TECHNOLOGY REPORT | CONTROLS


“These heavy loads can swing and sometimes it hits somebody or something. What can we do to prevent it?” “So, we put a sensor on the rope to make


sure that it is centred before we allow a lift to take place. It is an easy and inexpensive solution that gives true vertical lifts with no swaying from the start.” Control systems can be programmed.


Or, better, they can be taught to learn. The difference is profound. “The next era of automation is intelligence,” says Darragh Staunton, president and COO of PaR Systems, headquartered in Minnesota. “Over the last decade automation has become a term that encompasses a lot but means very little,” he says. “Automation has essentially become a catch-all term for pre-programmed tasks done by a machine or robot. We tell machines what to do and they do it efficiently and at scale. But what if machines could be taught to do more, learning from mistakes and figuring out how to improve processes without human intervention? That new era of intelligent automation is possible today and is being driven by technologies that, many times, sit outside traditional automation investment.” PaR produce, among other products, ‘Expert Operator’ crane controls. Expert Operator is a hardware module that intercepts pendent commands from the operator and converts them into expert commands – and then issues the modified commands to motor drives. “This permits all crane operators to perform like experts. Cable sway is eliminated; efficiency and safety are increased.” PaR says that with it both novice and expert crane operators can reduce payload swing by 85-95%. Control systems are about much


more than up-down and forward and back movement of the hook. Many of Konecranes’ overhead hoists and gantries find applications in warehouses; and their


Agilon digital system controls not just the movements of the hoists but the entire warehouse distribution as well as the stocking records. ’Konecranes Agilon is an automated


warehouse that can retrieve and store up to thousands of tools, packages, components and spare parts. It keeps a full record of every transaction and provides real-time information about the stock balance of each material. In practice the operator simply places the package onto the nearest Agilon access point, the system records a weight and picture of the package, an operator confirms the item and stock balance information, and Agilon will take care of the rest by delivering it to a suitable spot. It can store and handle plastic or carton


board packages, tools and components up to 60cm x 40cm x 45cm in size and up to 25kg in weight.’ Demag, an equally big name in gantry


cranes, has traditionally offered operator- controlled or automated options for controlling process cranes. It recently introduced what it is calling a


third option, a Remote Operating System (ROS), launched at the end of last year. The ROS can be in an office, near the


crane, or somewhere completely off-site. It is in effect a virtual cab, which is operating a crane in real time. “For decades the best position to


operate an overhead travelling crane (OTC) was from the crane bridge: that was where the operator had the best overview. But the position may be noisy, dusty, cramped, and subject to vibration. So in many applications, radio control has become established,” says Christoph Kreutzenbeck, Demag’s senior manager of global marketing. “For manually controlled cranes in aggressive environments, such as waste incineration plants, control


stations can be installed in glass-fronted cabins overlooking the area of operation.” Now though, with the Demag Remote Operating Station the crane operator can be in a comfortable office away from the hazards and discomforts of the site. “By decoupling the crane system


from the operator station, the safety of crane operators can be further increased and on-site costs can be minimised,” says Kreutzenbeck. “In simple terms, the ROS is a complete, location-independent operating station for cranes. The operator has access to all the control elements that are normally installed in a crane cab. With ROS, however, the owner can decide where the “virtual” cab is going to be located. “In addition to the usual joysticks, a touch


panel or a tablet can be used as a human- machine interface, via which the operator can call up additional information. “A widescreen monitor provides a view


of the process, receiving real-time images from several cameras. The screen layout can have up to eight individual images; a dashboard with process-relevant information can be displayed in the lower part of the screen. Speakers integrated into the monitor make the operating environment even more realistic - the operator receives acoustic feedback from the process, which supports him or her in operating the system and enables a better assessment of whatever is going on. “The Demag ROS offers the operator


an even better view than a conventional crane cab. This is because the cameras can also “look” where the normal field of vision would be restricted. Zoom functions can give close up


views that would otherwise be impossible conventionally. And the possibility of saving screenshots or digital videos and making them available to third parties


R The Demag Remote Operating Station (ROS). www.hoistmagazine.com | November 2021 | 33


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