PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE IN AUTOMATION OF CAR SCALES Текст научной статьи по специальности «Компьютерные и информационные науки»

УДК 21474

Konakbayev O.B.

L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University (Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan)

Mizamova K.I.

Acting Associate Professor at ITF ENU L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University (Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan)

PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE IN AUTOMATION OF CAR SCALES

Annotation: the article discusses various aspects of weighing automation based on the experience of implementing the Automarshal. Weight hardware and software complex developed by Mullenom Systems LLC. This solution was installed at several dozen enterprises from different industries (chemical industry, oil refining, fertilizer production, solid waste landfills, agricultural sector, etc.), which allowed us to accumulate experience in creating systems of different levels of complexity.

Key Words: vehicle scales, automation, video cameras, barrier, traffic light, weight accounting software, workstation, cargo weighing.

INTRODUCTION

Automation of truck scales is gradually ceasing to be the prerogative of especially large enterprises with a large traffic flow and is increasingly being used in small and medium-sized industries. The peculiarity of such technical solutions is that they are at the intersection of ACS technologies, video surveillance, information systems and access control systems, in connection with which it is not easy even for an experienced engineer to deal with such a task. Therefore, in this article I would like to share a general methodology for the development of technical solutions for the automation of scales, as well as some aspects of the implementation of such projects.

This will help the specialists of enterprises, which are faced with the task of optimizing the weighing process on truck scales, to more systematically and comprehensively approach the solution of this problem.

An example of a weight control section using the system "Automarshal.Weight":

1 - computer with software "Automarshal.Weight";

2 - cabinet "Automarshal.Weight ";

3 - video cameras for recognition;

4 - traffic lights;

5 - LED spotlights;

6 - sensors for monitoring the position of the car on the scales;

7 - barriers;

8 - car body video camera

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Fig. 1

WHO REALLY NEEDS SCALE AUTOMATION?

Automation of the weighing process on truck scales is a complex of hardware and software (Fig. 1) that provide automation of routine processes that were previously performed by the operator manually:

• entering the weight into the software reading (software) and database, net calculation;

• reading the vehicle number and entering it manually;

• control of the position of the car on the scales;

• traffic control through scales, etc.

In practice, enterprises most often want to automate the weighing procedure on truck scales in order to avoid the following problems:

• the possibility of making mistakes by the operator of the scales, especially when recording the readings of the scales "under a pencil";

• the possibility of abuse by personnel during the shipment or acceptance of goods;

• lack of digital documentation of the weighing process and, as a consequence, the complexity of handling claims with counterparties;

• unnecessary labor costs for the process of shipment or acceptance of goods;

• insufficient throughput of the scales, which is typical for enterprises associated with seasonal cycles (agricultural sector, etc.);

• disordered process of transport movement through the scales.

We also denote the cases when scale automation is either redundant or of little

use:

• there is very little car traffic through the scales;

• insignificant cost of operator errors;

• scales portable (underlay) or axle static.

So, if automation is really required, then as a first step, you need a design stage in one form or another, since we are dealing with a complex modular system, the

composition and behavior of which can be very different depending on the implementation object.

STEP 1. DEFINITION OF GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Often, the client begins to understand what he wants from the implemented technical solution (no matter which one), only as it is used. This is a sure sign that initially he did not have an understanding of the end result, including the task was not described in the form of a script.

A fairly common mistaken approach is to start with the hardware configuration, choosing how many cameras, traffic lights, and barriers will work on the scales. The first result of this surface-based approach: the project will take longer than planned. The second negative result: extra budget will be spent, including on unnecessary components (for example, it is often necessary to convince customers that barriers are not needed in their case).

It should be assumed that the hardware part is a consequence of the purpose of the system and the mode in which it will be operated.

We recommend this technique: first, formulate the final result, answering the question of what kind of reports the system should provide at the output, which of them will go to the director's desk. Examples of such reports include:

• At the end of each month, a report is needed: how much cargo was shipped through the scales to each contractor (for the company's logisticians);

• A weekly report is needed on how many products were shipped by their own transport, and how many were taken out by other people's vehicles (for the security service of the enterprise).

First, it will make it possible to determine the requirements for the software -no matter how advanced it may be, in reality there may be situations that it does not cover. Then you need to involve programmers.

Secondly, this will make it possible to clarify the mode of operation of the weighing machine, the role of the operator and, as a consequence, the composition of the equipment.

Thirdly, thanks to this, it will be possible to identify issues related to the integration of the automation weighing system "Automarshal. Weight" with related information systems, to understand what the information exchange will be, as well as what is the role of individual employees in it.

