SICK puts real-time aggregates monitoring on the radar

Industrial equipment supplier SICK has launched non-contact radar sensing technology that is designed to provide reliable real-time monitoring of storage levels for aggregates and other building materials.
Quarry Products / April 2, 2021
By Liam McLoughlin
SicWave is claimed to ensure continuous aggregates measurement despite dust in silos
SicWave is claimed to ensure continuous aggregates measurement despite dust in silos

The UK company says its SicWave solution uses higher-frequency 80 gigahertz free-space radar to overcome the limitations of lower-frequency radar sensors or mechanical devices to achieve precision continuous level measurement in demanding environments.

SICK commented: "Where previously operators have settled for switch point level indication or have been defeated by the challenges of using non-contact sensors in harsh environments, the narrowly-focused high-energy microwave pulses of the SICK SicWave sensors penetrate through dust and material build-up to output highly-accurate results."  

The SICK LBR SicWave is a bulk solids level sensor with an exceptional range up to 120m.  It represents a breakthrough in technology for continuous level measurement in the processing and handling of aggregates or other bulk building materials.

Darren Pratt, SICK’s UK product manager for industrial instrumentation, said: “Any operator who needs to manage the supply of bulk solids in storage vessels will understand the frustrations that can be caused when trying to achieve a reliable level measurement using a non-contact optical or radar principle when the signal is disrupted by the presence of dust or build-up of residue, or by other obstructions in the vessel."

“When positioned at the top of a silo, or over a heap or bunker, a SICK SicWave sensor sends a highly-focused narrow beam of microwave radar pulses and uses the time-of-flight principle to return a high-quality signal even at exceptionally long ranges or extreme temperatures and pressures.”

SICK claims that its SicWave 80 GHz free-space radar sensors are a thousand times more sensitive than previous-generation 26 GHz radar technologies, ensuring high availability in challenging environments with minimal maintenance requirements.

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