Webasto has released its new Safety Box, a device for monitoring the air purity in the driver’s cabs of agricultural and construction machinery.
The box continuously monitors how the on-board air filter systems function. If the air is not being filtered sufficiently, the Safety Box alerts the cab crew via two warning lamps on the dash. This allows Webasto to meet the requirements of DIN standard EN 15695, which defines how air in driver’s cabs must be tested and filtered, but does not yet address the functional safety of air filters.
The Webasto Safety Box monitors category 4 air filters for proper function and measures the overpressure and air flow in driver’s cabs. An alarm is triggered if it detects deviations from the specified values. The hardware solution monitors all of the common sensors present in an air filtration system and operates in accordance with agricultural performance level d (ISO 25119). Additional software is not required for operation.
The Safety Box can be combined with up to four different air pressure and air flow sensors. Its robust housing meets the IP67 standard, which means it is protected against the ingress of dust and water, and the unit is capable of withstanding the most adverse environmental conditions. The compact unit can easily be integrated into vehicles that are operated in environments that are potentially hazardous to health.
For example, the Safety Box is designed for agricultural machinery used for spraying pesticides or that is exposed to high airborne concentrations of ammonia. But construction equipment used at landfills, where high airborne concentrations of carbon monoxide and other hazardous substances can occur, are also potential applications.
“While specific key figures for air purity in driver’s cabs have already been defined for the agricultural sector, we anticipate that similar legislation will also be introduced for other fields, such as the construction industry. With the Safety Box, we offer manufacturers of vehicles and vehicle cabs, which are sometimes used in polluted environments, a simple solution for ensuring the safety of vehicle operators as they perform their everyday work,” comments Jörg Hornung, thermo management, Webasto.
