Please feel free to read any of these short, but inspiring case studies. All are short two-page A4 documents, illustrating projects which Sensor-Technik UK has undertaken and which may relate to your own application.

Automatic storage systems

(PDF data sheet, 40kB): With automatic collection of goods from, and placement in, storage bays prevalent in modern warehouses, precision feedback is essential to ensure that the computer controlled forklifts are in the correct position.

Bale trailer manufacture

(PDF data sheet, 36kB): Farmers are under constant pressure to improve productivity and cut costs. Hence every machine has to be more accurate and efficient in order to meet ever more stringent targets, such as minimising size and weight.

CANbus remote control

(PDF data sheet, 32kB): All mobile plants these days have on-board computers. Combined with mobile phone and wireless technology, vehicle systems can be monitored, interrogated and investigated by manufacturers and operators

Concrete block lifter

(PDF data sheet, 32kB): A manufacturer of concrete blocks required a special pick-up tool on his yard vehicle to pick up and set down the blocks without a requirement for pallets and without the need for the operator to get out of the vehicle

Large structure construction

(PDF data sheet, 36kB): Traditional building methods were unsuitable for the control tower for Heathrow¹s Terminal 5, because conventional cranes or vehicles could not be used next to the existing, busy runway. Alternative methods were needed

Diesel engine generator sets

(PDF data sheet, 36kB): Diesel powered mobile electricity generators are used throughout the world to provide emergency back-up power, to provide added power for outdoor concerts, to meet power needs on construction sites, and to provide reliable power in remote areas where there is either an unreliable grid or no power at all

Fire fighting vehicles

(PDF data sheet, 36kB): Access platform fire fighters need to be able to park their vehicles accurately. Get it wrong and either the platform won¹t reach or, if the platform has to extend too far, the vehicle could topple due to lever effects

Lorry side lifter crane

(PDF data sheet, 32kB): Eliminating the need for a separate crane to load containers onto lorries, one company has developed a hydraulic side lifting system for the lorry itself

Military observation vehicles

(PDF data sheet, 36kB): Modern warfare is all about accuracy and speed, which drives a demand for integrated targeting systems with accurate positioning

Multi-purpose vehicles

(PDF data sheet, 40kB): A special vehicle used for off-road maintenance and service required a more stable and reliable remote control box than had been supplied by the manufacturer

On-board weighing

(PDF data sheet, 40kB): Construction and agricultural vehicles cannot be taken on public roads without the weight of the load they carrying being known, so a simple weighing mechanism is a big advantage. An on-board system also offers advantages on the likes of farm vehicles, giving operators continual monitoring of feed loads being picked up or deposited

Power pack oil alarm

(PDF data sheet, 32kB): Small hydraulic power packs provide the power for many hydraulic tools such as wrenches and cutters. However, these can sometimes leak or a hose can break without the operator realising. The loss of oil can not only stop the work in hand, but can also be dangerous if the tools are being used to put equipment together or support a structure

Hydraulic power pack control

(PDF data sheet, 32kB): A big hydraulic power pack needed to be wired to provide control of all valves and the engine, both via the existing computer system and through manual switch control as a back-up. Further, a remote control unit was also required

Hydraulic power packs

(PDF data sheet, 36kB): Hydraulically driven tools typically work with a given power pack. If you need a different tool, you use a different powerpack. But one user asked the manufacturer of the tools and power packs if it was possible to supply a universal power pack

Sensors for railway tracks

(PDF data sheet, 48kB): With the modern welded railway lines, it has become more difficult to test the condition of the track to ensure its safety

Root crop harvester

(PDF data sheet, 36kB): As agricultural machines have developed in complexity and sophistication, customers have demanded more operator control

Self-driving platforms

(PDF data sheet, 32kB): Goldhofer manufactures a range of load carrying platforms, including heavy duty modules capable of transporting enormous structures weighing many hundreds of tonnes. The platforms were famously featured on the Channel 5 program “Monster Moves” carrying the control tower for Heathrow’s Terminal Five.

Timber lorry crane

(PDF data sheet, 36kB): With the police stringent about enforcing weight limits on public roads, lorries that collect timber from forests for delivery to saw mills have to tread a delicate line balancing the need to stay under the limit with the economics of efficient collection

Water spray vehicles

(PDF data sheet, 36kB): In land fill sites, road construction, open quarries and even coal mountains, keeping dust to a minimum is vital so as not to disturb local residents and to keep the ground compacted. This is achieved by constant spraying with water

Winch vehicles

(PDF data sheet, 36kB): The leading electricity suppliers required a vehicle with a powerful winch in order to move the characteristically heavy duty cables