At busy container seaports, purpose-designed container- handling vehicles called Straddle Carriers, operate around the clock, loading, unloading and stacking containers. Space utilisation is increasingly important and correctly identifying the size of container picked for each lift is essential for efficiency. Contrinex photoelectric sensors have been fitted to the Straddle Carriers to detect the container size and eliminate the need for drivers to carry out identification checks, saving time and avoiding errors. CUSTOMER APPLICATION A fleet of straddle carriers, purpose-designed container- handling vehicles, services a busy French container port. As a straddle carrier moves over a container, a central lifting beam lowers and locks onto the corner castings of the container; each lift comprises either a single 40-foot container or two 20- foot containers. Optimal utilisation of storage space is essential; correctly identifying the size of container picked for each lift is vital. Fitting carriers with sensors that detect the size and type of containers at the time of lifting eliminate the need for drivers to carry out identification checks, saving time and avoiding errors. The original mechanical sensors proved unreliable, losing calibration when subjected to continuous vibration during normal operation. Although the scheduled maintenance interval for each vehicle is 1,000 hours, mechanical sensors required recalibration at intervals of no more than two or three days. A highly stable replacement sensor system was desired.

CUSTOMER SOLUTION Highly stable, non-contact, all-electronic units from the Contrinex range of photoelectric sensors provide a reliable and cost-effective alternative. The moulded-resin sensor casings, fitted with coated-plastic sensing faces, are IP67 rated, making them virtually impervious to the harsh, salt-laden environment of a busy container port. Connection to the vehicle’s control systems is via an integral M12 connector and PVC-sheathed cable, allowing easy removal and replacement during routine maintenance. To confirm the size of the container, two pairs of diffuse sensors with background suppression are mounted centrally on each lifting beam. As the lifting beam descends, one sensor from each pair detects the presence or absence of corner castings at the central lifting points, while the other detects the presence or absence of the gap between two 20-foot containers. The combination of the two eliminates incorrect identification in the unlikely event that the first sensor returns a false-positive signal from a 40-foot container. A physically small housing and long sensing distances eliminate the risk of accidental damage arising from a mechanical collision, while rugged industry-standard housings and vacuum-encapsulated electronics minimise the effects of vibration. Operational results have been excellent; the new Contrinex sensors have eliminated calibration errors and reduced maintenance costs significantly.

Contrinex’s C23 photoelectric sensor family is small but powerful and so ideal for conveyor and packaging applications. An example application for the C23 is the food processing industry, where ‘shingling’, or overlapped layering, is a common technique for optimizing space during secondary packaging operations. As shown in the video, biscuits are sealed in gusseted bags with a triangular profile, and packed in alternating, overlapping layers into a preformed cardboard box. Once each box is full, it passes to a case-sealing station prior to palletisation and dispatch. From time to time, an incorrectly formed layer occurs, where a bag might be damaged or misaligned. The C23 photoelectric sensor with Background Suppression is used to provide non- contact sensing of the height of the top layer of bags, rejecting any over-filled cartons. CUSTOMER APPLICATION In the food processing industry, shingling, or overlapped layering, is a common technique for optimising space utilisation during secondary packaging operations. Confectionery, sealed in gusseted bags with predominantly triangular profiles, is packed in alternating, overlapping layers in preformed cardboard cartons. Once each carton is full, it passes to a case-sealing station prior to palletisation and dispatch. Pre-aligned bags of confectionery arrive at the packing station in regularly spaced rows. At each station, a multi-axis pick-and- place packing robot lifts a row of bags, aligns it and lowers it into a preformed carton. Successive layers overlap each other, ensuring that space within the carton is fully utilised. Once the predetermined number of layers has been packed, the carton is conveyed to the sealing station. From time to time, one or more incorrectly formed layers occur. Individual bags may be missing from a row on arrival at the packing station, or may be damaged or misaligned. A non- contact sensor is needed to sense the height of the top layer of bags, rejecting any defective cartons. It must be reliable and require minimal maintenance.

