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Distance sensors avoid dropped pallets

A Leuze Electronic product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Jul 23, 2008

The ODS 96B optical distance sensor is designed to carry out continuous distance measurements, dynamic product measurement and position controls.

Protection against accidental push-through of pallets in high-bay warehouse racking configurations is generally provided by mechanical systems involving elaborate and costly steel construction.

With its ODS 96B optical distance sensors, Leuze electronic is offering a more economical means addressing this important safety requirement.

While every care may be taken in the design and installation of an effective mechanical safeguard to prevent push-through, the impact generated by dynamic loading processes exerts a negative influence on the rack system itself.

This can be prevented initially by providing a compartment occupied check using suitable sensor systems, which monitor whether storage surfaces are occupied, preventing pallets already in place from being pushed backwards and dropping out of the rack.

An additional problem could be created by pallets which are skewed or offset.

During highly dynamic operating processes, system-specific tolerances can be quickly exceeded, resulting in the forks of the rack handling system displacing already positioned pallets when performing inward and outward movements, with potentially disastrous consequences.

Developing critical safeguards can be time consuming and expensive since each individual rack compartment has to offer protection against push-through.

The ODS 96B optical distance sensor is designed to carry out continuous distance measurements, dynamic product measurement and position controls.

With a measurement range of 60 to 2000mm it is suitable for compartment occupied checks.

Its switching function can be used to provide a push-through safeguard.

Thanks to measurement times of 2ms, ODS 96B photoelectric sensors are able to detect dynamic processes up to five times faster than comparable products.

This makes it suitable for applications where high-speed sequences takes place, for example in automated high-bay warehousing, where there are fast load change cycles.

The system allows a tighter grid structure, with more precise and detailed information and more stable measured values.

This enhances system efficiency, particularly when working with shiny, structured or dark surfaces or in fluctuating temperatures.

The ODS 96B provides high repeat accuracy rates of +/-0.5%, which also permits faster regulation/setting processes.

Find out more about this article. Request a brochure, download technical specifications and request samples here.

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