Ian Johnston

Pfannenberg Announces M12 Compatible Audible and Visual Signaling Solutions

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Our full product range of M12 compatible audible and visual signaling products are now available. The latest addition of M12 connectable INTENSE BR50 Stacklights makes us the only North American provider to offer a full suite of M12 ready signaling solutions.

Fast Installation

M12 technology removes the need for an electrician or electrical installer to wire the device as the connections and DIP switches are already made. A traditional install may take an expert 5-10 minutes per device, while an M12 connection can be made in 30 seconds with no electrical expertise. This makes installation significantly faster and less costly for the customer. And, since the device does not have to be opened during installation, wiring and connection errors are avoided, resulting in increased machine and plant safety. Finally, the connection can easily be undone which means power does not need to be turned off to the system to perform maintenance, saving time and money

Plug and Play

With the addition of an M12 cordset, our signaling devices become plug and play ready for low voltage, 12 volts DC or 24 volts DC, applications. All our M12 compatible signaling devices are pre-assembled and wired for quick installation.  Simply mount the device to your machine and plug in your M12 wire connection. Our M12 connectors offer Pin compatibility and flexibility allowing the devices to be set up to suit the precise signaling needs of the customer.

M12 Compatible Signaling Devices

Our full range of M12 compatible audible and visual alarms include the PATROL series sounders, PYRA flashing and LED lights, combined devices with flashing light and sounder, and INTENSE BR50 stacklights. For PATROL and PYRA sounders and flashing lights, the M12 connections are all 4-Pin while the BR50 stacklights are 8-Pin connections. The PATROL sounders and combined audible devices offer 4 tones in the M12 compatible versions with 80 tones to choose from. The combination devices also offer multiple tones, colors, and frequency modes for each device. The BR50 M12 devices control each individual module stack.

 

For more information about Pfannenberg’s full suite of M12 compatible audible and visual signaling solutions, visit: https://www.pfannenbergusa.com/signaling-technologies/specialty-signaling-devices/m12/.

Ian Johnston

Innovative Audible & Visual Solution Optimizes Safety in Large-Scale Plants

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Industrial Concepts partners with Pfannenberg to create an innovative wireless audible & visual alarm safety solution.

Overview

Industrial Concepts, Inc. of South Carolina has partnered with Pfannenberg USA, a leading manufacturer of thermal management and audible/visual alarms, to develop an innovative signaling solution for large-scale plants. This fully wireless solution uses Pfannenberg’s audible and visual alarms to integrate into existing automated alert systems. The elimination of plant-wide re-wiring means lower costs upon installation as well as in future maintenance.

The Need for an Innovative Solution

A global food company needed a new employee notification system for a large, existing processing plant and turned to Industrial Concepts, Inc. for an innovative solution. Industrial Concepts paired a wireless Hitachi (ABB) radio with visual and audible alarms from Pfannenberg to deliver a flexible, effective system with up to a 60% cost savings over traditional methods. This new system ensures all plant employees are alerted to chemical, weather, active shooter, or fire situations with both visual and audible warnings.

When initiating the project, the new system needed to integrate with the existing fire system while minimizing the retrofit cost. It was quickly identified that wiring a million square foot facility to provide adequate coverage to all the staff was a major roadblock. So Industrial Concepts paired the wireless Hitachi 900 MHz radio with Pfannenberg’s easy to install, Patrol PA 20 Sounder to develop a wireless solution, eliminating a complete re-wiring.

A prototype was created using wireless radios primarily found in the oilfield drilling industry, because of their ability to provide great radio signal penetration through buildings, concrete walls, and other physical barriers. These radios were paired with Pfannenberg’s customizable PA 20 Sounders that provide up to 80 different alarm tones at a 120 dB sound pressure level. Using this prototype, the plant was surveyed by specialists, checking wireless signals and audible sound levels throughout the entirety of the space.

To satisfy the visual alarm requirements, initially a 24-48 LED light bar was added because the display color could change depending on the emergency, however it was determined that this LED option was too soft a light and not ideal for this application.

Iterating the Solution

Industrial Concepts determined using four-color light panels (compared to one light with four combinations) would be more beneficial for large, loud environments. This proved to be a fitting solution, and the current hardware of this audible and visual alarm system utilizes the Pfannenberg PA 20 Sounder and the four-color combined PYRA PY X-S strobes.

