Tipper Warning System

Application

At the end of 2018, Rio Tinto approached Custom Fluidpower to develop a solution to increase the safety of tipper truck drivers. They wanted a system to warn the tipper driver if the bucket was not fully lowered after tipping the load.

Our solution has since been nominated for the finals of the WA Government Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety Work Health and Safety Excellence Awards in the Safety Invention of the Year category. As well, this solution may be made compulsory for all similar mining vehicles in the state.

Solution

We proposed a system designed to warn a tipper truck operator in case they attempt to drive the vehicle with the body raised. This sytem made use of an inductive proximity switch, signal from the brake pedal, a siren, and a Danfos controller to warn the driver. If the driver lifts their foot from the brake while the bucket is raised, the siren will sound to alert them.

There is a button on the dash is used to verify the operation of the siren and LED without having to raise the body. The button is logically in parallel with a proximity switch on the body, so if the button is pushed and the brake pedal is released then the siren will sound and the LED will turn red. The siren will also sound briefly when the vehicle is turned on each shift to verify correct operation.

Key Features

• Inductive Proximity Switch
• Signal from the brake pedal
• A siren
• Danfoss programmable controller
• Both sirens and LEDs will flash on system start-up to ensure correct operation