With the market launch of the world's first combination fork sensor GSX, Leuze is continuing its history of innovation. The company was the inventor of the first label fork GS05 and developer of the first ultrasonic fork sensor GSU14. With the GSX in different variants, Leuze is rounding off its fork sensor portfolio and expanding it with a combination variant that can do both: Light and ultrasound. It thus combines the advantages of the optical and ultrasonic solution and is suitable for labeling machines in the packaging industry.

A classic task in the packaging industry is the application of labels in various shapes, sizes and materials to products and packaging using labeling machines. Precise positioning of the label requires safe and reliable detection of the labels to be applied - even at high belt speeds. This is the task of fork sensors, which combine transmitter and receiver in one device. They are reliable, highly sensitive and easy to install without the need for adjustment. To date, Leuze has offered two fork sensor variants for this purpose: Light and ultrasonic. Now there is also a combined version consisting of light and ultrasound.

The GSX fork sensor reliably, quickly and accurately detects a wide variety of labels, regardless of their material and composition. This increases machine throughput and avoids downtime. Even labels made of inhomogeneous cavitated BOPP material can be reliably detected thanks to the optical operating principle. The fork sensor is particularly suitable for applications in which different types of labels need to be detected. Previously, several different fork sensors were often required for this. The GSX with IO-Link interface is easy to configure. Recipe management enables convenient format changeover when changing reels. This eliminates the need for reteaching when changing to a different label format. The format change is carried out quickly by selecting the appropriate parameter set for the corresponding label format. This parameter selection can be carried out directly via the HMI on the labeling machine. This minimizes set-up times, increases production quantities and therefore the efficiency of the system. pb