Janzen Lifttechnik from Niederlangen builds customised hydraulic lift tables, lifts and aerial work platforms for its customers. Especially when it comes to transporting people, high safety requirements apply. The company has found a reliable partner for the realisation of reliable safety technology in BERNSTEIN. A joint project completed a few weeks ago can be found at the cargo terminal of a German airport. With the help of a loading platform from Janzen Lifttechnik, cargo is moved there, while BERNSTEIN products ensure occupational safety and greatly simplify troubleshooting in the event of a malfunction.
The challenge
There is only about one metre difference in height between the safe ground and a loading ramp at an airport cargo terminal. But it is a decisive metre when it comes to moving pallets weighing tonnes with goods and other freight up or down there. Janzen Lifttechnik was responsible for the implementation of a mobile loading platform. In addition, a machine control system and safety technology were needed to ensure occupational safety. This is precisely why the companies EATON and BERNSTEIN worked hand in hand for their customer: While EATON provided the machine control system, BERNSTEIN took care of the safety technology part and the provision of diagnostic data.
"Since the entire technology and the control cabinet are hidden underneath the platform, the search for a fault that occurs can be time-consuming. Enabling fault diagnosis via tablet or mobile phone was therefore a compelling requirement of the customer Janzen Lifttechnik," says Robert Thesing from BERNSTEIN. The solution was quickly found: BERNSTEIN's SMART Safety System, which offers an individual solution for safeguarding machines and systems to meet the needs of every customer.
The implementation
The responsible persons were able to connect the BERNSTEIN SCR P evaluation to the EATON easyE4 control relay via MODBUS/TCP without any problems. This provides a web server that is accessed via W-Lan. The data provided by the SCR P or the safety chain can then be displayed on a smartphone or tablet.
Other BERNSTEIN components are also used: On the working platform itself, four plug-in railings provide fall protection for the load during a lifting or lowering operation. Once at the bottom, the railings can be removed to load or unload the platform. The railings are monitored by the SRF (Safety RFID) non-contact safety sensor. The SRF secures the plug-in guardrails by not allowing the lift to move up or down until the guardrails are properly plugged in. In contrast to a mechanical position switch, for example, the sensor does not allow any manipulation: "The SRF offers no possibility to bypass the protective measure. As long as the railings are not inserted correctly, the lifting platform cannot be moved," explains Robert Thesing.
Another SRF safety sensor is used to detect the upper position of the loading platform. This is also where an access door to the platform is located. As soon as the lifting platform moves, it must be ensured that it can no longer be opened and that people remain outside the danger zone. This task is performed by the SLC interlock switch from BERNSTEIN. It keeps the door closed until the loading platform is in the upper position and this is safely confirmed by the SRF.
"The cooperation of all the companies involved worked wonderfully and so we were able to master the challenge of bridging a one-metre height difference with maximum safety," Robert Thesing expresses his satisfaction at the end.
