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Product category: HMIs/Operator Interfaces
News Release from: Sensor-Technik UK | Subject: ESX Canbus controller and Opus HMI
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial Team on 27 April 2006

Extra control for fighting fires

System controls the stabiliser feet on fire fighting vehicles and controls the extension of the platform to provide increased safety in situations where every second counts.

Access platform fire fighters need to be able to park their vehicles accurately Get it wrong and either the platform won't reach or, if the platform has to extend too far, the vehicle could topple due to lever effects

A customer came to Sensor-Technik when a system was needed to control the stabiliser feet on the fire fighting vehicle and to control the extension of the platform to provide increased safety in situations where every second counts.

An ESX Canbus controller and Opus HMI unit were selected to control the hydraulics for the outside stabiliser feet, applying more pressure where needed to adapt the balance as the the platform is rotated.

The system also controls the extension of the platform, with fail-safes for overload conditions.

The system interfaces to the existing engine Canbus system to speed up or slow down the hydraulic pump.

The biggest issue here was to set up the HMI to show the operator the exact position of the platform, indicating at the same time how much more extension was possible before any overload, so an early decision could be made about whether to move the vehicle.

Safety considerations included using the Canbus system first to test the ground under the vehicle to ensure that the surface is sound enough to support the vehicle.

Fire engines can now be positioned and used within minutes of arriving on the scene, allowing fires to be tackled more quickly and with a higher degree of safety.

The ESX freely programmable controllers from STW are designed for mobile applications such as agricultural machinery, construction equipment and person and material lifts.

Robust cast-aluminium housings with an IP65 rating (optionally IP67) provide safety in terms of EMC and the extremes of outdoor environments.

The Opus family from Wachendorff provides a range of displays, HMIs and operator panels, developed with commercial vehicle applications in mind.

Attractively designed and finished, these control interfaces for Canbus systems are sealed to IP65 and have backlighting that adjusts automatically to ambient light. Request a free brochure from Sensor-Technik UK ...

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