Control & Instrumentation
Heighten the senses
Laser sensors from SICK help Monier Redland maintain its tile
consistency
Achieving consistent product quality with minimum waste is one cost distance measurement device with a range of up to 10m
of the key engineering challenges in roof tile manufacture. New and repeatability of 2.5mm, the DT50 is often used in place of
laser sensor technology from SICK UK installed at Monier photo-electric proximity switches due to its long range and
Redland’s Leighton Buzzard plant is dramatically improving colour independence.
production efficiency on the roofing tile line. Easy to install, the DT50’s site-proven, user-friendly intuitive
The factory produces around 67,000 tiles in a 12 hour shift. set up and key operated menu can be navigated without the
The tiles are made from two concrete layers, a fine grade upper operating manual, allowing easy, on-site adjustment to suit
layer and a stronger lower layer. working conditions and practices.
Mixes for the layers are automatically fed into separate Darren Pratt, product specialist for the SICK distance sensor
hoppers and extruded together onto a conveyor as one tile. The products comments: “This was an example of a photo-electric
compaction of each layer is governed by the level of material in proximity sensor being used in an application to which it is not
the hopper, so keeping the level of mix within tight upper and best suited due to technical limitations. Until the launch of the
lower limits is essential. Having too much or too little DT50, laser time of flight sensors offering adequate accuracy for
compaction could reduce product quality, waste material or even this type of application cost between 5 and 10 times that of a
result in product being scrapped. photo-electric sensor. The DT50 has addressed this issue,
“The SICK DT50 laser sensors are able to detect accurately providing a cost effective time of flight solution for such
and consistently the upper and lower fill levels, and signal the applications.”
feeder to start or stop supply,” explains shift electrician Simon The DT50 is the latest product in a large range of distance
Jackson. “The laser sensor signal is not affected by the mix sensors offered by SICK. “The SICK distance sensor portfolio is
colour or the dirty environment. probably the widest offered by any manufacturer,” adds Pratt,
“We had constant problems with the photo-electric sensors ”with devices capable of delivering measurement accuracies to
we were using previously. Every time we changed products and the micron for quality control applications to products with a
colours, we had to recalibrate the sensors to monitor the level measuring range of over 1.2 km for crane positioning
accurately. It took several iterations before we got it right, and applications plus many others devices in between.”
could result in a lot of waste; although checking sensor For more information please contact SICK on tel: 01727 831121
operation used to take time, we always had to make sure it was or visit: www.sick.co.uk
correct to give us peace of mind.
“By contrast the SICK DT50s
maintain their detection accuracy,
despite changes to the product
colour. We can now ensure
consistent quality in our tile ranges,
while reducing the cost of waste and
rejects.
“We now have such faith in their
reliability and accuracy that we now
switch straight from one tile colour
batch to another without any
concerns. Redland has always had a
high reputation for quality, and the
new sensors give us added
confidence that the consistency is
being maintained.”
Introduced in early 2009, the
DT50’s temperature-stable light spot
and negligible black/white shift
difference enable complete
confidence in measurement precision
no matter what the colour of the
surface. Initially designed as a low- ABOVE: Laser Technology from SICK is improving efficiency at Monier Redland
34 Solids & Bulk Handling February 2010 www.solidsandbulk.co.uk
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