Customer Requirements

12 Sep 2022  |
Increased safety and productivity, combined in one easy-to-use radar measuring device.

Endress+Hauser is relaunching the Micropilot range of 80 GHz radar sensors. When developing the new measuring devices Micropilot FMR60B, FMR62B, FMR63B, FMR66B and FMR67B, one thing was paramount: the customer’s requirements. When it comes to challenges such as measuring points that are difficult to access, dusty environments or extreme process temperatures, the new generation always provides the right solution. What’s more, wizards operated via the SmartBlue app make the sensors easier to use. Apart from tried-and-tested digital communication protocols such as HART or Profibus, the new generation also relies on innovative communication technologies such as Ethernet-APL. The exceptional measurement performance of the new radar chip combined with the smart Heartbeat Technology monitoring function helps to increase productivity. The new Micropilot generation offers solutions that make individual customer processes simpler, more efficient, and safer in every respect.

Simple in every respect

The range of new-generation 80 GHz radar sensors for level measurement provides solutions for virtually any radar application. Thanks to the compact device design, it can be used in confined installation situations. Suitable versions are also available for challenging process conditions such as aggressive media or extreme temperatures.

Commissioning and operation of the Micropilot range are straightforward and intuitive. Users are guided through the process by integrated assistants (wizards), thus preventing errors and enabling the devices to be operated without much training. Parameter configuration and subsequent proof-testing are also guided. Thanks to a Bluetooth® interface, the devices can be conveniently controlled remotely via the SmartBlue app from Endress+Hauser. In conjunction with Heartbeat Technology, processes can thus be monitored continuously, and verifications performed in less than three minutes while the process is running. Furthermore, the devices use the entire range of digital communication options such as Ethernet-APL, Profibus PA and HART.  These new communication options, together with the new user interface and the numerous wizards, make for easier operation in every respect.

With the HistoROM mobile data memory, measuring point parameters are transferred to the new sensor without error when the electronics are replaced. The device is repaired quickly and smoothly without the need for specialized user knowledge.

Maximum safety for staff, plants and processes

Systematic errors, unintentional operating errors and process anomalies all pose risks to plant safety. The new Micropilot radar family meets all safety requirements. It has been developed in accordance with IEC 61508 using Endress+Hauser’s 20 years of SIL expertise and can therefore be used in SIL2 or SIL3 applications, for example with homogeneous redundancy.

Furthermore, operating sequences guide the user step by step through commissioning, parameter configuration or SIL proof testing, thus preventing systematic errors and increasing safety. Thanks to the existing Buetooth® interface, function checks or changes to settings can always be performed remotely from outside the danger zone via the SmartBlue app. The innovative communication option, Ethernet-APL, also allows the device to be monitored and operated for the first time via an integrated web server. The new color display also ensures safety at a glance by changing from green to red in the event of an error and thus providing a quick status overview.

Another function designed to eliminate systematic errors is the automatically generated checksum (CRC), which is generated from all the safety-related parameters and noted in the test report. Changes to an individual parameter can thus be identified from the checksum, making it possible to see at a glance if a parameter has been changed and thus significantly speeding up inspections.

Increased efficiency and exceptional measurement performance

Not only does the 80 GHz Micropilot range offer the highest level of safety, the exceptional measurement performance of the radar chip, which was developed in-house, also increases the productivity of industrial processes. In addition to the measurement performance, Heartbeat Technology developed by Endress+Hauser enables productivity gains. It provides reliable diagnostic and monitoring data and enables predictive maintenance thanks to its constant monitoring of anomalies such as foam or buildup. Device verifications can be performed in less than three minutes without having to remove the device and without interrupting the process.

The patented radar accuracy index (RAI) combined with Heartbeat Verification now enables traceable verification according to DIN ISO 9001 for the first time, resulting in a considerable reduction in the effort and costs associated with calibration and documentation and significantly extending calibration cycles. State-of-the-art communication options, such as Profibus PA, HART and innovative Ethernet-APL, further increase plant availability. Ethernet-APL fully enables digitalization in the process industry and in all life cycle phases. Thanks to easy integration into asset management systems and smart self-diagnostics, plant shutdowns are largely avoided, and production output increased.

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Endress+Hauser is a global leader in measurement and automation technology for process and laboratory applications. The family company, headquartered in Reinach, Switzerland, achieved net sales in 2022 of approximately 3.3 billion euros in net sales...

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