Read about Contrinex's sensor on dockside🚢 container 🚍 carriers in Instrumentation magazine📖 - Page 31
Page 31 of February's Instrumentation magazine, features an application story about Contrinex photoelectric sensors on Straddle Carriers. These container-handling vehicles operate around the clock, loading, unloading and stacking shipping containers.
Correctly identifying the size of containers being picked is essential for efficiency and therefore Contrinex's sensors are trusted on these critical vehicles.
CUSTOMER APPLICATION - Straddle Carrier Truck (Check out more application at Apps.PLUSAx.co.uk)
A fleet of straddle carriers, purpose-designed container-handling vehicles, services a busy French container port. As a straddle carrier moves over a container, a central lifting beam lowers and locks onto the corner castings of the container; each lift comprises either a single 40-foot container or two 20-foot containers.
Optimal utilisation of storage space is essential; correctly identifying the size of container picked for each lift is vital. Fitting carriers with sensors that detect the size and type of containers at the time of lifting eliminate the need for drivers to carry out identification checks, saving time and avoiding errors.
The original mechanical sensors proved unreliable, losing calibration when subjected to continuous vibration during normal operation. Although the scheduled maintenance interval for each vehicle is 1,000 hours, mechanical sensors required recalibration at intervals of no more than two or three days. A highly stable replacement sensor system was required.
Customer Solution
Highly stable, non-contact, all-electronic units from the Contrinex range of photoelectric sensors provide a reliable and cost-effective alternative. The moulded-resin sensor casings, fitted with coated-plastic sensing faces, are IP67 rated, making them virtually impervious to the harsh, salt-laden environment of a busy container port. Connection to the vehicle’s control systems is via an integral M12 connector and PVC-sheathed cable, allowing easy removal and replacement during routine maintenance.
To confirm the size of the container, two pairs of diffuse sensors with background suppression are mounted centrally on each lifting beam. As the lifting beam descends, one sensor from each pair detects the presence or absence of corner castings at the central lifting points, while the other detects the presence or absence of the gap between two 20-foot containers. The combination of the two eliminates incorrect identification in the unlikely event that the first sensor returns a false-positive signal from a 40-foot container.
A physically small housing and long sensing distances eliminate the risk of accidental damage arising from a mechanical collision, while rugged industry-standard housings and vacuum-encapsulated electronics minimize the effects of vibration. Operational results have been excellent; the new Contrinex sensors have eliminated calibration errors and reduced maintenance costs significantly
Call 0121 58 222 58 to find out how PLUS Automation Ltd can help you makesenseofsensors.