Wireless expertise

Wireless is state-of-the-art – and also one of the most effective problem solvers for industrial applications. Particularly in times when industrial routines are increasingly defined by calls for increased flexibility and efficiency, it is becoming more important than ever to optimise processes and reduce costs through specific use of technology.

Problem areas and Wireless

Whether in building automation, factory automation or intralogistics – in countless application fields our customers face a decision: should they use wireless or cabled devices? Cabled switches and sensors are often attributed with having high degrees of reliability and safety, at least as far as machines and plants are concerned, whereas wireless solutions are thought to be more complicated.

This repeatedly raises the question of where wireless products really make sense and constitute a good cost/benefit ratio. We have arrived at the following real-life application fields:

Typical application fields

Rotating machine parts

Rotating machines or machine parts are increasingly being fitted with wireless components. The laying of cables in such cases is either very complicated and expensive, or not possible at all.

Machines with many degrees of freedom

The many different work steps performed by robots usually require extreme freedom of movement, making wireless sensors a necessity: many degrees of freedom lead to cable wear-and-tear or even breakage, which in turn leads to machine downtimes.

Mobile transport systems

The increasing use of non-stationary transport systems in industry is increasing demands for mobility. Without remotely controlled components, such systems are inconceivable.

Laying cables in factory buildings

Wireless solutions eliminate the need to lay cables, and thus reduce service costs. Moreover, the use of low-maintenance remote control in machine and plant parts which are difficult to access is both beneficial and time-saving.

Particularly exposed areas

In factory buildings and production halls, cables are sometimes damaged by falling objects. Here the use of wireless products can help to prevent production processes from being disturbed or interrupted.

Heavily frequented areas

Using cabled switching devices, such as foot switches, in the work area can create tripping hazards. The occupational safety of staff is improved with wireless switching devices.

Your contact partner for Wireless solutions and products

The wireless switches and sensors from steute are used in many different industrial applications and, due to their modular design, can be adapted flexibly to still more application fields. This is possible thanks to our reliable wireless technology sWave®.

Our Wireless expertise, acquired over the course of countless customer projects and decades of experience manufacturing well-engineered products, facilitates the continual realisation of new applications and complex wireless solutions.

Our Wireless support and consulting services

From individual sensors, to selection of the ideal wireless technology, to customised solutions: with steute as your contact partner, you can count on the experience of true Wireless experts. We have been developing and producing wireless products and wireless network solutions for decades. We also advise and support our customers worldwide in realising new projects and optimising existing applications. Our guiding principle: to maintain fair and long-lasting business relationships on a level playing field.

Our services extend far beyond consulting and project management. On request we can also take care of documentation and the application process for product approvals and certificates. A global sales network with local contact partners in the various countries provides a solid basis for this area of our work.

Potential indoor and outdoor Wireless applications

The application environment, interference-free signal transmission, parallel wireless operation or meteorological influences – the challenges for Wireless products are just as manifold as their application fields. And each new field represents a new technological challenge.

Wireless indoor applications:

Coexistence and parallel operation

Wireless signals also have to function reliably in the presence of other applications. Coexistence on the popular 2.4 GHz frequency band is especially challenging. Most Wi-Fi connections and terminal devices are integrated on this frequency, meaning that large amounts of data are being transported at any one time. This makes the operation of all wireless systems with zero interference all the more important.

The different versions of our sWave® wireless technology facilitate interference-free parallel operation. A single universal wireless technology for all industrial applications and all specific requirements does not exist. It is therefore our goal to generate the ideal wireless technology for each application.

Wireless outdoor applications:

Challenge wireless range

In various outdoor applications, wireless signals sometimes have to bridge distances of several hundred metres. This is the case, for example, with components on railway bridges. Position monitoring of the joint clearances of the bridge is taken care of by wireless magnetic sensors. If a predetermined tolerance is exceeded, the sensor will transmit a signal to a monitoring station approx. 500 m away for evaluation. In order to bridge the distance, a repeater reinforces the signal halfway. The necessary power is, in this case, supplied by a solar panel.

