Micropilot M FMR250 antenna

Endress+Hauser has expanded its Micropilot M range with the launch of the FMR250 parabolic antenna.

This antenna is designed primarily for monitoring levels of bulk solids like grain, sugar and cement in tanks, silos and hoppers. There are two main challenges in these applications: the tendency of bulk materials to heap up unevenly in the vessel and the build-up of dust on the sensor.

When attempting to detect heaped bulk materials, it is most effective to angle the beam at the side of the heap rather than at the top. This provides the best reflection and return path for the beam. In narrow vessels or over long distances, this can be difficult with wide-beam angles. Because of its narrow-beam angle of just 3.5°, the FMR250 makes it possible to effectively angle the beam, even over long distances of up to 70 m. Its ‘ball joint’ beam alignment device makes it easy to get just the right detection angle without the need to make any changes to the process connection.

Because of its compact design, it can be mounted in process connections as small as DN80 and maximises the vessel filling capacity. The robust mechanical design of the FMR250 makes it suitable for heavy-duty bulk material applications.

Taking into account the problem of material build-up on sensors in these types of applications has led to the incorporation of a built-in air purge as standard.