Electricity and Control May 2025

Sensors + switches

Non-contact level measurement for hygienic and industrial applications

Radar level sensors from ifm, LW 2720 and LW 2120, suit various industrial applications and applications where hygiene is key. ifm here shares several application cases that demonstrate the versatility of these sensors.

In tanks that can be as high as 10 metres, the LW2720 sensor provides precise level detection.

In the production of wine and fruit brandies Steinhauser distillery in Kressbronn on Lake Constance (in Baden-Württemberg, Germany) has been in existence since 1828 and is still family-owned today. 1996 saw the construction of what was then the most modern bonded distillery in Europe. ifm sensors and software have been supporting production since 2021. One sensor used in the production of spirits and wine is the LW2720 non-contact radar sensor. It monitors the level in the tank which is filled with various fruit mashes. This can be mash for the classic Williams (pear) brandy, or for cherry, mirabelle, plum or apple mash. The mash is then fermented in the tank. The are several reasons why the radar sensor is used. Unlike hydrostatic level measurement using a flush pressure sensor, the non-contact measurement sensor rules out deposits on the measuring cell. This is important because deposits can have a negative effect on the measurement. The same applies in respect of the so-called ‘head pressure’ created in the tank during fermentation, which would also affect the pressure measurement. What is more, the sensor’s intelligent algorithm can reliably mask the agitator that is moved into the tank during the filling process. “Using the LW2720 radar sensor and IO-Link, we can now monitor and display the level digitally via moneo. The advantage for us is that we no longer have to measure manually at a height of 10 metres, and we can also monitor

the process remotely,” says a spokesperson for Steinhauser distillery.

Level monitoring in hygienic stainless steel tanks The foundations of Meckatzer Löwenbräu Allgäuer Bierspezialitäten were laid over 280 years ago when Jose” Fessler served Meckatzer beer from the Allgäu region for the first time in 1738. 115 years later, Lena and Gebhard Weiß acquired the ‘Landbrauerei zu Meckatz’ , establishing the Weiß family’s enduring passion for brewing high quality Allgäuer beer. Today, sensor technology from ifm supports the Allgäuer brewer in the brewing process. This technology also includes the LW2720 radar sensor which is used for continuous level monitoring in a tank containing degassed water. The tank has a conical bottom that tapers downwards and is equipped with a spray ball, which has proved challenging in the past. For the radar sensor, however, the geometry of the tank poses no problem, and the measurement is always accurate. The key is the 80 GHz frequency of the sensor signal emitted in a very narrow beam angle. This means the radar waves remain una”ected by the spray ball, during and aŽer cleaning. The Meckatzer Brewery notes: “In the past, the conical bottom oŽen led to problematic signal curves during the filling and emptying process. Today, the radar sensor monitors the fill level over the entire tank height and provides reliable measurement results.”

Reliable level detection in a tank with moving structures In another application case, a customer producing fruit juice not only

MAY 2025 Electricity + Control

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