Failsafe Control Monitors Aerial Cable Car in Wallis |
Siemens AG
Wittelsbacherplatz 2
Munich, D-80333
Germany
Press release date: July 1, 2012
Wallis/Switzerland. The Bettmeralp cable car in Wallis, Switzerland, is a vital lifeline which transports just under a million passengers every season and also the entire supply of provisions and materials up the mountain to the 1933 meter-high carfree village of Bettmeralp. Travelling at a speed of eight meters per second, on its return journey the cable car transports a garbage truck back down to the valley suspended underneath the cabin.
For the operators of the Bettmeralp cable car, personal safety is the number one priority. Since the installation was modernized using Siemens technology, a failsafe Simatic S7-317F control supplied by the Industry Automation Division monitors the cable car to ensure the reliable operation of functions such as braking.
Profibus is used for communication between the installation's control, monitoring and visualization functions, while sensors and actuators are integrated using an ET 200S failsafe distributed I/O system. Optical link modules connect the car to the base station.
The Bettmeralp cable car is the vital artery of this holiday village: Not only is it used to transport skiers, hikers and locals alike, but also serves as a supply line for food, construction materials and fuel oil, as well as the return transportation of trash to the valley. To eliminate the need for trash handling, the 9.5 ton heavy garbage disposal truck is attached directly below the cable car. When it was constructed in 1974, the aerial cable car installation boasted the world's largest cabins.
Siemens Safety Integrated www.siemens.com/safety-integrated Failsafe control monitors aerial cable car in Wallis
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