Craters over bottom feeders
Material drains from above each feeder first. A funnel forms while the material along the walls stays put, so a single level reading over the feeder, or beside it, is wrong in either direction.
You can’t manage what you can’t measure
Bunker Material Volume Weight Measurement
Bunkers fill on top and empty from below.
CRATUS measures material volume and weight in bunkers and bins with LiDAR, including the craters that bottom feeders draw into the material. Wide field-of-view LiDARs cover the overall surface and directional LiDARs look into craters, deep corners and steep walls, so the full surface is measured instead of a single level point.
- One system for
- LiDAR
- Edge
- Software
- AI
Crater coverageDirectional LiDAR into the draw-down
Wide FOVOverall surface
- Full surfaceThe whole material surface, not one level reading
- Wide + directionalTwo LiDAR types combined to match the bunker
- Fill & reclaimMeasured through filling, reclaiming and both at once
- Volume + weightWeight from volume and material bulk density
The challenge
Why bunkers are hard to measure.
A bunker is rarely flat. How it is filled and how it is emptied decide the shape of the surface, and the shape decides whether a measurement is right.
Fill cones and ridges
Material dropped from a conveyor or tripper builds cones and ridges at the drop points. Between them the surface is lower than it looks from the top.
Steep walls and deep corners
Hopper walls, deep bins and back corners sit at grazing angles from a single sensor. Material hangs up on walls and bridges over outlets.
CRATUS mixes wide-FOV and directional LiDARs to measure the whole surface, crater and corners included.
See the approachFill and reclaim strategies
The surface depends on how the bunker is filled and emptied.
Each pattern builds a different shape, and each shape needs a different view.
| Pattern | Surface it builds | How it is covered |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed drop point (conveyor or chute) | A cone under the drop point, lower toward the walls | Wide-FOV LiDAR over the cone and slopes |
| Moving tripper or shuttle | A row of cones or a ridge along the bunker | Wide-FOV LiDARs spaced along the ridge |
| Truck dump or loader push | Irregular heaps and push faces | Wide-FOV LiDARs, more overlap at the push face |
| Bottom feeders (single outlet) | A crater over the outlet, material held on the walls | Directional LiDAR into the crater, wide-FOV for the rest |
| Bottom feeders (multiple outlets) | Several craters with ridges between them | Directional LiDARs per crater zone, wide-FOV overall |
| Fill and reclaim at the same time | A cone and a crater changing together | Wide and directional LiDARs, scanned on a short schedule |
Typical patterns. Sensor types, count and positions for a specific bunker come from its coverage model.
Our approach
From laser return to inventory number.
In a bunker the surface is rarely flat, so the approach is built around its shape: wide and directional LiDARs measure the whole surface, crater and corners included, and the edge computer merges them into one volume.
LiDAR sensing
Wide field-of-view LiDARs cover the overall surface and follow it as it rises and falls; directional LiDARs are aimed into the draw-down above bottom feeders and into deep corners a wide view sees poorly. Their own laser light means darkness, glare and uniform color do not matter.
- Wide field-of-view for the surface
- Directional into craters and corners
- Mounts and lens care for dust
Edge computing
One edge computer merges the wide and directional views into a single surface per bunker and computes the volume. Only results, not raw video, leave the site, over Ethernet, Wi-Fi or cellular; sites without easy IT access can start on cellular.
- Wide and directional views merged
- Volume computed at the edge
- Ethernet, Wi-Fi or cellular
Software & dashboards
Volume and weight per bunker, with a history that shows filling, reclaiming and both at once, on a dashboard for operations and purchasing, with reports and exports for the systems you already run.
- Fill and reclaim history
- Weight from volume and bulk density
- Cloud or local dashboard
AI
AI separates the material surface from loaders, trucks, people and airborne dust, and can flag surface shape changes that do not match the volume being drawn, such as a hang-up or rat-hole, for a look.
- Vehicles, people and dust filtered
- Hang-up and rat-hole warnings
- Trends for planning
What we deliver
Bunker and bin measurement.
