There is a laser installed in the conveyor belt room of the power plant I work for to record the distance of a tripper car along the path of the conveyor belt. I need the distance to be as accurate as possible because the tripper car has to use this distance to determine where to dump the coal. The problem is at more than 400ft the laser doesnt read the right distance. I know that dust plays a factor in the error, but I also think the problem has to do with the relection surface. I am using reflective tape and a few bicycle reflectors, but it isn't helping. Can anyone suggest a better way to reflect the laser?

Thanks.

 

Try using a mirror.

You will find that if you have high concentrations of dust you will always have issue with measurement. However, maybe the mirror could assist you!

 

Can you use two laser distance sensors, with one where it is mounted now (#1), and another at the other end of travel (#2)? If the tipper car moves too far away from sensor #1 then it'll be within sensor #2's usable range.

 

Good luck trying to align the mirror. Talk to the guy you bought the sensor from about a better reflector, preferably a large one. If your sensor has a visible light sighting laser, use it to see what the alignment of the track is like so you know if you have the laser pointed correctly (and if the track is straight enough for the laser to point at it at all times).

 

You might want to try a white glossy reflective plastic sheet. It doesn't have to be large since a laser point stays virtually the same. As long as you can target it with a scope it should work fine.

 

Don't know whose laser you are using, but Optech out of Canada makes one that does well in a dusty environment.

L.Kolbert