Applied technology Electrical & electronic
Controlling the lifting of steel sheets for submarines D
anvac Lifting Equipment recently won a contract from BAE Systems to supply three 15-tonne vacuum lifters to transport steel sheets used in the manufacturing of submarines. For the project, REO used its skills in control panel layout and component connection choice to recommend its EMC filters, explains Steve Hughes, managing director. The company has manufactured lifting equipment and compo- nents, and provided services, since 2004, with clients including Cammell Laird, TATA Steel and Pilkington Glass. Other projects have included lifting equipment for Beck & Pollitzer for one of the 4th plinth displays at Trafalgar Square, and equipment to allow the glass roof to be fitted to the Royal Opera House. During 2008, the company was awarded sole UK distributorship of Eurotech vacuum lifters, suction cups and components. As standard, Danvac’s products include a minimum guaranteed 20 minute ‘hang on’ time, which ensures safety in the event of a power fail- ure. These hold the lifted product in place should there be an interruption to the supply; and are battery-powered to ensure continued operation. HSE guidelines specify that only five minutes hang on time is required. Due to the planned industrial use of the equipment for the BAE application, the units had to conform to EN61000-6-2 and EN61000-6-4 (Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) – Part 6-2: and 6-4: Generic standards – Immunity for industrial environments). All of the units are designed with a 100% safety factor, running at a nominal 60% vacuum percentage level. This again means that accept- able standards are exceeded to ensure safety in the application. For instance, if pads are designed to lift 100kg, Danvac builds them so they are suitable for double the lifting capacity, which is 200kg. The control panel for this application had specific radio frequency requirements that needed to be complied with in its design, so the company turned to REO for the solution.
Danvac designed and built its own control system for the lifting equipment, which complies with EN13155 (Crane Safety: Non-fixed load lifting attachments), amended in 2009. This ensures that an audi- ble and visual warning is provided in the event of a loss of power. REO attended design meetings and assisted with control panel layout, choice of components and termination of connections. As the unit contains radio-controlled solenoids, Danvac was aware of the need to guarantee immunity. The system is paired to a specific control pendant to ensure that unwanted releases cannot happen in normal operation.
The system operates at 434MHz, well in excess of the area of concern for normal immunity, which is typically 150kHz to 30MHz, so REO was
not worried about spurious reception. However, it was essential to ensure that any mains borne issues would not cause any problems. REO suggested an appropriate EMC filter in order to ensure compliance – the CNW103, a standard yet high performance product. Dan Wheeler, managing director of Danvac, said: “A good filter has a large ground plane, short-leaded components and usually demonstrates good RFI performance; well above 30 MHz. REO also recommended that the equipment be tested at the TUV SUD testing laboratory in Fareham.” The CNW103 range of three-phase EMC Filters has a 3-150A current rating and provides high attenuation in both common and differential mode. Designed for industrial process and control applications, connec- tion is made using 6.3mm Faston spade connections or screw terminals depending on current capacity.
The control scheme and lifting mechanism was tested in its entirety at the TUV SUD testing laboratory and passed with flying colours. The equipment is now carrying the CE mark, meaning that it conforms to exacting safety standards and also that it has been tested for RF immunity and emissions.
Wheeler commented: “HSE standards are one thing, but they assume EMC conformance. An inferior control system could easily trigger a release in a ‘noisy’ EMC environment and it is good to know for all concerned that this cannot happen with our equipment.” REO Enter 201 T: 01588 673411
www.reo.co.uk Custom HMI control system enables simple and safe trailer operation
transport solutions. The company equips its trailers with a loading deck HMI control system which provides users with a simple to use and safe operating system. So, when the company wanted to improve its existing trailer control switch panel design, it turned to Stadium IGT for a solution that would not only meet the tough sealing requirements, but would be able to reduce the cost of the panel.
A For the solution, the design team created a water-
proof membrane switch panel to replace the existing conventional switches. Integrating all of the required control functions into a single assembly not only offers cost savings but also streamlines assembly and simplifies operation, explains the company. To ensure full protection against moisture and ingress of debris, the panel is also sealed from the rear by an acrylic overlay. In addition to deck control, interior light operation and audible alarm mute functions, the new specification called for operator safety
6
s a designer and manufacturer of commercial vehicle trailers and rigid bodywork, DON-BUR also develops bespoke and aerodynamic, fuel-saving
features and now includes a number of LED safety system indicators and a conventional ‘emergency stop’ push-button switch. Terry Moss, sales and marketing director at Stadium
IGT, explained that DON-BUR previously had to purchase different components from a number of suppliers in order to build the control panel. He added: “The new design allows DON-BUR to incorporate a number of new safety features into the control panel and demonstrates how Stadium IGT can integrate a range of different technologies into a single Man-Machine-Interface. Our ability to pro- vide a single, multi-function custom assembly means DON-BUR now only needs to order just one part number from one supplier to receive a fully tested plug-in panel that not only meets their control and environmental requirements but which has also reduced their component spend.” Stadium IGT
www.stadium-igt.com
DON-BUR
www.donbur.co.uk
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OCTOBER 2013 Design Solutions
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