Taking the time to invest in digital automation
up front when purchasing a new crane is best. But, if a customer is looking to retrofit their existing cranes, data communication is key. Once customers begin adding sensors as a part of the retrofit process, the next step is to figure out how to get that data from one point to the next. Conductix’s Nexus BB data-over-power solution allows facilities to utilise their existing infrastructure to create the critical data pathway for automation.
OCH: What benefits does automation bring? Safety? Efficiency? Speed? Improved positional accuracy in placing loads? Reduction in labour costs? Profitability? Warehouse accounting/management? AK: All of the above. In addition, it provides data, logs, diagnostics, maintenance reminders, etc. BC: The benefits of automation, particularly in radio remote control systems, are hard to deny. When looking at our radio remote offerings, our Airmark solution helps solve existing pain points such as the obsolescence of older equipment, workplace turnover and training, downtime, and inefficiency while increasing safety and improving ergonomics. Safety is the most important benefit of automation features like a radio remote control because it affects both personnel and equipment. Radio remote controls provide operators with
n The Conductix-Wampfler Airmark radio remote control can be 'paired to any crane in under a minute'.
greater freedom of movement, enabling them to control cranes from a safe distance. This improves visibility and accuracy, reducing the risk of collisions or accidents during complex lifting operations. Some modern solutions, like Airmark, also have tandem crane control, which makes it possible to control two cranes from one device. DM: All of these things, yes.
OCH: How many use it as part of full Industry 4.0? In other words, how many integrate their hoist automation into the automation of the plant as a whole, gathering data, using it for predictive maintenance and to optimise performance, efficiency, and so on. Is this limited to only the largest and most forward- looking companies? Do you anticipate a use for artificial intelligence in future here? AK: A growing number of users are asking for Industry 4.0 compatibility and integrating cranes and hoists into the plant systems. It does appear as though companies that are more on the cutting edge of technology are the ones asking for these types of ‘connected’ features. I do believe some forms of AI [artificial intelligence] is already in use in material handling – it just hasn’t previously been defined as such. BC: We’ve not seen a lot of customers integrating crane automation into their full Industry 4.0 processes quite yet. In terms of AI, we’ve also not seen as much penetration in the market as facilities would need a hard dataset to train the technology, but it is most likely coming soon.
OCH: Is automation now so cheap, compared to the overall cost of a hoist, that it is almost a default decision to include it? AK: No, not in all cases. It does increase the cost substantially, especially for custom systems that can require large amounts of engineering and coordination with other systems. BC: At the base level, automation is cheap and easy to implement, and we’re seeing customers increasingly embrace these features, like collision avoidance and load cell. Additionally, future-proofing your crane operations is an affordable way to modernise your system. An example of this would be adding a data communication link like Nexus BB to your crane operations to ensure that you have a way to communicate between these base-level automation sensors once they’re added. DM: Really this is a decision for the end user, or our channel partner would decide and inform us.
OCH: It has been said that the challenge in digital automation is not so much the technology, it is getting companies to make the adoption leap, to have management curiosity and try it in their factories, and that this is particularly a hurdle for SMEs. Do you agree? Are more or most managers now understanding the need to invest in this? AK: I would say it’s around 50/50. BC: Managers are more understanding of the need to invest in automation if they operate within a manufacturing facility that utilises higher-capacity cranes on a daily basis for the same processes. For a manufacturing process or facility that only uses an overhead crane for certain tasks, managers might not know how much value a crane can add, making them less likely to invest in these automation features. It's important for facilities to partner with a vendor who understands what their cranes are being used for and how they are integrated into the facility’s processes in order to guide them toward the right equipment or automation upgrades. At Conductix, we provide controls, data and power, which are the three things you need to keep your business moving. We pride ourselves on being a vendor that takes the time to understand our customers’ needs to lead them to the right solution for their facility.
OCH: Are Insurance companies mandating it (as giving increased worker safety)? Is that a driver for installing automation? And is labour scarcity a factor? Did the Covid pandemic concentrate minds towards introducing such changes? BC: We’ve currently not seen a lot of insurance companies mandating automation yet. Labour scarcity is the number one thing we see as a driver for automation in this space. There is such high turnover within the crane operations sector, which makes it more important than ever to ensure that operators who are currently working in a facility are confident users. Automation is a strategic way to increase operator confidence, safety and efficiency. ^
38 | Fall 2023 |
www.ochmagazine.com
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