April 30, 2018

01/05/2018: Time saving and maximum safety

by Wynveen International BV, Netherlands

To supply a bulk outloading system for an animal feed producer, Wynveen International BV joined forces with Festo in developing automatic loading chutes. The new regulating systemdelivers a combined solution for the automatic positioning and securing of the chutes used to fill bulk trailers.
 
Image credit: Wynveen International BV

Labour intensive
Until recently, loading a trailer was a time-consuming task. The driver climbed onto the roof of the bulk trailer, installed a safety fence and attached himself securely. Then inserted the loading hose from each chute into the filler openings.

The last step was to unhitch the safety line, climbed off the trailer and controlled the loading of each compartment, from a platform. An unacceptable solution from a health and safety point of view, but Wynveen International BV based in Heteren, part of the Triott Group, identified considerable potential for improvements both in terms of ergonomics and time and hence cost savings.

Automatic positioning
Ronald van Leeuwen and Kilian Bijenhof (Wynveen International) looked into the possibility of automatic positioning of the chutes. “That meant we needed to collaborate with a specialist in control systems to help us deliver a topflight embedded engineering solution. Another challenge was to stay within the budget for the factory control system. At the same time, as is often the case in projects of this kind, there were also considerable time restraints.”

Each chute had to be fitted with a hinge section, a position feedback, an in and out function, a control unit and a drive system. A safety device also had to be fitted to prevent the extendable chute descending too far.

Servo-pneumatic solution
When Bas Helderman (Festo) saw the project requisitions (He started to think along), “In the original plan, the intention was to use an air cylinder to operate the chute valve and an electric drive for positioning. He suggested that a servo-pneumatic solution would both be simpler and more functional. He immediately thought of the DFPD actuator with the new CMSX position regulator from Festo; a combination that offers a solution for both functions and with characteristics that would perfectly suit the application. It also required fewer power supply and control cables. For both actuator and position regulator, a single power supply is sufficient and represents a considerable cost saving. All in all, in terms of pricing, this was an attractive alternative.”


Read the full article, HERE.

Visit the Wynveen International BV website, HERE.
 

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