CUSTOMER SOLUTION Rugged photoelectric sensors with background suppression from the Contrinex C23 range are ideal for this application. A pinpoint red LED with a 10mm-diameter light spot at the maximum sensing range of 300mm ensures highly reliable detection of objects of almost any colour against light or dark backgrounds. These sensors are well suited to both the task and the environment. Immediately after packing, a single sensor is mounted centrally above the conveyor. As each carton passes below on its way to the sealing station, the sensor detects the top surface of the packed bags. If the height of the top layer falls outside preset limits, the sensor triggers a reject mechanism that diverts the carton to a holding area for investigation. Mounted in 20mm x 30mm x 10mm miniature plastic housings, C23 photoelectric sensors are available with industry-standard PNP or NPN 3-wire or 4-wire output. Connection to the customer’s control system is via a PVC- sheathed cable with the choice of an integral M12 connector or a hermetically sealed entry. A second output provides a stability alarm in the event of reduced sensitivity, flagging the need for preventative maintenance before any performance degradation occurs. Locating sensors optimally is simple thanks to a custom- designed range of multi-position mounting brackets. An operating range between 15mm and 250mm accommodates a variety of carton sizes without any need to reposition the sensor. A simple electrical adjustment via an onboard potentiometer suffices, while remote adjustment via IO-Link, a standardized point-to-point serial connection protocol, is available as standard at no extra cost for PNP versions

Contrinex Standard photoelectric sensors are ideal for general position and presence-detection for almost any industry and application. Best-in-class performance such as sensing ranges and background suppression characteristics, the Standard range of sensors delivers very high accuracy and reliability. A wide variety of housing designs and sizes are offered:: • Cubic sizes: 0507 (5 x 7 x 40mm), C12 (13 x 21 x 7mm), C23 (20 x 30 x 10mm), 3030 (30 x 30 x 15mm), 4040 (40 x 40 x 19mm), 4050 (40 x 50 x 15mm) and C55 (50 x 50 x 23mm). • Cylindrical types are also available in sizes M12 and M18.

Standard C23 and M18P series are high quality ASIC sensors with an integral IO-Link interface in PNP types. This makes them particularly suitable for smart factory applications. IO-Link extends sensor functionality to include continuous monitoring of process data, continuous diagnosis of sensor status, advanced parameter settings, sensitivity adjustment, a remote teach function and easy checking of sensor ID, to ensure the right sensor is at the right place. TECHNOLOGY Diffuse A diffuse-mode, or energetic-diffuse, photoelectric sensor is a reflective sensor, containing a transmitter and a receiver in a single housing. The sensor emits a focused light beam toward a distant target that acts as a reflector, returning part of the transmitted light to the sensor. The receiver detects the amount of light reflected by the target, triggering the sensor when the light intensity reaches a threshold value. • Ideal for short sensing ranges and relatively easy targets • Easy installation and alignment • No separate reflector or receiver Background-Suppression Diffuse-mode photoelectric sensors with background suppression emit a focused light beam toward a distant target. Part of the beam is reflected from the target and returns to the sensor, striking a position-sensitive receiver. The receiver distinguishes between reflections from the target and reflections from background objects, only triggering the sensor when the signal reaches a value that corresponds to the preset target distance. • Target size, colour, shape and surface finish have little influence on sensing range • Suitable for difficult targets (small, fast-moving, light background) • No separate reflector or receiver” Reflex A reflex, or reflective, photoelectric sensor contains a transmitter and a receiver in a single housing, and emits a pulsed, focused light beam through a polarisation filter toward a distant reflector. Reflected light returns to the sensor, passing through a second filter before arriving at the receiver. When a target object interrupts the light beam, the receiver detects the reduced light intensity and triggers the sensor. Auto-collimation of the light beam allows blind-zone suppression. • Ideal for moderate sensing ranges • Wiring required for just one emitter/receiver unit • Separately mounted reflector Through-beam Contrinex through-beam photoelectric sensors are ideal for industrial applications where sensing components must be mounted some distance from the target area. Through-beam sensors utilise infra-red, visible and laser light sources to detect targets, reliably and repeatably, at extended distances. • Ideal for long sensing ranges • Suitable for contaminated environments or highly reflective targets • Separately mounted and wired receiver