Vehicle Position in Automatic Car Wash with Extreme Environment

Detecting vehicles in automated car washes presents many unique challenges, several due to extreme conditions. Ever-present water (sometimes at extremely high pressure), variations in temperature, the presence of sunlight, reflective surfaces, mist and steam, and the constant cycling of machine movement are factors that all must be considered when applying the proper sensor used to position a vehicle correctly.

WORLD-BEAM QS30EX and QS30RRX sensors are designed specifically for reliable, long-lasting performance in the extreme environments of car washes. In this application, a WORLD-BEAM QS30EXQ emitter and QS30RRXQ receiver are configured in opposed mode to verify that the vehicle has passed completely through the drying stage of wash.

The sensors have an epoxy-encapsulated body, and models with quick disconnect (QD) electrical connection fittings have IP69K-rated housings to withstand the constant presence of water and extreme temperature swings. They also have an opposed-mode range of 213 meters, using 875nm infrared light to burn through mist and steam and provide a reliable beam-break sensing field.

If additional QS30EX and QS30RRX sensors are used concurrently in the same car wash stations, they can be configured to operate at different frequencies to eliminate cross-talk that might occur when high powered infrared light bounces off shiny surfaces found in wet environments. Specially designed circuitry is used to eliminate false trips caused by outside sunlight, and ignore signals and noise from electromagnetic and radio frequency interference (EMI and RFI) caused by the concentration of automated equipment in car wash stalls.