Gripping Stuff: Penny + Giles Supplies ICT Sensor for Ore Dumping Units

Christchurch, UK – 06 September 2012 – With regional support from its Australasian distributor Control Devices, Penny + Giles – a business unit of Curtiss-Wright Controls and designer and manufacturer of position sensors, solenoids, and joystick controllers – is supplying its ICT100 in-cylinder linear displacement transducers to Australian mining equipment specialist Parks Industries, who specialise in the manufacture, service and repair of hydraulic cylinders for use on fixed plant and mobile mining equipment.

Parks Industries was approached by a customer who was experiencing issues with its ore dumping units’ wheel gripping cylinders, which were proving unreliable and causing considerable unscheduled downtime.

As Parks Industries’ Dave Poulton explains, through the application of modern manufacturing methods, the use of higher grade materials and the introduction of Penny + Giles’ ICT technology, we were able to offer a completely redesigned wheel gripping cylinder that eliminated the key failure modes of the original cylinders and provided real-time feedback, part of the customer’s original concern.

To attain actual cylinder position, Parks Industries has fitted the Penny + Giles ICT100 within the dumping system’s mechanism. The output signal from the linear transducer is then fed directly into a PLC, where it is converted into the actual position of the cylinder. Providing real-time data on the position of the cylinder allows more accurate control of the cylinder motion – including acceleration and deceleration – to prevent the piston from hitting the end stops and stressing the actuator.

Additionally, using the PLC’s control interface, feedback from the ICT100 is also being used to trigger alarms, for example when minimum or maximum limits are achieved. It can also be used as a key component within a closed loop feedback system by moving the cylinder to specific stroke positions, which allows automated processes – such as ‘return-to-dig’ features – to be repeated by the control system.

“The use of ICT technology is not just limited to this particular dumping system.” says Dave. “By enabling us to control and understand what is happening at any given moment, it can be employed in similar cylinder-based applications to offer long term benefits for the lifespan of the cylinder.”

The ICT range of in-cylinder linear displacement transducers from Penny + Giles is ideal for the off-highway and utility vehicle market, where its robust construction suits the harsh conditions of hydro-pneumatic active suspension systems like this.

With a body diameter of 10mm and stroke lengths from 25mm to 2000mm, the Penny + Giles ICT100 provides reliable fit-and-forget position sensing of a cylinder rod system at pressures to 670 bar (10,000 psi). Two temperature range options are available: Option L operates from -55°C to +120°C and Option H from -20°C to +200°C, which Penny + Giles claims is the first transducer of its kind capable of withstanding these temperatures while offering a cost-effective, high-performance solution.

Using established contactless sensing technology, the ICT range is stable in extreme environments, has a virtually infinite resolution and offers an almost limitless life with no electrical sliding contacts that cause wear over time.

Control Devices is Australasia's leading supplier of industrial, aerospace and defence components and has offices in Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and Thailand.

About Curtiss-Wright Controls Industrial, Penny + Giles:
Penny Giles is a global leader in the design and manufacture of specialist position sensors, solenoids and control hardware for industrial and defence markets. Headquartered in Christchurch, Dorset, United Kingdom, Penny Giles is part of Curtiss-Wright Controls Avionics & Industrial, a business unit of Curtiss-Wright Controls, Inc. For more information visit www.pennyandgiles.com.

About Curtiss-Wright Controls, Inc.:
Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, Curtiss-Wright Controls is the Motion Control segment of Curtiss-Wright Corporation and a leading designer and manufacturer of advanced technologies for niche actuation and drive applications, integrated sensors and electronic subsystems internationally for the aerospace and defense markets. For more information, visit www.cwcontrols.com.