20 • BULKDISTRIBUTOR D r y B u l k H a n d l i n g May/June 2016

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Industry 4.0 makes Dino smart There are various terms for describing a

bulk truck loader that transmits a signal itself if a component is not working properly or if maintenance is required.

'Smart industry', the Internet of Things or Industry 4.0; call it what you will Van Beek has come up with a way to rejuvenate its long­standing Dino bulk loader by giving it a wireless monitoring system.

remotely that for example a hatch has not been closed properly," he points out.

Smart industry technology also has a cost saving effect. Many components are replaced as a precaution to prevent machine downtime just as they are in vehicles. But what if you can see that a component is still working perfectly well?

For example, Van Beek has sensors to measure the vibration of a bearing. Every type of bearing

Smart industry simply means that sensors collect and transmit all sorts of data from a machine so that action can be taken based on these data. "Now we often sell a Dino and usually we do not get any feedback about the operation of the machine. As a result, this can now change," said Mark Jonkers, who is investigating for Van Beek how smart industry can be used on the Dino.

Jonkers is in the last phase of his Mechatronics studies at Avans Hogescholen in Breda, the Netherlands, combining mechanical engineering, electronics engineering and ICT. This area of study arose because there is a growing need for personnel with enough knowledge of all these areas to link them together.

"The Dino 4.0 is a perfect example of this. You have a big mechanical machine that is electrically operated and you have all sorts of data from the sensors that have to be processed by a program," he continues.

By fitting the loaders with sensors and their own internet connection Van Beek can collect data remotely on the operation of the bulk truck loader. Based on these data the company can better predict when maintenance is necessary or if there is a risk of a malfunction occurring. "The idea is that in this way we can ultimately provide an even better service," adds Jonkers.

Remote detection It is also possible to solve problems without a mechanic having to visit, he continues. "For example, someone calls because his Dino is suddenly no longer working. We can then see

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By fitting sensors and an internet connection Van Beek can collect data remotely on the operation o f the bulk truck loader

has its own healthy vibration so the vibration of the bearing being measured can be compared with what it should be like. That way a user knows immediately whether the bearings need replacing or not. "We then replace the components just in time, as they say," says Jonkers.

By collecting data on the use of the Dino the customer can be better advised on its use and components can be replaced just in time. "But this development also makes it possible to monitor Dinos remotely and to build up a database to provide more knowledge about the bulk truck loader. This can again result in a better Dino for customers," he continues.

In the near future Van Beek will start a large scale field test with the 'Dino Wireless Monitoring System'. Existing Dino owners can register with Van Beek to take part in this field test. www.van-beek.nl

Precision handling National Bulk Equipment's (NBE) says its new automated bulk material handling system

provides a total process solution for moving highly fragile product through multiple process operations into bulk storage for temporary holding prior to final packaging.

At a process rate of 12,000 lbs per hour, dry bulk IBCs product are nested into a lift carriage; the container is then sealed to a custom-designed discharge hood. The unit is then vertically conveyed, using 1.5 ins, solid 304 stainless steel track and cam rollers, to a 23 f t discharge height. During tilting, optical sensors ensure a maximum product discharge drop distance of no more than 5 ins throughout the entire 150 deg rotation.

Additional material handling occurs as three stages of vibratory conveyor move the highly fragile product through two stages of high speed image processing and sorting to ensure the material maintains its original characteristics throughout processing. The finished processed product is then moved into a storage container using a reverse tilt fill method to ensure once more that the fragile product drop does not exceed 5 ins during filling.

The final take-away conveyor section includes an integrated, NTEP-certified weigh system to ensure the filled tote weight is accurate to +/- .01 percent of the container's 4,000 lbs capacity. www.nbe-inc.com

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The Dino bulk truck loader - n o w even smarter