Case Examples

Elimination of Erroneous Detections of Wheat Flour Spouting Inside Piping

Valves and Piping Parts

Type of industry Flour milling company
Introduced products Inspection Spout with Sensor

Background and problem

We would like to eliminate erroneous clogging detections inside flour piping

When wheat flour is dropped into shoot piping, the piping may get clogged with flour powder around the front of the part for switching to pneumatic conveyance (pneumatic shoe), and "spouting" may occur inside. To detect this spouting, a proximity switch has been installed conventionally on the external side surface of an acrylic pipe. However, adherence of flour powder on the internal surface of piping due to static electricity is often likely to cause an erroneous detection despite the piping not actually being clogged. Because of this, a "momentary stop" continuously occurred in lines.


Suggestions from Tsukasa

Utilizing built-in capacitance level sensors


To avoid events where "erroneous detections occur as though all of the piping has been clogged, despite flour powder adhering only to the internal surface," we have suggested the adoption of an Inspection Spout with Sensor to replace the proximity switch. An Inspection Spout with Sensor allows you to correctly grasp the situation, by knowing that "flour powder is properly flowing inside the pipe, and flour adherence is occurring only on the internal surface of the pipe" based on capacitance changes. This is because the Inspection Spout with Sensor is a capacitance level sensor that has an acrylic pipe integrated, and the electrode of the detection area is located inside the piping.

>> See details of the product


Why TSUKASA was chosen

A whole circumference-type electrode ensures detection of piping clogging

TSUKASA's Inspection Spout with Sensor is the integration of an acrylic pipe and a sensor. With the adoption of a whole circumference-type electrode, piping clogging can be reliably detected. In addition, the "sensitivity volume" can be adjusted for an alarm to be issued, according to the customer's usage.


Results of introduction


Reduction of losses with no false activations


The "momentary stops" caused by erroneous detection of piping clogging have been eliminated, leading to a reduction in production losses on the entire line.

Risk management with parts replacement only

A built-in failsafe switch is provided to prevent secondary damage, such as power failures due to unexpected accidents. It also contributes to risk management by enabling replacement of parts only without relying on control software.

Connection with photocouplers supported

The Inspection Spout with Sensor also allows contactless photocoupler connections. It is also a measure against chattering and can be easily used in routes where there is a lot of on/off switching. Of course, it is also possible to switch to a contact-type relay connection with a single touch.