Dealing with Vibration: Keeping Sensors Accurate in Heavy Industry

From the thrum of a timber mill in Gippsland to the heavy crushing equipment of a Pilbara mine site, vibration is a constant enemy of precision. In these environments, standard mounting brackets and flimsy sensors simply won’t last.

The Impact of “Signal Jitter”

When a sensor vibrates excessively, it can cause “signal jitter”—where the sensor sends rapid, flickering pulses to the PLC. This can lead to false counts, premature motor wear, and unnecessary system shutdowns.

Engineering for Stability

At ION Technology Group, we recommend a two-pronged approach to vibration management:

• Ruggedised Hardware: We supply di-soric sensors housed in robust metal casings designed to withstand high G-forces.
• Secure Mounting: The way a sensor is fixed to the machine is critical. Using specialised clamping bolts and vibration-dampening mounts ensures the sensor “moves with the machine” rather than rattling against it.

Our GMT HMIs are also designed with this in mind, featuring solid-state flash memory and secure terminal connections that won’t vibrate loose over time, unlike consumer-grade hardware.

Don’t let vibration rattle your bottom line. Talk to ION about our range of high-vibration resistant components.