Heavy-duty belt misalignment switch communicates wirelessly

The ZS 92 SR belt misalignment switch is well-known from the heavy-duty program of the “Extreme” business area. This extremely robust switching device with a multi-coated die-cast aluminum housing monitors the running of belt conveyors. Its operating lever detects an off-center belt run, which can occur, for example, with uneven loading. In this case, the switch causes the belt system to stop or the belt to be corrected – depending on the type of integration into the control system. This signal is usually sent to the control system via cable. The further development of the ZS 92 SR, which steute started together with an interested gravel plant operator, was a logical step: the belt misalignment switch was upgraded so that it communicates wirelessly with the associated control system. This is also logical because both the necessary hardware and the radio technology are already available: The steute Controltec business unit offers a wide range of industrial radio switching devices such as position switches, foot switches and sensors, using the sWave radio protocol developed by steute and proven in numerous applications worldwide.
These two technologies have now been combined. The belt misalignment switch is connected to a separate RF I/O module. This transmitter unit forwards the signals coming from the switch via sWave to a radio relay module as the receiver unit – reliably, without a cable, over distances of up to around 400 meters in the open field. For longer distances, the user can install additional repeaters. Two belt misalignment switches can be connected to each RF I/O module. And each switching device transmits a two-stage signal via radio. The first can serve as a warning signal, for example, and the second then causes the conveyor system to be switched off.