Pepperl+Fuchs has been developing individual sensor and interface solutions tailored to customer requirements for decades, and some of today's portfolio products originate from customer-specific projects. With current examples, the company now wants to communicate the topic even more clearly to customers and interested parties.

Montratec manufactures modular monorail systems for internal transportation tasks and assembly processes. For the current shuttle generation 'montrac Shuttle MSH5', the previously used sensor technology was to be replaced, as this was based on a one-dimensional, optoelectronic sensor with energetic signal evaluation. This means that it emits a simple switching signal and detects shuttles in front via a single light beam. This means that it is not possible to differentiate between fixed track sections such as tunnels or shuttles in front, nor is it possible to negotiate curves without additional sensors on the track. This was to change with the new generation of shuttles.

The starting point for the development was to rely on a measuring technology so that distance values could be output that could be used for further processing. This is where 'Pulse Ranging Technology' (PRT) from Pepperl+Fuchs comes into play - a pulse time-of-flight method that measures distances from a few centimetres to several hundred meters with millimetre precision using a direct measuring method. PRT is used, for example, in the 2D LiDAR sensor 'R2100', which was used as the basis for the sensor solution for Montratec.

Pepperl+Fuchs describes the adaptation of PRT to the conditions in the shuttle as the greatest technical challenge - both in terms of design, hardware and software. A production line including special calibration and testing equipment was set up especially for the project.

The housing of the sensor was specially tailored to the shape of the shuttle, which required a completely new design of the measurement electronics: individual sensors now provide distance and intensity information from five different measurement points in a semi-circular, geometric arrangement. As the multi-channel sensor solution had an impact on the measurement evaluation, software adaptations were necessary.

Thanks to the five measuring beams, the new MSH5 shuttle has an additional, peripheral field of vision and can therefore reliably detect shuttles driving ahead as well as interfering objects at all times - on straight stretches as well as in curved situations. In addition to improved monitoring of the route and the associated optimized collision avoidance, the wider beam angle of the five emitting LEDs also enables wider workpiece carriers to be transported. If a sensor is also used at the rear of the shuttle, reverse travel can also be monitored by sensors.