Matched to how your bunker is filled, how it is emptied and how deep it is.
Wide-FOV surface coverage
Covers the overall surface and follows it as it rises and falls, without re-aiming.
Sensing
Directional crater coverage
Aimed into the draw-down above bottom feeders and into deep corners a wide view sees poorly.
Sensing
Mix and match
The combination of wide and directional LiDARs is chosen per bunker from its geometry and its fill and reclaim pattern.
Sensing · Edge
Fill and reclaim history
Volume over time shows filling, reclaiming and both at once, per bunker.
Software
Hang-up and rat-hole warnings
Surface shape changes that do not match the volume being drawn can be flagged for a look.
AI
Volume to weight
Weight from measured volume and the material’s bulk density.
Software
The CRATUS VMS system
Building blocks, combined per structure.
Wide and directional LiDARs are combined per bunker; the edge computer merges them into one surface.
CRATUS VMS
Wide-FOV LiDAR node
Overall surface coverage
- Wide field of view
- Works in the dark
- Ceiling or wall mount
Covers the overall surface of a bunker from one mounting point and follows it as it rises and falls, without re-aiming.
CRATUS VMS
Directional LiDAR
Targeted, longer reach
- Narrow field of view
- Long range
- Aimed at one feature
Aimed into the places a wide view sees poorly: the crater over a bottom feeder, deep corners and steep walls.
ASSET-Rx
Edge computer
ASSET-Rx EDGE middleware
- Multi-sensor merge
- Per-zone volume
- Ethernet · Wi-Fi · cellular
Runs at the site and merges the wide and directional views into one surface per bunker, so only the volume results leave the building.
CRATUS VMS
VMS dashboard
Cloud or local
- Subscription
- Unit, site or company license
- Reports & exports
Volume, weight and fill and reclaim history per bunker. Choose a cloud subscription or a local license per unit, per site or company-wide.
CRATUS VMS
Universal mounting bracket
For trusses, walls and ceilings
- Fits common structures
- Sets the sensor angle
- Service-friendly
Holds each sensor at the angle chosen in the coverage model, on the structure above or beside the bunker.
CRATUS VMS
Air purge collar
For extremely dusty sites
- Uses site compressed air
- Keeps the window clear
- Optional add-on
For dusty bunkers with compressed air on site: keeps the sensor window clear between scheduled cleanings.
One system
Sensors, edge, software and AI from one team
CRATUS designs the coverage, supplies the sensors and edge computer, runs the software and supports the system after commissioning. One point of contact from site survey to the daily inventory number. Browse the VMS systems for bulk solids.
All CRATUS productsCRATUS VMSStack
AI
- Surface filtering
- Change alerts
- Usage trends
Software
- Dashboard
- Reports
- Exports
Edge
- Sensor merge
- Volume per zone
- Connectivity
Sensing
- Wide-FOV LiDAR
- Directional LiDAR
- Brackets & purge
What to send us
These details let CRATUS build a coverage model for your structure.
- Bunker or bin type and size: width, length and depth
- Material stored and, if known, its bulk density
- Fill method: fixed drop point, tripper or shuttle, truck dump or loader
- Reclaim method: bottom feeders (one or several), loader, gravity or pump-out
- Where craters form, or where material hangs up, if you know
- Combustible dust or explosive gases present?
- 120 VAC and 12 VDC available near the bunker?
- Internet access, or cellular coverage at the site
- Dust level and compressed air availability
- Number of bunkers now, and potentially later
How we work
Modeled first, then installed.
Every bunker is different, so we start with a coverage model of its geometry and its fill and reclaim pattern. Sensor types, counts and positions are set before anything ships.
- 01
Share your bunker
Its geometry and size, the material, how it is filled and reclaimed, plus power, connectivity and dust conditions.
- 02
Coverage model
CRATUS models the bunker, its fill and reclaim pattern and the material to choose wide and directional LiDAR types, counts and positions before anything ships.
