Date: 06/18/2019
R&M’s Director of Sales, Damian Mulcahy, discusses the benefits and features of R&M’s ControlMaster Anti-Sway system.
What is R&M’s ControlMaster Anti-Sway System and how does it work?
R&M’s ControlMaster Anti-Sway system works by stabilizing the load during trolley traverse and/or bridge travel motions preventing sway caused by acceleration and deceleration. This feature works automatically after switched on by the operator.
The ControlMaster Anti-Sway system automatically adjusts the crane traveling movements by using a mathematical calculation to estimate load swing. The calculation is based on the distance between the center of the rope drum and the load (pendulum length). The systems maintains, accelerates, decelerates or reverses the travel speeds/direction to keep the hoist directly over top of the load.
Are there specific operations that require this type of solution?
Imagine controlling a delicate, yet heavy load with an overhead crane while it is swinging drastically from side to side. Any operation where load sway could cause a hazardous condition or result in production delays would benefit from R&M’s ControlMaster Anti-Sway system.
How does the ControlMaster Anti-Sway crane increase productivity?
Aside from the obvious safety challenges that come with load sway, such as damage to nearby individuals, equipment or products, the operator would need to wait as much as a few minutes before the load stopped swinging before he or she could properly place and position the load. R&M’s ControlMaster Anti-Sway system reduces load cycle times and allows for more precise positioning.
Is there a growing demand in the industry for this application?
As industry conditions change, today’s top manufacturing companies are looking for material handling solutions that offer advance features to support safety and productivity. As this technology develops, it’s becoming more common for specifiers to list these features in new overhead crane applications.
What type of technology is involved in the anti-sway system?
R&M’s ControlMaster Anti-Sway system operates via the RaCon® 3 radio transmitter and uses a height sensor along with our Elite traveling inverters in conjunction to control the load. The system corrects the movements of the trolley and bridge inverters based on a mathematical model using the swing time principle. The load swing can be predicted by the swing time, which is directly related to the pendulum length. The pendulum length is measured from the center of the rope drum to the center of gravity of the lifted load. The height measuring unit measures the pendulum length as it varies when the load is lifted or lowered.
How feasible is this application?
R&M’s ControlMaster Anti-Sway system is an available feature with the R&M QX® modular crane package and accessible from our network of distributors throughout the U.S. & Canada. Find your nearest distributor here.