Safety in automatic warehouses: Long-term stable solutions for weighing and monitoring tasks

Scales have numerous tasks in an automatic warehouse: They protect against overloading, help in order picking and contribute towards safety. For active overload protection, all storage supports are weighed and evaluated by a connected electronic system before the warehouse is filled. Standard scales are too expensive for this application. It is better to use the digital amplifier VKIA405 straightaway as it is optimized for use in automated warehouses.

It is important, for the stability of an automatic warehouse, that the weight is evenly and symmetrically distributed over the shelves and that the maximum bearing capacity of the high bays are not exceeded.

A scale in the material flow monitors the weight and thereby protects personnel and the stored goods. This scale must be stable and maintenance free in operation because any readjustment of the scale means that the stock must be removed.

This makes readjustments expensive. Standard scales are optimized for accuracy and only need to be adjusted occasionally. They are therefore not suitable for load monitoring in high bays as extreme long-term stability is required here.

This is why HBM has specially developed a particularly long-term stable solution for this requirement: The VKIA405 digital amplifier. This allows a scale for storage spaces of between 200 and 2000 kg to be set up with up to four SG load cells. This structure is reliable and extremely stable. Numerous tests and successful application in practice have confirmed this.

Weighing indicator equipped for power failures

All VKIA405 parameters can be stored safe from power failure in an internal EEPROM. The IP65-protected VKIA405 is suitable for simple weighing and monitoring tasks that lie outside the legally required legal-for-trade requirements.

The amplifier has a basic factory calibration and is adapted to the application either via SW commands or through actual adjustment using weights.

The off-center load errors are compensated for and the scale is scaled during commissioning, i.e. zero and full load value specified. Previously prepared resistor networks are available for the off-center load compensation and are activated by opening a wire bridge. The supplied tables indicate which bridges need to be separated.

Tolerances in the mechanical construction of the installation site generally lead to an off-center load error. The necessary off-center load compensation and adjustment during commissioning can be implemented rapidly in four simple steps by any service technician.

• Load the corners
• Read the correction value from the diagram
• Activate the balancing resistor
• Place a defined load on the scale and accept the measured value via software.

Computer connection via RS485 two-wire interface

The VKIA405 can transmit the measured values via the RS485 two-wire interface to a superordinate computer. This enables computer-supported order picking and storage place proposals.

Digital weight indicator VKIA405