Efficient Truck Navigation in the Limited Maneuvering Area

Frozen food specialist Ardo optimizes loading traffic and safety on the company premises with Turck's multiprotocol I/O module and programmable LED lights

As one of the leading frozen food manufacturers, Ardo operates 17 production sites in eight countries across Europe and supplies its markets with frozen vegetables, herbs and fruit. The company designed a new loading area in Koolskamp, Belgium, in order to prevent dangerous situations despite the constant arrival and departure of transport vehicles. Turck Multiprox developed a system for efficient truck navigation and access control in the limited maneuvering area.

The limited maneuvering space in the Ardo truck parking area requires smart access control
The WLS27 LED strip is waterproof and clearly visible even in daylight
Since the system was installed, there have been no more problems
The light points on the WLS27 LED strip visualize a timer that counts down the waiting time
The TBEN-S2-4IOL multiprotocol I/O module is the heart of the traffic control system
Bart Nollet, Ardo

With 17 sites in eight countries, the family-run company supplies its customers in the retail, food service and industrial sectors with high-quality frozen food via a global distribution network. A newly designed truck and employee parking lot between the access road to the company premises and the loading ramps presented the company with major challenges, as transport vehicles were continually driving in and out. This situation in a limited maneuvering area presents several risks such as collisions, obstructed access and delays, which could endanger not only smooth operations but also the safety of people.

There was therefore a need for arriving truck drivers to know in good time whether the site is already full and how long they will have to wait before they can enter. With drivers coming from different countries and often unable to communicate with each other or with the staff on site, the system had to be language-neutral.

Control, visualization and programming from a single source

“The Turck Multiprox team suggested using an LED strip light that counts down the time while the driver waits,” says Nollet. “Besides the hardware, the team also took care of the programming, which helped us a lot.” At the heart of the traffic control system is the compact TBEN-S2-4IOL multiprotocol I/O module for Ethernet with four IO-Link master channels. The module enables fast processing of data streams and thus precise and in-time control of the traffic flow.

Improved driver guidance thanks to programmable WLS27 LED lights

The programmable WLS27 LED light from Turck's optical sensor partner Banner Engineering displays the estimated waiting time. Thanks to its unbreakable, waterproof and UV-resistant copolyester casing with IP69K protection, it is perfect for outdoor use. At the barrier, it uses different colors and flashing patterns to show truck drivers when they can enter, regardless of their spoken language.

Flexibility and control intelligence through ARGEE programming environment

The web-based ARGEE programming environment is important for straightforward programming of the TBEN-S2-4IOL module. It adds logic functions to the multiprotocol I/O module to create a field logic controller that can be configured without complicated software installations and programming languages. This makes it possible to adapt the LED display to the requirements of the traffic control system.

Connection with the local parking guidance system

By communicating with the local Ardo parking guidance system, the TBEN-S2-4IOL receives real-time information about the occupancy of the loading ramps and the status of the barrier. This data on parking space occupancy enables the traffic control system to precisely control the WLS27 LED lights. Today, Turck's TBEN I/O module continuously records data on parking space availability and barrier status in order to indicate to the drivers of arriving trucks via light signals when they may enter or how long they have to wait. The opening of the barrier is also coordinated according to the availability of parking spaces. The simple integration of the local parking guidance system was a decisive factor in the overall efficiency of the new solution, which now makes delivery traffic at Ardo in Koolskamp much safer and more efficient.

“We are very satisfied with the Turck Multiprox solution,” Bart Nollet sums up. “Barely two months after we discussed the problem, the solution was ready for use thanks to the system engineers from Turck Multiprox. The fact that we have not heard a single comment from a foreign driver since then and not a single dangerous situation has arisen proves that the system works perfectly.”

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