The strobes enabled more perceptible light reflections and higher visibility throughout the plant. Compared to the LEDs, which catch attention if you’re looking in their direction, the strobe effect provides a flash that bounces off equipment and walls. This demands the attention of plant personnel, even if they’re not looking directly at the lights. The PY X-S strobe uses Pfannenberg-exclusive xenon flash technology, operating at 60 flashes per minute, and has an 8 million flash service life, functioning in any climate.

Situational light differentiation is as follows:

  • Chemical alert – Yellow
  • Weather alert – Blue
  • Active Shooter alert – Red
  • Fire alert – White

To prevent confusion with the existing fire alarm strobes, this color sequencing above was used.

Each alarm event has a different horn tone to provide further situational information. In a plant where workers may speak many different languages, having a voice-over through the speaker system isn’t as beneficial or inclusive. This solution was initially developed for meat processing facilities, where background noise can get up to 110 dB. Pfannenberg’s 120 dB sounders are used to ensure the alarm cuts through that noise.

To handle the intelligence side of the solution Industrial Concepts uses an ABB Compact 800 System. This enables the distribution of alerts based on the situation and allows the plant to have more control over the dissemination of information, only alerting who is necessary. With more specified alerts, plants can diminish the number of evacuations for each emergency, resulting in less down time.

This radio, strobe, and horn combination is the solution Industrial Concepts continues to put out today. This Pfannnenberg enabled solution allowed Industrial Concepts to take advantage of the readily available infrastructure and it is extremely flexible to each plant.

In-plant Processes

This specific system requires manual operation, but its flexibility allows it to be integrated with other automated systems. For example, integrating a fire system into the Industrial Concepts system allows both systems to be activated by a single manual switch. Another installation example featured integration of a company’s automated chemical detection system with the Industrial Concepts system.

System interface process panels are housed in designated areas throughout the plants and feature touch screen switches. Most plants have security guards who can activate the system at any time, but if any personnel witness an emergency situation, they can activate the system as well.

Each plant determines its own rules, but generally if someone sets the system off, an employee at the supervisory level must reset it. This ensures important data, such as alert location, isn’t lost. Each area of the plant has an alphanumeric designation, so Industrial Concepts can determine where signals come from and log them.

Benefits of the Signaling Alarm Solution

Efficacy, flexibility, and lower cost are all key benefits of the signaling solution. The combination of strobe lights and the sheer variety of alarm tones make for impactful alerting and messaging, demanding employee attention and providing key information despite potential language barriers. The radios that are used in the system are typically for heavy use applications and therefore offer the utmost reliability. These radios are fully adjustable, meaning the amplitude can be altered to work on a narrower spectrum. The system enclosures that protect the radios and other electronics to the signaling devices are TYPE 4X UL Certified to ensure Washdown capabilities, making them functional in any environment.

With a fully wireless system, plants can save hundreds of thousands of feet in wiring. Industrial Concepts branches into local power circuits and has developed systems to maintain power, even in the face of total power loss. It is 3-4x more costly to use a hard-wired system. For any industry or plant with high volumes of people and noise, finding an efficient and cost-reductive way to notify them can prove to be difficult. This is a solution that’s especially inexpensive for larger sites. Plus, while OSHA requires 15 minutes of run time for emergency systems, this system offers 2-3 hours of uptime even when power is not available.

For plants with a fiber optic infrastructure in place, it’s possible to build the same system with a combination of wireless and fiber infrastructure. In these cases, the same horns and lights are utilized, but with fewer radios. Spare fiber optic strands that are not in use for any other purpose get repurposed to a dedicated Industrial Concepts network.

The system is designed for easy installation by any qualified electrical contractor.

All installations and solutions are customized to the specific needs of the site. Site surveys are conducted to determine the best signaling solution for the clients.

 

Interested to learn more?   Contact our Business Developement Manager for Audible and Visual Alarms @ ari.freund@pfannenbergusa.com  Or  Ask us a question here.

 

 

Susanne Kuhn

New Signal Tower Technology and Designs Means One Size Can Fit All Applications

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By Jacob Vernon, Production Manager, Pfannenberg

With the advent of new signal tower technology and designs, state-of-the-art signal towers (aka stack lights) are now bright enough to fit all applications and environments. That makes it easier to order signal towers and reduces the number of spare parts needed.

