One of the most persistent issues that customers talk about in the material handling market is conveyor jams. The lost productivity, damage to equipment, and unnecessary shutdowns due to false conveyor jams, all add up. Additionally, when products get stuck in conveyor jams, they can incur damage from repeated collisions, so jams need to be identified immediately and resolved as soon as possible. Turck Banner has listened to its customers and developed a simple yet effective solution to solve the issues related to conveyor jams.
The Turck Banner Q5X Jam Detection Sensor is a plug-and-play solution that immediately alerts operators whenever a physical jam occurs. They can then clear the jam and get the line moving again with minimal interruption. This helps reduce overall downtime significantly, particularly for conveyor systems featuring curves, gravity-fed spirals, and other potential bottlenecks.
Traditionally, jam detection on conveyors incorporates a photoelectric sensor beam that products interrupt as they move forward through the system. When one item completely passes the sensor beam, there should be a gap before the next item interrupts it, and these regularly recurring gaps are used to identify individual items and maintain proper automation speed.
By contrast, the Q5X Jam Detection Sensor does not rely on gap identification. Instead, it extends the functionality of Turck Banner’s existing dual-mode technology with a built-in jam algorithm. This enables the sensor to detect changes in signal strength and distance between the face of the sensor and the products. With this approach, the sensor can easily detect when items are freely flowing. This is a much more accurate method of detecting conveyor jams when they occur.
A false jam occurs when a sensing system detects a conveyor jam when in fact no jam is actually present. For example, a typical sensor might incorrectly identify a jam in a production line if two packages that are freely moving through the system are simply too close together for a visual gap between them to be registered. These false jams cause lost productivity due to unnecessary stopping of lines, causing downstream processes to be starved for work, and wasted time when maintenance is forced to check on problems that do not exist. The Q5X Jam Detection Sensor drastically reduces false jams − in some instances reducing them by 80 to 90%.
Prefabricated data centres for an AI-focused future at the edge Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
As AI technologies continue to advance, data centres are being pushed to the edge, reshaping their operations to meet daily demands. To meet the relentless demands of AI workloads at the edge, prefabricated data centre solutions offer a scalable, efficient and fast alternative to traditional builds.
Read more...Quantum computing and its impact on data security: a double-edged sword for the digital age
IT in Manufacturing
Quantum computing is poised to redefine the boundaries of data security, offering groundbreaking solutions while threatening modern encryption’s foundations. For third-party IT providers, this duality presents both a challenge and an opportunity to lead organisations through one of the most significant technological transitions in decades.
Read more...Next-generation road-legal race car. Siemens South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Siemens Digital Industries Software has announced that Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) will move to the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio of industry software and use it to develop the next generation of its single-seater road-legal race car, Mono.
Read more...Cybersecurity at a crossroads
IT in Manufacturing
here’s a growing unease in boardrooms, data centres and cabinet offices across South Africa. It’s not just about economic headwinds or political uncertainty, it’s about something quieter, more technical and yet just as dangerous - the rising tide of cyber threats.
Read more...Navigating discrete manufacturing in South Africa through digitalisation
IT in Manufacturing
South Africa’s discrete manufacturing sector faces mounting pressure from global competition, fragmented supply chains and outdated infrastructure. In this complex environment, digitalisation is a critical lever for survival, resilience and growth.
Read more...World first simulation of error-correctable quantum computers
IT in Manufacturing
Quantum computers still face a major hurdle on their pathway to practical use cases, their limited ability to correct the arising computational errors. In a world first, researchers from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have unveiled a method for simulating specific types of error-corrected quantum computations.
Read more...Platform to accelerate supply chain decarbonisation Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Schneider Electric has launched Zeigo Hub by Schneider Electric, a powerful new digital platform designed to help organisations decarbonise their supply chains at scale.
Read more...Future-ready data centres
IT in Manufacturing
The white paper ‘Future-Ready Data Centres’ by Black & Veatch outlines how integrating sustainable design principles not only helps meet ESG goals but also ensures reliability, operational efficiency and business continuity in the face of climate change and growing digital demand.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
printer friendly version