The switches and sensors from steute are equipped with a high IP protection class and, assuming appropriate installation, are suitable for different meteorological conditions.

The sWave^® wireless technologies

sWave^® 868 / 915B

Wherever moving parts have to be positioned, controlled or monitored on machines and plants, cables are often undesirable or damaged, reducing efficiency and availability.

The solution: wireless switches and sensors which can control and monitor e.g. machine and plant parts in all kinds of industrial applications.

Power supply

Power is supplied by high-performance long life batteries that facilitate continuously stable and reliable transmission – even without an external voltage supply. This permits the extremely flexible use of industrial wireless switches and sensors. These devices work independently of structural considerations or changing ambient conditions and provide efficient, low-maintenance solutions for industrial wireless applications – from position switches to command devices to inductive, magnetic or optical sensors.

Special features

Bidirectional transmission path
High-performance long life batteries for reliable and low-maintenance use
Listen Before Talk (LBT) functionality for collision prevention active by default
Status signal via wireless receiver individually configurable
Long range: up to 40 m indoors and 450 m outdoors
No interference with DECT, WiFi, PMR systems, etc.
Good integration in automation systems
High availability through short telegrams, low duty cycle and LBT functionality

Prevent data loss – Listen Before Talk

In production environments where multiple wireless devices are used on the same frequency and interference with other wireless systems can occur, the air interface can come up against a capacity shortage.

The problem: wireless protocols are generated in the same time slot and can collide, leading to a loss of data. Our solution: the Listen Before Talk collision prevention system.

Listen Before Talk – or LBT for short – is implemented as a default software in the relevant wireless transmitters. LBT maintains availability in interference situations, i.e. when one wireless signal could collide with another, by checking to see if the air interface is free before transmitting. This prevents the collision of wireless telegrams and guarantees reliability, even with increased wireless traffic.

sWave^® 2.4LE-IND

Low energy wireless technology, working on the licence-free frequency band 2.4 GHz, guarantees extremely high reliability and robustness.

Wireless coexistence

Most wireless technologies used today work on the 2.4 GHz frequency band. Devices incorporating these technologies are already permanent fixtures in both offices and production plants. In cases where Wi-Fi, IEEE 802.15.4 (ZigBee) and sWave® 2.4 GHz are used in parallel, the 2.4 GHz frequency band experiences heavy traffic.

Special procedures, for example frequency hopping, make it possible to realise coexistence with other wireless technologies.

Special features

Energy-saving 2.4 GHz Low Energy wireless technology
Continuous, bidirectional communication for maximum reliability
Short connection time on actuation: typically 67 ms, max. 110 ms
Short data exchange times (20 ms)
Long range
Coexistence with Wi-Fi, ZigBee and other 2.4 GHz systems
Parallel operation of multiple devices unproblematic

We can help you to digitalise your shop floor

With steute as your contact partner for shop floor digitalisation, you will be able to exploit the optimisation potential of your factory to the full. Using a wireless sensor network solution, you will receive precise information about your production in real time, thus providing you with a digital twin of your production processes. The resulting transparency will facilitate e.g. more precise control over material replenishment processes.

To find out more about our consulting services in the field of lean production, as well as our digital shop floor solution "sWave.NET", please visit our steute Leantec website.

steute-leantec.com

National and international product approvals

On request, we can organise and supervise the certification, validation and documentation of the wireless switches and sensors in accordance with all the relevant European standards, as well as for many additional countries.

European standards

RED 2014/53/EU Radio Equipment Directive
CE marking

Approvals for our SW 2.4LE products

FCC – USA
IC – Canada
cCSAus – USA/Canada
ARIB – Japan

Approvals for our sWave^® products

FCC – USA (SW915B)
IC – Canada (SW915B)
cCSAus – USA/Canada (SW915B)

Previous approvals for the following countries are no longer valid.
Follow-up approvals only on request.

ift – Mexico
ANATEL – Brazil
ARIB – Japan

Please go to the relevant product pages to download all certificates for our switches and sensors. Are you unable to find the approval you require? No problem. On request we can support you with the certification and documentation of our products worldwide.