The new generation of signal towers eliminates configuring, ordering, and stocking difficulties users previously faced because of the proliferation of different sizes and options to meet the wide range of applications.

Typical Signal Tower Lights and Alarms

Signal towers, like the INTENSE BR50 Stacklights, can contain up to five lights of different colors (red, amber, yellow, green, blue, and white), with each color signifying a particular status, warning, or alarm.

Lights in each category may blink continuously or intermittently to indicate a more urgent condition and to attract more attention. The signal tower may also include audible warning/alarming signals.

Application Affects Tower Number and Type of Lights

Stack towers are used in a wide variety of applications, which may affect the number and color of lights used. Examples include machine warning indication and machine fault management; productivity monitoring, for example rate-based machine output management with displays counting parts per hour or parts per shift and equipment effectiveness and productivity; and as warnings and alarms signifying hazardous chemical levels.

Advantages of New Generation of Stack Lights

A new generation of stack lights replaces incandescent bulbs with LED elements that can be 10,000 percent brighter, making them much more visible and better at capturing attention in all indoor and outdoor ambient light conditions.

LEDs also last much longer than incandescent bulbs. While incandescent bulbs typically are rated at a lamp life of only 2500 hours under ideal conditions, LED elements last for at least 50,000 hours. Moreover, LEDs are not as vulnerable to vibration and shock as incandescent bulbs, generate less heat, and consume much less electrical power.

The Size Advantage

Perhaps the most significant advantage of this new generation of stack lights is the LED’s smaller size. Some stack tower lights with incandescent bulbs feature diameters of up to 4 inches (100 mm), while state-of-the-art LED stack towers have lenses with half the diameter – even though the systems are much brighter.

One-Size-Fits-All Makes for Easier Ordering and Inventory

Selecting the right size and figuring out all required parts results in a complicated ordering process because incandescent bulb and lens sizes vary greatly depending on the application or environment’s luminosity requirements. This makes maintaining spare parts costly and burdensome.

The new state-of-the-art LED signal towers are bright enough so that one-size-fits-all, or nearly all, applications. That makes it much simpler to figure out what is needed for each application, and maintaining inventory is much cheaper and easier.

Signaling towers are a simple and effective solution for a wide variety of applications. New technology now makes them easier to order, install, and maintain.

Susanne Kuhn

National Safety Month: Safety Starts with Understanding the Situation

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Marine Vienney

Innovative Signaling Technology Delivers Benefits for Building Access Control and Beyond

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Building access control solutions have emerged as some of the key measures for making public spaces safer during the COVID-19 pandemic. With combinations of cameras and signaling devices, these building access control solutions can detect and alert users to high temperatures, overcrowding, and more.

These solutions might regulate the number of people inside a public building, confirm proper face covering usage, or check temperatures to exclude people with fevers from public spaces. Solutions such as these could easily be prohibitively costly, though, or too complicated for easy implementation.

Pfannenberg, a global leader in signaling technology, has been helping customers to put its PYRA L-S LED visual signaling device to work in such building access control systems to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus for most of the last year. The PYRA L-S can be paired with any camera with closed contact output capacity. For example, a temperature sensing camera may have a software that allows it to be programmed to create an output signal voltage if the scanned temperature is higher than, say, 101ºF. (Read here the article about our partnership with G2K for combined use of Signaling Devices and Thermal Imaging cameras)

PYRA LED: Most flexible and ultra bright LED technology

Pyra L-S-RGB

PYRA L-S LED visual signaling devices are low current consumption, plug-and-play, easy to use device that can adapt for use in a wide range of critical conditions. Pfannenberg’s history of working with industrial process control solutions has prepared us to pivot quickly to meet this emerging need; after all, the technology is much the same, just being put to a new use.

Other aspects of the device’s installation and use prove to bring important benefits in the emerging space of building access control for COVID-19 and beyond. The PYRA L-S can be installed easily, either mounted on surfaces or built in to buildings or devices.

That fast and easy installation means that companies and organizations don’t need to wait to put new building access control technology to use. With fewer components thanks to its direct control by camera systems, and plug-and-play design, it’s more cost-effective than complicated signaling technology, and yet still has enough flexibility to convey a number of signals of varying criticality.

