In heavy-duty applications, such as the extensive conveyors found in gravel works and quarries, cabled signal transmission is not exactly ideal. The cables can become bent, crushed or otherwise damaged. And the risk of damage is higher over the long distances they often cover.
Under such conditions, wireless transmission has considerable advantages – for example for belt alignment switches and robust position switches. This is why the steute business division Controltec has upgraded many of its "Extreme" switchgear series to include a wireless option, and now offers complete solutions comprising a switching device plus wireless transmission plus receiver unit. This wireless system is long-range, and up to ten wireless switching devices can be operated in parallel within a single coverage area.
This product range now has a small, yet practical addition: an antenna developed for the requirements of outdoor use, which has already been tried and tested in extreme outdoor conditions.
Features of the new antenna include durable, anti-corrosive materials and a weatherproof design. It is simple to integrate in an existing construction, is suitable for multiple frequencies and permits stable data transmission with optimum signal range in the free field.
With its outdoor antenna, steute Controltec is aiming chiefly at applications in conveyor technology and the construction industry, as well as in recycling technology or the cargo handling and extraction industries. It can be used wherever outdoor heavy-duty wireless switching devices are preferable to cabled devices, and where wireless systems prove practicable for sending signals in complex environments. Here the outdoor antenna helps to ensure that signals are transmitted reliably and with full signal strength.