Around December of 2018, I started seeing a massively high failure rate on magnetic Field sensors, P/N FESTO SMT-8M-A-NS-24V-E-0,3-M8D, as used on the Cask ACS canning machine.
This series of failures has 99% been proven to be due to a change in the manufacturing specification of this part with attendant loss of reliability and grossly premature failure in wet and beer laden environments. Several changes in the package assembly were noted, all of which equate to a degradation of the product based on the results.
The sensor in the wettest position which is the lift table cylinder was reifitted with an equivalent made by Turck and the problem was stopped cold.
Water incursion into the festo product which never happened in the past is certain.
Other problems with Festo include poor quality air and C02 regulators with high failure rates on the auto drains noted.
Part numbers that are very difficult to reference even for Festo, and more.
The question is why do so many OEMs seem to use this product under the seeming pretense that its somehow of high quality when it is most definitely not?
If you are running a Cask ACS line, I advise using the alternative product for all repairs. Some of the failures on those sensors involved literal meltdown, which in real terms may not be good for the DC PSU depending on the protection on said outboard circuits. My experience with this brand has been nothing but trouble.
With regards to the Pak Tech handle applicator machine the story is very much the same. Similar type magnetic field sensors were prone to very high and premature failure rates and were replaced with an alternative brand and the problems were stopped cold yet again.
This series of failures has 99% been proven to be due to a change in the manufacturing specification of this part with attendant loss of reliability and grossly premature failure in wet and beer laden environments. Several changes in the package assembly were noted, all of which equate to a degradation of the product based on the results.
The sensor in the wettest position which is the lift table cylinder was reifitted with an equivalent made by Turck and the problem was stopped cold.
Water incursion into the festo product which never happened in the past is certain.
Other problems with Festo include poor quality air and C02 regulators with high failure rates on the auto drains noted.
Part numbers that are very difficult to reference even for Festo, and more.
The question is why do so many OEMs seem to use this product under the seeming pretense that its somehow of high quality when it is most definitely not?
If you are running a Cask ACS line, I advise using the alternative product for all repairs. Some of the failures on those sensors involved literal meltdown, which in real terms may not be good for the DC PSU depending on the protection on said outboard circuits. My experience with this brand has been nothing but trouble.
With regards to the Pak Tech handle applicator machine the story is very much the same. Similar type magnetic field sensors were prone to very high and premature failure rates and were replaced with an alternative brand and the problems were stopped cold yet again.
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