TECHNOLOGY IN ACTION
ADVERTORIALS
3-D Volume Measurements on Conveyor Belts
In mining, a wide variety of bulk materials, such as different types of ore and soil, are transported over long distances by conveyor belts to loading silos and other areas of the plant. It is necessary to calculate the material volume with dynamic measurement systems along the routes. The control of produced material is carried out by these systems at strategic points along the conveyor belt, and knowing how much ore has been extracted and handled is directly related to the company’s profits. However, the harsh environmental conditions pose a particular challenge for the sensor solution used. The challenge is to measure the volume of material on the conveyor belt without coming into physical contact with the material. In addition, a device that performs reliable measurements and requires less maintenance compared to conventional volume measurement systems is required. The corresponding sensor solution must have a range of more than 5m, be equipped with software filters that make it possible to filter the environmental influences on the measuring data, and also provide information about the presence of dirt on the lens. Communication with an industrial PC via an Ethernet switch would enable the product to be operated with different types of controllers.
New KAUP Barrel Handler attachment eliminates manual handling of wine barrels
Newly developed technology has transformed barrel handling. Originally manufactured by KAUP Australia for one of Australia’s largest winery facilities, Treasury Wine Estates (TWE), the KAUP Barrel handler forklift attachment slips on to a conventional forklift. This new equipment designed by both KAUP and the Treasury’s engineering team, provides the seamless lift and transport of barrels on and off master cradles at wineries.
In the wine industry, barrel handling is a critical operation, as wooden barrels are essential
for aging wine and enhancing its flavour. The KAUP 0.8T405/130 Barrel handler is an innovative attachment that helps to streamline operations while also enhancing safety and improving process efficiency for material handling. This new attachment is a specialised forklift attachment designed to safely handle heavy wine barrels, typically made of oak, which can weigh up to 272kgs (600 lbs) or more when full.
The KAUP Barrel handler allows wineries to transport barrels from storage areas to racking systems, move them for blending or tasting, or position them for filling and emptying. Not only does this attachment lift barrels it can also rotate them into place. Picking up barrels from a vertical position, then clamping one or two barrels at a time and laying them down so they can be put into storage racks used in wine cellars. This precision is essential to preserve the integrity of the wine and prevent any spillage or oxidation.
Mike Barton, Managing Director at B&B Attachments, KAUP’s sole UK distributor, comments; “It is possible for this attachment to be customised further to consider barrel sizes as well as other factors including machinery sizes. For wineries dealing with large volumes of barrels, this new attachment will streamline the aging process and ensure proper wine production practices are followed. This one piece of equipment has the potential to improve the handling process across the whole winemaking sector.”
The KAUP Barrel handler is available throughout the UK from B&B Attachments, the leading forklift truck attachment company in the UK and Ireland.
The solution The Volume3D volume acquisition system from Pepperl+Fuchs, which consists of an R2000 2-D LiDAR sensor, a multiscan evaluation unit (MSEU), an ENI58IL incremental rotary encoder, and all the required connection cables, is the ideal solution for this application. Equipped with a flexible measurement data filter, the R2000 is positioned on a gantry facing the conveyor belt and can measure the volume without coming into contact with the ore. The ENI58IL incremental rotary encoder with BlueBeam precisely captures the speed and direction of the conveyor belt, while the MSEU processes the sensor data and allows the volumetric scan data to be transmitted directly to other controllers to obtain variables such as flow rate. In addition, the maximum and mean height of the loaded materials on the conveyor can be output. The R2000 sensor offers a number of technical features including easy mounting above the
conveyor belt without major adjustments to the system, precise monitoring of wide belts with a width of over 5m, through high angular resolution and an integrated lens contamination monitor (LCM) which evaluates the degree of contamination of the lens. It also offers Pulse Ranging Technology (PRT) for measurement precision and highly accurate contour detection with a high angular resolution of 0.042° and a scan rate of up to 50 Hz.
Pepperl+Fuchs
info@de.pepperl-fuchs.com
www.pepperl-fuchs.com/en/contact-us-gp25882
B&B Attachments 01670 737373
info@bandbattachments.com
FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS | MARCH 2025 49
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