Remote controls

flukie

Member
Join Date
May 2002
Location
Belgium, Antwerp
Posts
59
This subject might be slight off topic however...

I have a plant where cranes takes products away from a production line and store them into a stock room. From time to time a fork lift driver needs to empty that storage room.

Nowadays the protection of the operating zone of the crane works with a light screen with a muting extension. This means when a fork lift passes the crane keeps working and when person walk into the storage room the power of the crane is cut of.
The fork lift driver needs to look if the crane is on a safe position before entering the storage room because otherwise he could have a collision with that crane.

The client is asking if it would be possible to change the system as follow :

1) Fork lift driver drives to gate of the storage room
2) With a remote the fork lift driver asks permission to enter the storage room
3) When the crane is in safe position a green light comes on
4) Forklift takes products away from storage room
5) When forklift is outside the fork lift driver resets the permission to drive in the storage room.
6) Crane continues working
...

When is was brainstorming with my client I was thinking about using a radio frequency remote control that only works in a certain zone or a pointed infrared remote control. The RF remote control would do the job but there is something we cannot prevent : if the fork lift driver would accidently reset the permission to drive inside the storage room when he is inside the crane could continue. To prevent this I need a remote that only would work outside the storage room.

Does one know another solution or provider of a remote that only would work in a defined area ?

Other suggestion would be appreciated.

Thx for reading,
Flu
 
I would suggest setting up two light curtains at gate to tell which direction (in or out) that the hilo is going. If the hilo in entering the protected area, curtain A would be tripped before curtain B, and visa versa for exiting. You may also want to place a stop light at the gate so that the entry permission can be signaled to allow the hilo driver to continue after he has tripped the entry signal.

Hilo enters the gate area and trips the entry signal, then stops and waits for the green light. Once the green light has come on (the crane has stopped and is out of the way), the hilo may continue to enter and do his thing. After the hilo is done he simply drives out of the gate reversing the signal and the red light comes on and the crane resumes.

As safety is paramount, this may or may not be a good suggestion. You want to do everything possable to avoid the possability of false exit signals.

Mike.
 
Just a thought..

What about a limited range transmitter.
Kind of like the new ones for luxury cars.
The motion of the keys in your pocket activate the transmitter in your key fob. This has a range of about 20 feet.
If you are within 20 feet of your car, and moving, the doors will be unlocked. Once the signal is lost the doors will lock automatically.


You can try adapting this idea if you can.
Good Luck

Tim
 
The analysis of the hazard should come first. Frequency of exposure (how often per day is a given driver exposed to danger?). Severity of risk (what's the worst the crane could do to the driver?). Possibility of avoiding injury (can a driver see an impending risk and get out of the way in time to avoid it?). If you start getting into the high combined risk area then you are talking about redundant, different technology, failsafe sensors.
 

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