SONO SILO Standard Inline Moisture Probe
Rod-form probe for silo and bin wall installation in normally abrasive sand and gravel.
- Reaches into the material stream from the silo or bin wall
- Replaceable head keeps service cost down
- Extension tube available for deeper insertion
The same measurement, a different shape
SONO SILO Standard is a rod-form probe for normally abrasive sand and gravel up to 8 mm grain size, with a replaceable stainless steel head and a rectangular ceramic window.
It exists for a purely mechanical reason: a round sensor body needs a face to mount against and a certain amount of clearance. A silo or bin wall often gives you neither. The rod form reaches in from the wall to where the material actually is.
Reading material at rest
A wall-mounted probe measures material that is not moving, which is a different situation from a belt or a discharge. Static material does not renew itself at the sensor face, so position matters more — the probe needs to be where material is drawn from, not in a dead zone.
It also means adhesive material is a poor fit. Sticky material bridges against a wall and the probe ends up reading a cavity. For non-adhesive sand and gravel it works well and gives you a value before the batching sequence starts.
An extension tube in V2A stainless is available where the probe needs to reach further in from the wall.
Head as a consumable
As with the round sensors, the head is replaceable — a stainless steel wear part with a rectangular ceramic window. Where material is coarser or more abrasive than the Standard head is rated for, SONO SILO Xtrem carries the hardened-steel head in the same rod form factor.
How the SONO SILO Standard connects to your plant
SONO probes connect to the PLC through an analog interface at 0–20 mA, 4–20 mA or 0–10 V, as with any other moisture probe. Fifteen typical product calibrations — aggregates, sand, gravel, crushed stones — ship as standard.
For parameterization and initial commissioning, SONO VIEW gives you a wired display for up to 16 probes, or the probe can be configured wirelessly. Either route can select, change or create calibrations and display the probe's measurements directly. Over long cable runs the IMP bus is the robust option and requires a display unit; a serial connection over RS 485 is also feasible.
SONO SILO Standard technical data
Materials: Sand, gravel up to 8 mm grain size
| Measurement technology | TRIME TDR |
|---|---|
| Max grain size | 8 mm |
| Probe head | Replaceable stainless steel, rectangular ceramic window |
| Form factor | Rod sensor for wall mounting |
| Analog output | 0–20 mA, 4–20 mA or 0–10 V |
| Digital output | RS 485, IMP bus |
SONO SILO Standard — frequently asked
When would I choose SILO over VARIO?
When the mounting point is a silo or bin wall and there is no room for a round sensor body. The measurement is the same; the form factor is what differs.
Can it handle sticky material?
Wall-mounted probes are specified for non-adhesive materials. Sticky material bridges against the wall and the probe reads the void rather than the material.
Is there a longer version?
An extension tube is available in V2A stainless, 45 mm inside and 55 mm outside diameter, where the probe needs greater insertion depth.
Confirm the SONO SILO Standard fits your material
Send your material, particle size and installation point. We will confirm the probe, the calibration and the output configuration before you order.
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