Sensor lowers cost of hi-bay safety
July 22nd 2008

Protection against accidental push-through of pallets in high-bay warehouse racking configurations is generally provided by mechanical systems. However, with its ODS 96B optical distance sensors, Leuze electronic is offering an economical and practical alternative.

Whilst every care may be taken in the design and installation of an effective mechanical safeguard to prevent push-through, the impact generated by dynamic loading processes exerts a negative influence on the rack system itself. This can be prevented by providing a compartment occupied check using a suitable sensor system to monitor whether storage surfaces really are unoccupied, so preventing pallets already in place from being pushed backwards and dropping out of the rack.

Additional problems can be created by pallets which are skewed or offset: during highly dynamic operating processes, system-specific tolerances can be exceeded, resulting in the forks of the handling system displacing already positioned pallets when performing inward and outward movements.

Part of a new generation of sensors developed by Leuze electronic, the ODS 96B optical distance sensor is designed to carry out continuous distance measurements, dynamic product measurement and position controls. With a measurement range of 60 to 2000mm it is suited to performing compartment occupied checks, and as an additional feature the switching function can be used to also provide a push-through safeguard.

Thanks to measurement times of just 2ms, ODS 96B photoelectric sensors are able to detect dynamic processes up to five times faster than comparable products. This makes it ideal where high-speed sequences takes place, typified by automated hi-bay warehousing, where there are fast load change cycles.

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