To ensure that packages on a conveyor belt are distributed evenly to downstream stations, it is important to reliably measure conveyor belt utilisation. For this purpose, Pepperl+Fuchs has developed the Contour2D sensor system based on a customer application.
The solution, which is now available for the entire conveyor technology and intralogistics industry, detects the contours of the packages on the conveyor and uses this information to calculate the conveyor belt utilisation. Contour2D offers the most efficient solution on the market for this application: a single 2D lidar sensor in combination with an intelligent algorithm that sufficiently corrects the shadow effect. The minimal installation effort and fast commissioning make it a particularly economical solution for conveyor technology.
Shadow effect correction with a single lidar sensor
When monitoring conveyor belt utilisation, the key challenge is to correct shadow effects on the conveyor belt. While conventional solutions use multiple sensors for this, the Contour2D sensor system requires only a single lidar sensor.
This is made possible by the advanced performance of the R2000: this 2D lidar sensor from Pepperl+Fuchs not only has a high angular resolution of 0,042°, but also a scan rate of up to 50 Hz. As a result, the sensor detects the contours of the packages on the conveyor belt with maximum precision. The intelligent software integrated in the Multi Scan Evaluation Unit (MSEU) of the sensor system subsequently corrects the measurement results. In this way, Contour2D enables reliable shadow effect correction with a single lidar sensor.
Since only two components – the sensor and the MSEU – need to be installed, the system impresses with particularly low hardware costs and minimal installation effort. Compared to conventional systems, the complex configuration required to align multiple sensors is eliminated. Since only one sensor is mounted centrally above the conveyor belt, no major adjustments to the conveyor belt are required. This means that existing systems can also be retrofitted without any problems.
Integrated software for easy configuration and monitoring
The Contour2D sensor system can be commissioned in three simple steps: First, the lidar sensor and the MSEU are installed on the conveyor belt. The appropriate connection cables are already included in the scope of delivery. The system is then configured via an intuitive Windows application, which allows the detection range to be adjusted according to the conveyor belt. After a zero scan, during which the contour of the conveyor belt is taught, the system is ready for operation.
During operation, Contour2D detects the occupied part of the conveyor belt as well as the average and maximum height of the conveyed material. In addition, a height profile is calculated. Objects outside the configured detection range are reliably ignored. The output data can be integrated into existing customer systems via TCP/IP, while the Windows application displays the results and visualises the scan data.
Since the sensor system is based on a flexible software platform developed by Pepperl+Fuchs, customer-specific adaptations can be implemented in a short time. In this way, Contour2D meets the individual requirements of different applications.
| Tel: | +27 10 430 0250 |
| Email: | info@za.pepperl-fuchs.com |
| www: | www.pepperl-fuchs.com/en-za |
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