For example, reports on the types of cargo are required (let's say that the company ships products of different types) - therefore, each weighing must be accompanied by data on the type of cargo in the car. A choice arises - to enter these data into the Automarshal.Weight system on the scales manually (by the scale operator) or at a higher level (in 1C, SAP, etc.). And the result of this choice already determines the need for the operator to be present on the scales, the operating mode of the scales and the composition of the equipment.

STEP 2. DRAWING A WEIGHING SCENARIO

The next step is to draw up a weighing scenario, that is, a step-by-step description of the weighing process on the scales. There can be a lot of various scenarios for the operation of truck scales, but all of them can be grouped into three categories depending on the involvement of a person in the weighing process:

• fully automatic weighing, without operator participation;

• semi-automatic weighing with periodic involvement of the operator, but without the need for his direct participation in each weighing;

• manual process - the operator is involved at every weighing.

The possibility of organizing fully automatic weighing depends both on the goals of automation of the scales, and on organizational and technical restrictions, including the place of exchange of documents with drivers (on the scales or elsewhere) and the ownership of the fleet of cars arriving at the scales (owned by the enterprise or not).

Fulfillment of both conditions makes it possible to equip all vehicles with radio-frequency identification (RFID), giving close to 100% identification probability, and to carry out fully automatic weighing by controlling the movement of vehicles (TC) using traffic lights.

Otherwise, it remains necessary to involve the operator in the weighing process, although he can be located at a distance from the scales.

Semi-automatic weighing is possible when the fleet of cars is foreign, but at the same time it is not required to involve an operator in each weighing (there is no document check, axle weighing, etc.). In this case, vehicles can be identified using optical plate recognition. If the license plate is not recognized, the operator can make corrections immediately or later. The car, after waiting for the stabilization of the weight and the permission signal of the traffic light, immediately leaves.

The manual process is used when weighing is associated with the process of paperwork, vehicle inspection and other actions involving a person. At the same time, individual routine elements of the process can be automated, for example, organizing the sequence of traffic using a traffic light or controlling access to scales according to the "white list" of license plates using a barrier.

Taking into account the above, a step-by-step weighing scenario is drawn up. The more detailed the script is, the more accurately and accurately the composition and location of the equipment will be chosen.

Suppose, first of all, access control is carried out, that is, some cars may be denied entry to the scales and weighing. This means that the license plate must be recognized when approaching the scale. Hence the cameras must point outward. Having determined the location of the cameras for license plate recognition, we also simultaneously decide whether additional cameras are required for photographing the car at the time of weighing (for monitoring the position on the scales, analyzing controversial situations, Fig. 2). Thus, each stage of weighing is worked out.

FIG. 2.

An example of the arrangement of cameras directed towards the inside of the balance

FIG. 3.

An example of installation of traffic lights and scoreboards as part of the Avtomarshal.Weight agro-industrial complex

STEP 3. FORMATION OF EQUIPMENT SET

As has already become clear, the composition of the equipment is a direct consequence of the weighing scenario. Generally speaking, it is possible to combine the creation of a scenario and the creation of a set of equipment in one step. Although,

within the framework of a systematic approach, you should first write a general scenario, and then supplement it with details related to the equipment. Here we will consider the list of equipment items not from the point of view of the scenario, but from the point of view of functionality - in which cases this or that component (option) is really needed and useful and its purchase will not be a waste of money.

Let's start with vehicle identification tools, since this is one of the main routine operations that it makes sense to automate. Vehicle identification automation tools can be divided into three groups:

• Optical recognition of license plates. It is the most flexible tool and will suit most tasks. Its only significant drawback is not a 100% recognition probability - usually it is 90-98%, depending on the condition of the license plates, subject to the correct optical scheme and suitable equipment.

• Radio tags (RFID). This technology is applicable when it is possible to equip all weighed vehicles with such marks. RFID tags give a close to 100% probability of identification, but they have certain nuances in the logic of their work, for example, when cars are clustered in front of the scales.

• Magnetic cards. This tool does not allow for full-fledged identification, since it is not the vehicle itself that is actually identified (as opposed to numbers bolted to the car or non-removable radio tags glued to the windshield) and not the driver (the card can be passed from hand to hand), it's just the card itself. Therefore, cards are rarely used for such purposes.

Now let's turn to the means the organization of movement through the scales -traffic lights and barriers. Regarding traffic lights, it should be said that the only case when they can be dispensed with is the weighing mode, in which the driver gets out of the car and communicates directly with the operator of the scales. In all other cases, the traffic light is an inexpensive and useful element of the system (Fig. 3).

Sometimes, instead of traffic lights or together with them, you can use a board (Fig. 3), which, in addition to displaying entry/ exit permits, can show the readings of the scales, as well as some prompts to the driver.

FIG. 4.

An example of using multibeam infrared barriers: location

on the edge of the scales

FIG. 5.