Marine Vienney

NEW PYRA® LED Alarms: Flexible Enough for Use in Any Signaling Application

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Pfannenberg’s New PYRA® product line of LED Visible Signaling Devices is the most flexible and brightest LED signaling technology on the market! Built with durable construction for industries such as heavy industry, material handling, gas detection & security applications, the PYRA LED series is appropriate for use wherever visible signaling is needed.

INVISIBLE FIT

Capable of being fully integrated into the design of any given machine or plant, the PYRA LED alarms can be configured with different modes (steady-on, blinking, and flashing), the frequency of which can be controlled by the user as well. These visual signaling devices also feature an external color and mode control, which allows users to select the signaling mode and the color via remote control, and to display different configurations for different alerts with just one light. The product line also features a multi-voltage power supply to ensure numerous possible connections and applications.

MAKE THE PYRA® LED FIT YOUR NEEDS!

Four different options are available within the product line:

Single or Multi color (RGB) LED lights: PY L-S and PY L-S RGB

Pyra L-S group

The single lights allow changes to signaling and frequency modes, while the RGB lights have the added flexibility of changing the signal color as well. This Signaling Device offers a 180° x 360° visible field and operates in any climate. Can be surface or flush-panel mounted.

Learn more

 

LED Traffic Lights: PY L-S TL

 

These LED traffic lights are available pre-assembled or as individual modules to be assembled by the end user according to his needs – with or without a  sounder! Select between a 2 or 3-stages traffic light only or combine it additionally with a PA1 sounder.

Learn more

 

 

Single LED RGB light + PATROL Sounder Combination: PA L 1

 

The pre-assembled, compact, and multi functional single light/PATROL sounder combination delivers the greatest flexibility and ease of use in a convenient, pre-assembled design.

Learn More

 

Watch the PYRA LED-Series Presentation Video Now!

 

For more information about the highly adaptable PYRA line of Visible Signaling Devices, visit https://www.pfannenbergusa.com/the-pyra-led-s-series/

Marine Vienney

Audible and Visual Signaling Technology Mitigates Risks in Outdoor Crane Applications

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Safety equipment, and particularly signals, are an integral part of outdoor overhead crane operations. In outdoor applications, where wind and weathering pose significant risks over time, these signals are particularly important and must be both flexible and reliable in the long term. Audible and visual signaling technology, such as the combined PYRA L-S and PA1 signals from Pfannenberg, can alert operators and others in the vicinity of cranes to dangerous or concerning conditions.

Outdoor Cranes Safety Risks

Required in applications such as building, installing large-scale HVAC equipment, shipping, transportation, and more, outdoor cranes pose significant safety risks to workers onsite and passersby.

As a result, OSHA regulations regarding crane safety are strict, and some municipalities, like New York City, have implemented further safety restrictions to prevent outdoor overhead crane accidents. There are three main categories of risk associated with outdoor overhead cranes: wind, movement, and load.

Using Industrial Signals to Mitigate Risks

Signaling technology can be used to mitigate risk from all three of these categories. For example, signals rigged to a wind anemometer could alarm when wind speeds exceed safe operating conditions. Those wired to a thermostat in the electronic controls could signal overheating and avoid hoist brake failure. Alarms can also notify operators of exceeding maximum load capacity, electronics failures, or other dangerous conditions. On the other hand, a steady-on green light could signal that a crane is safe and ready for operation.

Pfannenberg, a global leader in signaling technology, has developed a combined audible-visual signaler that meets all these needs and more. By combining an LED visual signal with the capacity to stay on steadily, blink, or flash in multiple different colors with a loud audible signal, the Pfannenberg PYRA L-S and PA1 signaling combination gives crane manufacturers the ability to make all of these different safety features accessible to crane operators and nearby workers.

For more information about Pfannenberg’s one-size-fits-all outdoor crane safety solution, check out our Crane PDF or contact our Signaling Specialists today!

Marine Vienney

Pfannenberg cooperates with G2K to provide safety solutions in the fight against COVID-19

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AI-based data management for access control of production sites and supply chains.

