Fairport, N.Y. - Bosch Security Systems, Inc., a full-line manufacturer of high-quality security solutions, announced today that Rohrer's Quarry, Inc. in Lititz, Pennsylvania, is using a Bosch IP video surveillance solution to oversee operations at its ready-mix concrete plant erected last year. Installed by Mid Atlantic Concrete Equipment, the system improves efficiency by allowing the plant operator to monitor several areas that are essential for proper mixing of concrete and for discharging it into awaiting trucks.
The new central mix plant features three 200-ton cement silos, six compartments containing a total of 340 tons of aggregate, and a 430-foot vertical curve conveyer. Plant operations are observed with an 11- camera surveillance system.
Bosch FlexiDome IP Day/Night cameras capture video of the most critical points inside the plant - showing crisp images and a high-level of detail of areas where conveyer belts unload onto other belts and where the concrete contents are poured into the mixer. Outside the plant, cameras are positioned to view the location where concrete is discharged into the Quarry's 20-truck fleet of transit mixers. A camera installed on the roof of the building that houses the plant also provides surveillance of the surrounding property.
Due to conditions inside the plant, Travis Rohrer, a co-owner of Rohrer's Quarry, requested a durable and long-lasting surveillance system. "We required clear images from reliable cameras that can withstand the dust and heat within the plant," explained Rohrer. "We found all of these qualities in the Bosch line."
The FlexiDome cameras feature a clear polycarbonate dome bubble with a UV blocking anti-scratch coating and can operate in temperatures from 14 degrees to 104 degrees Fahrenheit and in 20 to 80 percent relative humidity. The cameras are also IP54 and NEMA-3R rated against dust and water ingress, providing protection from conditions common within a concrete-mixing plant.
The cameras stream video for 24-hour observation to Bosch's VIDOS Video Management System, which is used by the operator to control cameras throughout the plant. Using the VIDOS Monitor Wall application, video from the cameras is displayed in real-time on two LCD flat panel monitors in the plant's central control room.
From the control room, the plant operator and dispatcher can see trucks in the staging area waiting to be loaded and can keep track of vehicles that enter and exit the Quarry for enhanced security. They can also view areas that would otherwise be inaccessible from the control room, allowing oversight of locations where aggregate and sand are introduced into the cement and helping the dispatcher position trucks under the mixer's discharge chute to achieve greater accuracy when loading them.
"The cameras have been invaluable in what they allow us to see throughout the plant. They are a great tool in helping us do our jobs better and faster," further explained Rohrer.
"While we specialize in selling and servicing concrete plants and related equipment, the training and service we've received from Bosch manufacturers' representative Midlantic Marketing have allowed us to add surveillance systems as a new offering," said Owen Blevins, vice president of Mid Atlantic Concrete Equipment. "With our expertise in concrete plants, we know where the cameras need to be positioned to assist with operations and increase security for our customers. We're providing them a complete, turnkey solution."