An example of an overview of the weighing machine through a panoramic video camera

It makes sense to use barriers, firstly, when the scales are on the perimeter of the enterprise and ACS functions are needed. And then, in this case, the barriers do not have to be included in the software logic (commute with "Automarshal.Weight"). Secondly, the logic of the ACS (and, accordingly, the use of barriers) may also be required in cases where it is necessary to streamline the actions of unorganized drivers (who do not follow the instructions of traffic lights). Thirdly, sometimes barriers are

used not as a means of automating the process, but as a means of restricting access to the scales (usually for reasons of economic security).

Quite often, infrared sensors - IR barriers are used to automate auto scales. They make it possible to control the position of the vehicle on the scales and do not allow recording the weight into the Avtomarshal. Weight database if the vehicle is not completely on the scales. Such a sensor consists of two devices - an infrared ray source and a receiver. It is installed at the edges of the scales (at the entrance and exit) across the movement of the vehicle. If the vehicle is not fully driven onto the scales, then one of the beams will be blocked. This is a fairly simple and inexpensive solution to eliminate errors, accidents and malicious intent when weighing. In some cases, barriers may be inapplicable, for example, when alternately weighing a car and a trailer on short scales, which in Automarshal.Weight is solved by switching the software to another weighing scenario.

Also, IR barriers are used to organize complex weighing logic, depending on the direction of movement of the vehicle along the scales. The Automarshal recognition kernel allows determining the direction of vehicle movement, but, like any video analytics, it has corresponding restrictions.

Another popular option is the use of surveillance cameras for photographing the contents of the body, the position of the car on the scales (Fig. 5). If the space is open, then in some cases it can be useful to use panoramic video cameras to review the surroundings. But, based on our experience, we recommend, first of all, to provide the operator with the ability to view the access roads to the scales so that he can respond in time to the arrival of the car.

STEP 4. SELECTING EQUIPMENT LOCATION

In general, the arrangement of the equipment depends on the weighing scenario. But there are certain points to which I would like to draw your attention.

Location of cameras

Let us briefly outline the fundamental aspects in relation to auto scales. First, it is necessary to exclude the illumination of cameras by headlights. Therefore, if the

video cameras will be located inside the shed (hangar), then it is better to arrange them so that there is no exposure from the sun from the street and headlights. The best option would be to direct the cameras into the canopy. A good height for placing cameras is 2-4 m. Secondly, you should minimize perspective distortion and the tilt angle of the number relative to the frame (it is recommended not to exceed 20 °).

Traffic light location

Usually, the choice of a place for traffic lights does not cause any difficulties, we only note that it is worth taking into account all types of vehicles arriving at the scales. Their height and driver's height may differ, respectively, it should be possible to see traffic lights for drivers of different vehicles.

Location of barriers

As for the placement of barriers, first of all, they should be correlated with the location of the cameras so that the barriers do not interfere with the recognition of license plates (Fig. 6). In some cases, barriers can (a positive side effect) act as infrared barriers to control the position of the vehicle on the scale if they are positioned exactly along the edges of the scale.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the limitation of the cable segment from the switch to the IP camera, which is 100 m.

There are many other nuances associated with the placement of equipment, so it is always advisable to provide designers with photographs of the scales from several angles, as well as a description of the existing weighing procedure.

FIG. 6.

Review of the recognition camera of the APK "Automarshal": the barrier does not interfere with the view

FIG. 7.

Screenshot of Automarshal.Weight software (complete set with three cameras, two IR barriers, two traffic lights)

FIG. 8.

Screenshot of Automarshal.Weight software (complete set with one camera)

STEP 5. SELECTING SOFTWARE

Let's conditionally select software selection as the fifth step. This can actually be done after the script has been written. The task of weighing automation is rather narrow, therefore there are few companies on the market that have extensive experience in such projects.

When choosing software, one should take into account:

• the ability to configure or modify it for the written script;

• compatibility with the composition of the equipment;

• Is it standalone software or a 1C module;

• the possibility of modification and integration with related systems (relevant for large enterprises).

Perhaps, based on the results of this step, taking into account the capabilities of the software, the weighing scenario and / or the composition of the equipment will be adjusted (Fig. 7-8).

CONCLUSION

So, in this article we have shared the methodology for the development of technical solutions for the automation of scales and the nuances of its practical

application. We hope that these materials will help enterprise specialists to systematically solve the issue of automating the weighing of cars. Since the topic is quite extensive, it is difficult to cover all issues even in the largest article. Some of them, for example, integration problems, features of business logic, the use of specialized video analytics, are specific, so they should be discussed within the framework of a specific project.

REFERENCE:

Селевцов Л.И. Автоматизация технологических процессов // 2014. С. 90-97 Юрий Миткевич Автоматизация технологических процессов и производств // 2004. С. 121-128