Due to the high risk of infection with COVID-19, production plants are threatened with the failure of entire production lines as well as the destruction of finished products through infection, or simply suspicion. This can quickly lead to huge economic damage and loss of reputation for society as a whole. An effective method of preventing a breakdown and possible economic damage is secure access control for employees, suppliers and service technicians.

Prevent production downtime safely with COVID-19

The software manufacturer G2K has developed a platform that monitors access control by, among other things, thermal camera-based body temperature measurements and algorithm-based analysis of video streams. If a camera or a sensor detects any sign when an area is entered, such as fever symptoms or the lack of wearing a face mask, the multicolour LED light from Pfannenberg functions like a traffic light: a red signal indicates that access is denied, whereas a green signal indicates that no irregularities have been detected and access is granted.

G2K relies on RGB LED light from Pfannenberg

The advantages of an RGB light are obvious: several colours can be displayed by just one device. In addition, the PYRA® LED RGB not only offers various installation options, but can also be installed quickly thanks to cable entries on all sides thanks to its Plug&Play system. A high IP protection allows its use in almost every application, but especially in the field of access control. The essential advantage of this Signaling LED Solution is the option for direct control via the alarm output of the camera, this considerably reduces the number of system components and leads to a cost-efficient solution. Users can choose between different signaling modes and high performance and visibility, even in daylight, is always guaranteed thanks to the ultra-bright LED technology.

Faster, more hygienic and more accurate than manual actions

This technology is a market-ready option for real-time detection of symptoms of fever, congestion or lack of facial coverage. As a result, access processes are monitored more quickly, hygienically and accurately than with purely manual measurements.

Access criteria and measures individually adjustable

Users can individually determine which access criteria are measured or which ones grant or deny access: For example, it is possible to measure fever values, check whether a mouth-nose mask is worn or even set a capacity limit on persons.

In the event of an alarm, efficient and targeted reactions such as refusal of admission in the event of overcrowding can be implemented by means of automated lists of measures.

A connection to the HR system is also possible in order to obtain a real-time overview of all relevant key figures and, for example, to trace chains of infection or take certain measures.

Any Questions? Contact our Signaling Experts Now!

Marine Vienney

PY L-S LED New Signaling Device to Assist in the Detection of Possible COVID-19 Infections

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This device is ideal for a combined use with thermal imaging to convey normal and irregular activity

As more and more organizations return to business as usual – or as close as is possible – in the next phase of the COVID-19 global health crisis, new health and safety measures are critically important. In many settings, from office buildings and commercial centers to schools and medical offices, infection detection technologies are a necessary component of safe reopening.

One such infection detection technology option is that of skin temperature sensing systems. Composed of a thermal imaging camera, computer or other control device, and, often, a signal for flagging elevated temperatures, these systems can help to identify individuals with elevated skin surface temperatures for further health screening. In doing so, the system is part of strategies for ensuring infection containment and community health and safety.

Pfannenberg has developed the PYRA L-S color changing LED visual signal alarm with four selectable colors, part of the PYRA product family, is an ideal addition to skin surface temperature monitoring systems for real-time people flow control and COVID-19 monitoring. In these systems, the signaling device can be incorporated to convey normal and irregular activity to alert operators to alarm conditions so that suitable next steps can be undertaken.

Useful in manufacturing facilities, office buildings, commercial centers, schools, medical centers, and many other settings, such monitoring systems can aid in ensuring infection containment and community health and safety through its color changing blinking and flashing mechanism.

The PY L-S LED Visual Signal Alarm offers flexible, ultra-bright, color changing or single-color LED technology in four selectable colors and three selectable signaling modes. It can be surface or flush-panel mounted, and is a suitable, easy-to-install replacement for stack tower lights. Its IP 66-rated enclosure makes it suitable for use in all weather conditions, and for withstanding hose-directed spray during wash-down procedures.

“With this kind of access control systems, which generally have to be retrofitted, it is important to make handling as simple, efficient and cost-effective as possible for users,” says Volker Matthies, Director Global Product Management Signaling Technology at Pfannenberg. “On the other hand, the solution must work precisely and safely to ensure the health of employees and customers on site.”

 

Contact our Signaling Experts today to get more info on this product!

