SIKO has introduced smart sensors to enable forklifts to exactly measure the angle, height, tilt and speed, while at the same time meeting safety requirements. The products include wire-actuated encoders, angle sensors and tilt sensors.
Newly redundant wire actuated encoders have been introduced in the forklifts and AGV systems to make them more reliable in measuring the height of the lift mast. The SIKO wire actuated encoders SG32, SG42 and SG62 offer this improved safety by means of a special and complete redundant sensor technology, which is employed to measure the absolute position. Two completely separate sensor systems measure the absolute position and give it out separately as analog signals. With a measuring range between 3m and 6m, these wire actuated encoders are suited for measuring the absolute height of the lift mast on driverless transport systems. For forklifts, versions for up to 15m are available.
For vehicles that cannot be installed with a wire actuated encoder for design reasons, SIKO offers the incremental IG-O encoder. The encoder is integrated in a toothed belt wheel and can as a result be installed within a very small space. The existing gear belt can be used in combination with the IG-O encoder on the lift mast, in order to measure the height of the lift mast.
The AH25S angle sensor has been designed specifically for measuring the steering angle on driverless transport systems. An exact miniature angle sensor with a blind-hole hollow shaft was developed in close collaboration with customers. The precision sensing gives absolute measurements over 360° with a resolution of 12 bits and gives the angle position over the analog interface with no time delay.
In order to reliably detect the tilt angle of the lift mast, as well as the whole vehicle, SIKO offers two inclinometers with its tilt angle sensors, IK360 and IK360L. The fully enclosed tilt angle sensors, with their high IP69K protection rating, are available in two precision variants (0.1° as well as 0.5°). Both sensors are available as a single-axis variant (0..360°) or a two-axis variant (+/- 80°).
