PVD Series

Pallet Detection for Conveyance Equipment

A leading manufacturer of conveying equipment designs and builds high-quality, low-cost conveyance solutions. The pallet equipment they develop is expected to reliably convey, palletize and depalletize thousands of pallets and unit loads annually. This equipment must be able to sense a wide range of different pallet types and sizes to ensure the proper packing and unpacking of pallets and avoid line slow-downs, pallet crashes and collapses.

Detecting Parts Ejected from Die

In the manufacturer's facility, operators manually insert and remove metal parts from the die press. When complete, the parts are sent into a bin via a metal chute. In order to prevent die crash (having double parts in the press at once) the customer needed a sensor that could detect various parts on the chute and send a signal to the control system, indicating that the press is free and allowing the operator to perform another stroke. The solution needed to be installed without cutting slots in the chute sides or mounting sensors at the end of the chute, which could create catch points for traveling parts.

Accurate Pallet Detection

Banner’s PVD100 is a custom-made solution that accurately detects pallets without adjustments, even when features are inconsistent. This easy-to-use, versatile light screen has a wide beam pattern, making alignment simple. With a compact design, it can easily be embedded into a machine or directly on the line. The PVD100 light screen sensing solution has a detection height of 100 mm and a scanning range of 2 m. It has highly visible red and green LED lighting to display operation and indicate

Moveable Bracket

The optional bracket for a one-piece EZ-LIGHT PVD pick-to-light sensor makes it possible to detach the sensor and snap it onto a different rack.

Order Fulfillment: Wide Shelf

Each wide shelf is equipped with a one-piece EZ-LIGHT PVD pick-to-light sensor in retroreflective mode, which has a range of up to 2 m. The PVD lights up on the bin from which the worker should select the map to ship.

Operator Guidance Solution

A Henshaw customer manufactures drivetrain and powertrain systems for the automotive industry. The company had experienced productivity losses due to errors in the assembly of transmission valve bodies. Henshaw was tasked with developing a system that would reduce errors and improve the assembly process.

Pick-to-Light Solutions

Several technologies and solutions are available for bin-picking applications for error-proofing processes. Light arrays prompt the operator for part selection with integral job lights, then reliably sense retrieval of the part, using an array of visible red or infrared sensing beams located in front of the bin.

Part Pick Verification for Large Bins

To reduce the risk of error in an assembly operation, a one-piece EZ-LIGHT PVD pick-to-light sensor is placed on the top rail of a shelf, looking down on the shelf opening. The PVD is interfaced with a process controller that is programmed to illuminate the PVD on the bin to pick. After the PVD detects that the assembler's hand has entered and left the bin, the controller signals the PVD on the next bin to pick.

Bin Picking for Order Fulfillment

In a book packing warehouse, the rack above each carton of books is equipped with a one-piece EZ-LIGHT PVD pick-to-light sensor. A worker fills orders by selecting the quantity of each book specified on the packing slip. To make it easier for the worker to find the cartons from which to pick books, the PVDs above those cartons are illuminated. The PVD detects the workers hand in the carton to verify that the title was picked.