When poultry farm manager Donald Beam from North Carolina contacted dol-sensors, he was looking for a better way to configure the capacitive sensors in his feeding system.
Having used DOL 26 capacitive sensors for years, he was interested in two specific improvements: easier, more precise sensor adjustment, and the ability to limit how long his feeding system could run.
After testing a DOL capacitive sensor with NFC, he highlighted two features that made a particular difference: smartphone configuration through the SmartAdjust App and the integrated Max Run Timer.
Donald Beam had been using DOL 26 capacitive sensors in the feeding systems on his poultry farm for several years. While the sensors were already part of his daily operations, he had experienced differences in how easily different versions could be adjusted.
He was particularly interested in a solution that would make sensor configuration easier and allow him to set a maximum run time for his feeding system.
Rather than simply replacing his existing sensors, Donald contacted dol-sensors to explore whether the newer NFC-enabled models could offer the functionality he was looking for.
This led him to test a DOL capacitive sensor with SmartAdjust and integrated Max Run Timer on his farm.
Traditionally, capacitive sensors are adjusted manually using a screwdriver. With SmartAdjust, compatible DOL capacitive sensors can instead be configured directly from a smartphone.
To Donald Beam, the difference was clear:
“I personally much prefer the app for adjustments vs the screwdriver as it is much more precise and easy to visualize”, he says.
SmartAdjust also makes it possible to save configurations and copy settings between sensors. This gives installers and feeding-system manufacturers the opportunity to establish predefined configurations and reuse them across multiple sensors.
Ease of adjustment was not the only reason for choosing the solution.
Donald Beam specifically wanted the integrated Max Run Timer, because it allows a maximum operating time to be configured for the feeding system. If the configured run time is exceeded, the sensor stops calling for feed.
This can provide an additional safeguard insituations where a feeding line, drop tube or other part of the system is damaged, and the system would otherwise continue running.
Because Max Run Timer is integrated into compatible DOL capacitive sensors, the functionality can be added without installing a separate timer.
Instead of requiring every end user to determine the sensor settings themselves, OEMs can define configurations suited to their feeding systems and applications.
Configurations can be saved, shared and copied to other sensors using the SmartAdjust App, helping installers and farm managers work with consistent settings.
That turns the sensor from a component that needs to be adjusted on site into a configurable part of the feeding system.
If you manufacture or integrate feeding systems, we can help you determine which DOL capacitive sensor and configuration fits your application.
