CTS Projects
Upgrading operation and safety measures
To enhance the operation and safety capability of overhead travelling cranes installed within the processing area of a large multi-national mining company operation situated in the North of Western Australia.
The specification for the project required an in-depth exploration of the existing installation, considering unique operating conditions and limitations present within the existing structure. In total the operational area featured 4 double girder overhead travelling cranes on separate runways where no two adjacent cranes could be carrying a load within a specified distance.
For such a critical application, CTS elected to offer a complete solution comprising of a HBC radiomatic FST 524 Spectrum 2 radio remote control system coupled with a SYMEO LPR-1D position measurement system and HBC GEOx for data transfer and load summation. This provided the End User with the following capabilities.
OPERATOR IDENTIFICATION
The system allowed the End User the ability to securely control and identify users operating each individual overhead crane, through the HBC radiomatic Merlin TUC (Transmitter User Card) & HBC data logger. This identification capability was further enhanced with the capability to restrict access to specific cranes for individual users and retain operational records.
TRANSMITTER DISPLAY
The HBC radiomatic FST 524 Spectrum A supplied for the control of the overhead cranes features an LCD feedback display. Through this LCD feedback display, critical information such as,
- Wind Speed
- Load Indication
- Limits & Alarms
Are able to be relayed, in real time to the crane operator allowing key decisions to be made in an instant. Through outputs from the attached Anemometer (wind speed), Load Indicator and limits, the End Users site engineers were able to fully program the system to meet their unique and specific requirements.
ABSOLUTE POSITIONING
Through the SYMEO LPR-1D position measurement system, the precise position of each crane could be measured in real time and specified limits imposed on the operation through calculations carried out within the HBC radiomatic GEOx system. Telemetry is then fed back to the crane operators, allowing visualization of the current condition of the crane.
CONCLUSION
In collaboration with the overhead crane manufacturer and the end user. CTS Crane Technical Services was able to engineer this solution and overcome the challenges present, ultimately making the operation safer and more efficient. On successful commissioning of this system. The customer repeated the installation for a further 4 cranes on site.