- 03
Install
Brackets, power and network, with instructions and remote support for your contractor or ours.
- 04
Commission & calibrate
Reference scans, scan schedule and bulk density per material, checked against a known quantity where one is available.
- 05
Monitor & support
Dashboard, reports and alerts per bunker, a lens-care schedule and engineering support for the life of the system.
Standards & practices
Planned around site safety.
Bunkers often hold combustible dust, and the rules depend on the site. Area classification comes first; the installation is planned around it.
- NFPA 61Dust hazards in agricultural and food processing facilities
- NFPA 652Fundamentals of combustible dust
- NFPA 654Combustible particulate solids in manufacturing and handling
- NEC Articles 500–503Hazardous (classified) locations
- OSHA 1910.272Grain handling facilities
- IEC 60825-1Laser product safety; we specify eye-safe laser classes
- IEC 60529Ingress protection (IP) ratings for dust and water
- ISA/IEC 62443Security for industrial networks and devices
Area classification and compliance decisions rest with the site owner and the authority having jurisdiction. CRATUS plans the installation around these requirements and documents it to support your review; we don’t self-certify.
The basics
Why not use a single level sensor in a bunker?
Because a bunker surface is not level. A radar or ultrasonic level sensor reads one point; with a crater over the feeder or a cone under the fill point, one point can be far from the average. LiDAR measures the whole surface.
What causes a crater in a bunker?
Bottom reclaim. A bottom feeder draws material from directly above the outlet first, so a funnel forms while material along the walls moves later or not at all. The crater grows deeper as reclaim continues. Domes reclaimed from a tunnel show the same pattern: see Volume Measurement for Materials in Storage Domes.
Why combine wide field-of-view and directional LiDARs?
Each covers what the other does poorly. A wide-FOV LiDAR sees most of the surface from one position; a directional LiDAR reaches into a crater or deep corner at a better angle. Together they cover the whole surface.
Fill and reclaim
Can you measure while the bunker is being filled and reclaimed?
Yes. Measurement continues during filling and reclaim; the surface model updates with each scan, and the history shows both flows.
Does the fill method change the sensor layout?
Yes. A fixed drop point, a moving tripper and truck or loader filling each build a different surface, and the coverage model accounts for it when choosing sensor types and positions.
Can the system warn about rat-holing or bridging?
It can flag it for a look. When the surface shape stops matching the material being drawn, or a crater stops growing while the feeder runs, the change is visible and can trigger an alert.
Installation & site
What does a bunker installation need for power and network?
120 VAC near the edge computer, 12 VDC for the sensors and a network connection. Where 12 VDC, an enclosure or internet access are not available, CRATUS can supply the power supply, enclosure and a cellular modem.
How is dust handled inside a bunker?
A scheduled cleaning of the sensor window is standard on dusty sites, and AI filtering keeps airborne dust out of the measurement. Where dust is extreme and compressed air is available, an air purge collar keeps the window clear between cleanings.
Can bunker measurement be used where combustible dust is present?
Yes, with the right planning. Area classification comes first, then the installation is planned around it, including where equipment is placed and when it is energized. CRATUS documents the installation for the site owner and the authority having jurisdiction.
Working with CRATUS
What do we send for a bunker proposal?
The bunker type and size, the material, and how it is filled and reclaimed. CRATUS builds a coverage model, replies with a proposal that shows the sensor layout and expected performance, and follows with a quote with options.
Which dashboard and license do we get for a set of bunkers?
Both cloud and local options: a cloud dashboard subscription, a local dashboard license per unit, a site license for several units, or a company license.
Can you work with our integrator or IT team on a bunker project?
Yes. CRATUS works with plant teams, system integrators and IT departments, and provides installation instructions, network requirements and remote support during commissioning.
Talk to a CRATUS engineer
How is your bunker filled and emptied?
Send us the bunker dimensions, the fill method and the number and position of feeders. A CRATUS engineer will reply with a wide and directional LiDAR layout.
Illustrations are not to scale. Specifications subject to change without notice.