Monitoring Vehicle Stacker Stability with Tilt Switches

As Australia’s population continues to grow urban density is likely to increase. This means that developers need to employ smart technology solutions to optimize the use of limited space. New homes and apartment buildings are starting to feature a stacked parking system to make the most of garage space.

The Australian DIS Sensors distributor ADM Instrument Engineering has acquired a customer that is leader in delivering top quality car stacking systems and is focused on refining the technology to improve the user experience.

Their product portfolio covers a stack range from 2 cars up to 50 vehicles.

Safety is Paramount

Vehicle platforms are either driven hydraulically or by a motor and chains.

The controller monitors the motion of the platform with proximity switches or limit switches at various points.

However, should there be a mechanical jam, or fault caused by wear and tear, or an uneven load, it is possible for the platform to get out of alignment. This needs to be detected instantly, so that the system can take corrective action. Thereby, protecting the system from physical damage, which has the potential to result in failure.

Therefore, ADM suggested a solution that continuously monitors the level of the platform by using a safety tilt switch from DIS Sensors.

The QG40N series tilt switch is a dual axis inclinometer, but instead of having an analog output signal representative of an angle, it has two configurable digital angle setpoints. The tilt switches incorporate MEMS technology and intelligent microcontroller algorithms, and a programmer is available that allows the configuration of the angle set points, delay times, and filtering. 

The delay time settings have been used in this application to eliminate nuisance switching when the angle output reading is hovering between the operation zone and the critical zone. The programmer is easy to use and consists of a dongle and free software. It is suitable if only one or two units need to be programmed, or if adjustments need to be made in the field.

For production quantities the tilt switches can be preconfigured at the factory prior to dispatch.

That the QG40N series tilt switch has SIL 1 (Safety Integrity Level) certification makes it perfect for this application.

Conclusion

A higher level of safety and reliability was realized in the car stacker installations, at a minimal hardware and installation cost. The tilt switch acts as a standalone comparator, and no additional programming for interfacing of the stacker system’s controller was required.

For further information please contact ADM Instrument Engineering or DIS Sensors via info@dis-sensors.com.

More information on the SIL1 tilt switch can be found here.

And if you want to know more about the QG40N programmer/configurator, just go to this page.