 

Marine Vienney

Signaling Technology Ensures Safety in Crane & Hoist Applications

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Audible and visible signals reduce risk of dangerous, costly accidents

By Jacob Vernon, Signaling Specialist Audible & Visual Signaling, Pfannenberg

June is #NationalSafetyMonth, an opportunity to raise awareness about  significant dangers to technicians, operators, and other workers on the floor related the the use of crane hoists. To avoid accidents, it is imperative that everyone around knows that a crane and its load are nearby.

Audible and Visible Signals help to protect from these dangers, notifying those underneath or near a moving load so that they can take necessary precautions to avoid harm. Proper signals are thus critically important; inferior signals that are inaudible on the shop floor or not sufficiently visible can lead to dangerous and costly accidents.

In particular, combined visual and audible signaling devices  are recommended for overhead cranes for an immense added safety benefit to the user since shop conditions may prevent workers from either hearing or seeing a signal, but rarely prevent both.

Advantages of audible and visual signaling in overhead crane use

Combined visual and audible signaling devices in overhead crane settings can offer cost savings through two different avenues:

Reduced risk of harm to personnel: Signaling devices reduce risk to personnel by warning them of impending danger so that there are no deaths, injuries, or even lost time. This reduced risk, however, depends on the efficacy of a signaling device in a given application, based on its decibel and joules level.

Increased throughput of the factory floor: Signals can reduce the likelihood of crane downtime. Cutting-edge combination signaling devices are capable not only of warning personnel of a moving load, but also of using separate tones or lights to warn the operator of conditions that can cause downtime.

This can include collision avoidance, over-speed alarms, hoist break failure alarms, overload alarms, and over-temp of VHD alarms. These, in turn, save on costs, as businesses that use cranes to facilitate production rely on them to make them for revenue.

Selecting and installing the correct audible signal

When choosing an audible signal for an overhead crane application, it is important to ensure that the signal is the correct decibel level for the given application – able to be heard over machinery, but not so loud as to pose a risk to workers. Determining the correct audible signal decibel level is based on the application and area that the device will be used. Signals should be set at no less than +5dB above the application’s maximum sound pressure level; however, the ideal set point is +10dB above this sound pressure level for added safety.

For example, a steel mill might have hundreds of overhead cranes used for production and throughput of raw steel. It does not make sense to use the same signal on a crane in the blast furnace as the one that is used in a coil stacking yard, as having an audible signal with the kind of low decibel level that would suffice in the coil stacking yard would add even more risk to the already dangerous blast furnace area. Companies specializing in audible and visual signaling technology like Pfannenberg maintain extensive data to helps determine appropriate volume levels for signaling sounders in a wide range of different applications.

Once the decibel level of a sounder is determined, where to install the sounder is of next concern. Most often, signaling devices are mounted on the moving trolley or the bridge of the crane. Additionally, it is important to mount the cone of the sounder in the direction of the load the crane is carrying so the sound travels to those in the risk path.

Selecting and installing the correct visible signal

Next, of course, is determining the correct joules level for the combination signaling device’s visual signal. Sound decreases significantly over distance, and significantly louder-than-necessary audible signals can be startling or even dangerous to workers. Light, on the other hand, does not undergo the same kind of decrease in intensity over distance, and is not as obtrusive if overly intense in a given environment. Visible signaling devices are thus rated by distance, but adding power (and thus intensity and brightness) can only add to the signal’s safety factor and reduce personnel risk without causing inconvenience.

As with the audible signal, once the brightness level of a visible signal is determined, where to install the signal is the next important choice. Visible signaling devices are also usually mounted on the moving trolley or the bridge of the crane, and the pyramid shape of the strobe light should also be mounted in the direction of the load the crane is carrying to minimize risk.

Extreme environments demand specialized signaling equipment

Applications with extreme environments demand specialized signaling technology. Some signaling products, like the PATROL and PYRA series signaling devices from Pfannenberg, are designed for extreme high and low temperatures; these feature electronic board, digital sound capsule, and polycarbonate housing designs that enable them to be rated for use in -40ºF to +131ºF environments.

Meanwhile, Pfannenberg’s DS series sounders feature aluminum die-cast housings for use in areas up to +160ºF. In loud environments, these same PATROL and DS series devices offer exceptionally high sound pressure outputs of and the capacity to be volume controlled up to -12dB to fit each exact application.

 

Download Pfannenberg’s New Signaling Catalog for more info!