Hirschmann MCS launches a new magnetic sensor to comply with SOLAS requirements
10 June 2016Hirschmann MCS has launched the new magnetic fSENS MLS force sensor to comply with the new requirement of the International Convention for the safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). Under SOLAS, shippers need to verify the gross mass of each container before removing it from the terminal.
The new magnetic sensor can weigh containers by indirectly measuring the force they apply to the twist lock during loading. The company says that this new approach can deliver many benefits and can be flexibly implemented no matter whether you use an RTG, RMG or STS crane, a reach stacker, or a straddle carrier.
The system can be quickly and easily integrated into existing material-handling processes. It also eliminates the need to laboriously add up individual weights.
The fSENS MLS is installed above the twistlock bush, surrounding the twistlock without actually touching it. The twistlock stretches when a load is applied, then contracts to its initial state when unloaded. The sensor generates a magnetic field that is altered by the stretching of the twistlock, and the sensor calculates the force by measuring this change. Weights can be accurately determined within a tolerance of less than one percent. The contactless measurement approach also reliably prevents zero drift when weighing heavier loads. The fSENS MLS is a robust product with a long service life, the company says, because the sensor itself is not directly subjected to any forces.
