Small object counter

Micromax has introduced the D10 Expert small object counter from Banner Engineering.

Applications include: pharmaceutical pill, tablet and gel cap counting; agricultural seed counting; process verification; verifying product flow from the nozzle of a chute.

The counter consists of a specialised D10 Expert sensor, paired with preconfigured PFVCA fibre-optic arrays, creating a two-dimensional sensing field in which objects are detected on breaking any point of the array.

This makes alignment easier and object positioning control less critical than with traditional assemblies, allowing counting to 150 µs.

Three major features - dynamic event stretcher, automatic compensation and health mode alarm - make the counter suitable for small object counting.

DES prevents double counting translucent gel caps and similar small objects. The sensor will detect the front edge of the object and then stretch the duration of that detection, giving the object time to pass through the array being counted again; automatic compensation allows the sensor to adapt the switching threshold to its environment in real time. Small changes, due to dust or contamination on the array, or small changes caused by ambient temperature shifts are filtered out by the microcontroller; health mode alarm monitors the sensor’s performance and alerts operators when preventative maintenance should be scheduled.