Safety and reliability in reverse: Herga 6240 footswitch provides anti-collision override function on quarry vehicles

Application Note:

Variohm EuroSensor:  Ogden Safety Systems Ltd design and manufacture radar based collision avoidance systems for on and off-highway vehicles that range from refuse collection trucks to heavy-duty wheeled quarry and mining equipment. Characterised by the elimination of unwanted alarms, these console-controlled programmable devices utilise Ogden’s continuous wave multi beam radar that allows on-site set-up that exactly suits the application – essentially maintaining a precise detection zone with three individual but connected areas that are monitored and, via a CANbus networked machine interface, trigger various warnings and alarms such as the switching the vehicles’ reversing camera for the first stage to applying the brakes for the third stage.

For its VMS system (Quarry Vehicle Auto Braking System), which is typically used on vehicles operating in the most harsh and challenging environments, Ogden Safety Systems has chosen Herga Technology’s 6240 electric footswitch to control a temporary automatic braking override function where for instance the vehicle needs to be parked close to an object that is normally within the braking zone. The footswitch is mounted inside the vehicle cab and is actually used as a hand operated button by the driver to actuate a controlled period of auto braking relief. This allows the necessary movement without compromising safety.

The Herga 6240 is well suited to arduous environments and carries an EN 60529 IP67 rating with IP68 on request. The 24V DC footswitch is available in current ratings up to 3A and with SPST normally open or closed operation as well as SPCO. A wide choice of mounting options include various button and base colours, cable lengths from 2 m to 10 m and several cordsets with IP40, IP67 and IP68 ratings.

Whilst the Herga 6240 switch is electrical, air switch and bellows version are also available in a similar form, and Ogden have used these switch types in previous iterations of its VMS system – Ogden have been a Herga customer for more than 25 years.

Aidan Beasley, Technical Director of Ogden Safety Systems is very pleased with the performance of Herga products over time, “The Herga 6240 switch has been thoroughly used in our VMS automatic braking systems for quarry and mining vehicles - mostly on wheeled loaders. It's generally a very harsh environment and the Herga foot switch has proven to be suitably fit for purpose.”

Herga Technology, a part of the Variohm Holdings Group, manufacturers a comprehensive range of electrically, pneumatically, infra-red and Bluetooth actuated foot and hand switching controls in standard or custom designs that meet a wide range of international approvals including IEC/UL 60601. Applications include industrial and medical switching across many varying markets and types of equipment.