Introduction: Why Simulators? For years, simulators have been used in a variety of industries to reduce risk. Tat’s because simulation saves lives when it is used to train operators who are using equipment in potentially hazardous or hostile environments. Of course, some industries have been using simulation longer than others. Te aerospace industry has been seriously using training simulators since before WWII – while in the offshore industry, regulatory bodies are now starting to mandate their use for operator qualification. In the construction industry, simulators have been used for crane operator training since the mid-1990s. However, early simulators did not have very realistic graphics, and the simulation of the crane and load dynamics was poor. In addition, training content was really limited to basic control familiarisation and understanding basic operating procedures. Today, there is a wide range of construction equipment simulator products available, from simplistic desktop “crane games” to extremely immersive high-fidelity simulators. Costs for crane simulator solutions varies from several thousand dollars to many hundreds of thousands. Simulators are now being used as a key part of training in small and large operator training organizations – from construction equipment owners to large colleges. Tese organisations are finding that simulators are a much-needed “bridge” between classroom theory and the actual equipment on the worksite. Tere are many things that simulation-based training can do that are impossible or difficult on real machines:


• One instructor can simultaneously instruct many students – not only one-to-one on the real machine.


• Students get more seat time, since simulators run 24/7, in rain, snow and hot weather – which means operators are more experienced by the time they get on the job.


• Trainees can experience “concentrated seat time” with operations that might take a lifetime to get on the job. Tis builds confidence and knowledge (for instance, tandem lifting, blind lifts, etc.).


• Trainees can experience failures and bad weather. Tis is critical, since learning when it is time to stop the lift is just as important as how to do the lift.


• You can do team based training in the classroom with multi-machine and multi-role simulation involving signallers and operators working together in a virtual environment.


In addition, for some organisations, simulator use maximises current resources, in the sense that time spent on the simulator means the real equipment is free for production, while wear and tear due to operator inexperience is minimised.


A ConExpo 2017 visitor tries out a Vortex simulator


“…SIMULATOR USE MAXIMISES CURRENT RESOURCES, IN THE SENSE THAT TIME SPENT ON THE SIMULATOR MEANS THE REAL EQUIPMENT IS FREE FOR PRODUCTION, WHILE WEAR AND TEAR DUE TO OPERATOR INEXPERIENCE IS MINIMISED.”


Any time you have operators operating complex equipment in sometimes unpredictable circumstances (for example, operating a tower crane on a busy worksite in inclement weather), safe responses to unexpected events must become second nature — and this is just not possible to do safely or economically on the real equipment. Tis is especially true as the machines become more complex, the demands on the busy worksite grow, and the need for better equipped operators with advanced skills to do the job becomes more pronounced: It all boils down to simply being the best you can be in your trade.


The One Essential Quality of an


Effective Training Simulator In an ideal world, simulators improve the effectiveness of the training environment. Tey allow training


WIRE ROPE EXCHANGE


SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2017


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