Sibelco Benelux has announced plans to install RadarEye systems onto all of its wheel loaders after a successful trial of the Orlaco technology.
RadarEye, which was originally introduced to the market in 2012, is a camera and monitor system that provides the vehicle operator with constant, real-time visual and detection information about his or her working environment. The technology is intended to improve the safety and efficiency of industrial vehicles and machinery.
Sibelco extracts and refines various types of sand and minerals for industrial use. Such operations typically involve multiple vehicles and construction professionals moving around often-dusty job sites, making safe vehicle operation particularly challenging.
Sibelco’s Hans Ophelders first noticed RadarEye during Amsterdam’s RAI trade show in 2012. It was at this point that he decided to trial the technology at the company’s Maasmechelen plant in Belgium.
“At that time, only one wheel loader at our new plant was equipped with a vision-testing system of another brand, which consisted of two ultrasonic sensors and three cameras,” Ophelders explained. “That system was good in its own right, but it had difficulty giving the loader operators a clear picture through the dusty, sandy environment we work in.”
Following the trade show, an Orlaco service team travelled to Sibelco’s Maasmechelen plant to install RadarEye onto one of its wheel loaders. The existing vision-testing system was left on the other wheel loader so that a comparison could be conducted.
“RadarEye came out on top because of its ease of use, clear onboard screen reception, and ability to ‘see’ clearly through the sand and dust,” said Ophelders. “At this moment, we are gradually installing RadarEye systems onto all our wheel loader trucks throughout the Benelux locations, because it seems to make a significant difference to our loader operations.”
This sentiment was echoed by Jos Denneman, a wheel loader operator with 25 years of experience at Sibelco, who said: “The RadarEye system is a solid, no-nonsense vision system that helps me get the job done. The real-time feedback I get on the large dashboard display is very sharp, and the built-in warning signals let me know what’s behind me when I’m backing up, and when to stop. All in all, it’s just a safer and more efficient way to work.”
