Banner Engineering introduces the new DF-G1 Expert™ Dual Display Fiber Amplifier, designed to deliver stable sensing performance with easy set-up and configuration. The DF-G1 series features a thermally stable and high performance electronic design with a dual display, two bright, digital readouts and an improved fiber clamp. This innovative configuration allows Banner to effectively serve the diverse range of industries and applications suitable for plastic and glass assemblies, including small part or wire break detection on electronics assembly machines, pill and caplet counting and high-speed detection for registration mark or product leading edge detection.

"What we've done with the DF-G1, is bring all of Banner's application knowledge and advanced sensing algorithms to the customer with the benefit of a dual digital display for ease-of-use and application monitoring," said Dennis Smith, Technical Marketing Manager at Banner Engineering. "The two displays and the rocker button provide an intuitive user interface that simplifies sensor set-up and delivers the current light level and threshold values at a glance. And with Banner's extensive experience developing custom fiber assemblies, we can support OEM machine builders around the world with custom fiber solutions and custom amplifier configurations."Along with its intuitive interface, the DF-G1 also maximizes user control, providing full manual manipulation of all operating parameters, including switch point threshold, Light Operate or Dark Operate, various output timing functions, electronic gain level and sensor response speed. Users can also implement one of six Expert TEACH and SET methods to ensure optimal gain and threshold selection for each application, particularly in low contrast environments, such as small part or clear object detection.

The DF-G1 is powered by a high-performance 32-bit microprocessor with a 12-bit analog-to-digital converter, and provides versatile response speeds of 200 µs to meet high-speed requirements and 500 µs for standard speed. Additionally, the amplifier is capable of long range (2 ms) and extra-long range (5 ms) detection, allowing operators to optimize the sensing range for long-distance applications, such as part in place verification.Another key benefit of the new DF-G1 is its thermally stable electronics, which minimize warm-up drift and enables multiple amplifiers to be mounted side-by-side, with no reduction in the ambient temperature limit. Further, inherent thermal stability also provides cost-saving advantages by reducing machine start-up time and eliminating production delays due to ambient temperature changes. For additional flexibility, an intricate cross-talk avoidance algorithm allows two fiber optic assemblies to be mounted in close proximity, sensing different features of the same target.Banner Engineering offers a broad array of robust SteelSkin™, high-flex plastic and glass fiber optic assemblies for mechanically challenging or high-temperature installation—allowing the DF-G1 to be constructed for optimal application suitability. The sleek 10 mm wide housing mounts to 35 mm DIN rail, maximizing the number of sensing points available in the cabinet. The DF-G1 highly-visible, red LED sensing beam makes alignment effortless, and the lever action fiber clamp provides stable, reliable and trouble-free fiber clamping. Plus, the bright dual displays are easy to read, with an ECO (economy) display mode available to reduce amplifier power consumption by as much as 25 percent.