Continental has launched the Conti Load Sense monitoring system, based on 2D radar technology to measure material flow on conveyor belts.
It can be used in almost all industries where conveyor belt systems are in operation.
Using 2D radar (radio detection and ranging) and ultrasonic technologies, the system scans the material and conveyor belt from different angles to determine the position of the load and the belt.
This accurately calculates the volume of material being conveyed.
Patrick Raffler, responsible for Digital Solutions for the Conveying industry at Continental, said the risk of spilling material is determined by monitoring the belt edge position in relation to the profile of the material.
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“The load centre of gravity on the belt, as well as load distribution, is monitored 24/7 along the entire conveyor length,” Raffler said.
“Data correlation is used to calculate volume flow, monitor overrun and belt skew. Belt speed is measured to track belt and load position along the entire length of the conveyor.”
Based on this precise information, operators of stone, sand or gravel quarries can measurably increase their productivity.
The technology has already been installed at the gravel plant of August Oppermann Kiesgewinnungs- und Vertriebs-GmbH in Northeim, Germany.
Here, the extraction of material depends very much on the individual loading of the belt by each worker.
Thanks to the volume measurement of the Conti Load Sense radar-based monitoring system, gravel plant operators are now able to use the deep grab even more efficiently. This increases the output by up to 100,000 tons per year.
Conti Load Sense can be connected to the Conti Cloud, meaning the recorded data can be processed in a visually appealing way for the end customer via a web service or the Conti+ online service portal and the associated Conti+ app.
“The plants run more economically due to the automatic material detection, and the radar sensor reports deviations before losses occur, thus preventing follow-up costs,” Raffler said.
The gravel industry faces the challenge of extracting and processing material more efficiently, reliably and in a more environmentally friendly manner. This is where Continental’s conveyor belts come into play, along with its associated equipment and service tools, and digital components that comprehensively monitor the conveyor process and the material.
The business has been focusing on condition monitoring and predictive maintenance as important topics for the future.
With the Conti Load Sense, which is based on radar sensors developed by Continental and used millions of times in cars, the company is now expanding its portfolio in this area.
Mario Branco, who is responsible for Business Development for Off-Highway Applications at Continental, said this is what makes Continental so special and strong.
In other applications, the new Continental system can be used in combination with other sensors for performance monitoring and thickness measurement, for example in the raw material conveying industry to measure bulk material volumes, check the durability of conveyor belts, forecast the service life of the conveyor belt, and save energy and costs. Conti Load Sense can also be easily integrated into existing plants.