Hawk Measurement’s ORCA Sonar has received the Products of the Year Gold Award 2009 from United States’ Plant Engineering Magazine, after a positive take-up in the industry globally, according to Hawk.
Voted on each year by the readers of Plant Engineering, the Product of the Year award rewards innovation in instrumentation products.
The award for Hawk Measurement was presented at a ceremony that was part of the 2009 Plant Engineering Manufacturing Summit in Charleston, South Carolina.
Last year Hawk introduced a new line of “fourth generation” sonar transducers designed for improved sensing of Interface levels in tailings, paste, concentrator and Lamella thickeners, settling tanks, and CCDs.
The new sensors were designed to offer big improvements in overall power, penetration, and calibration density range. They provide better capability under high suspended solids loading, ‘sliming,’ and generally upset process conditions, says Hawk.
Hawk Measurement president, Jack Evans, said: “The response from the industry for our new ORCA Sonar has been extremely positive and we at Hawk Measurement are very pleased to accept this prestigious award. Our Development Team has worked hard to bring to market a product that not only monitors, but also controls the process. This is truly a breakthrough in improved sensing of interface levels and we are delighted with our customers’ reaction.”
The new Hawk array transducer designs include three to seven sonar crystals mounted in a single head. Each sonar array produces a concentrated sonar beam that provides more emitted power and collects more returned signals.
Array transducers yield better penetration, higher sensitivity, and overall better performance in the most difficult environments, says Hawk.