A leading manufacturer of cement had problems of cable breakage with their wagon loaders. Every 3-4 months one of the control cables would break which not only had to be repaired, but it also meant increased downtime, demurrages and thus reducing efficiency. Background: wagon loader is a machine used to place the packed cement bags into the wagon ready to be dispatched. The operator manoeuvres the machine using the push buttons on the front panel of the wagon loader and places the bags into the wagon at appropriate location. The push buttons operate the relays, which are located on the backside of the wagon loader. These push buttons move the machine forward, backwards in all x, y, and z directions. So, there are number of control signals [loading belt] running between push buttons and relays at the back of the machine. Due to frequent movement of the forward and backward motion of the loading belt, the cables fold and unfold so many times that they eventually break in 3-4 months. Additionally, there are also instances of wagon hitting the control cable and damaging the same. Solution: pyrotech offered them a solution using state-of-the-art wireless technology. With this solution all the control signals to the back of the panel are transmitted wirelessly through a remote in the hand of the operator. This system has been working fine and is estimated to save rs 2 lakhs [cables, downtime, demurrage] per annum on a single machine. Conclusion: wireless technology is making inroads into the industry and saving hundreds of thousands in cabling, labour, breakdowns, etc.
