Products
Increased safety using 3D LiDAR technology for Industry 4.0
In partnership with the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation (IFF)
Customer requirements at heart – The assistance system to detect and display safe load pickup
Kranbau Koethen GmbH is a manufacturer of complex turnkey crane systems and a specialist in the field of process cranes. As a longstanding partner of the metal-producing and metal-processing industry, the company develops reliable crane concepts that meet specific requirements. In addition to increasing productivity and efficiency, the safety aspect of our products is becoming increasingly important.
In close collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute IFF Magdeburg, Kranbau Koethen GmbH has developed Pro-Kran-Assist – an assistance system that enables the crane driver to safely pick up the load in real time, and is of particularly benefit in areas where visibility is poor.
At this stage, Pro-Kran-Assist is designed for picking up ladles containing liquid steel. Suitability for other applications is being evaluated through a series of tests, these tests are currently in their final stage.
Transport of hazardous materials and previous approaches to reduce the risk of a load falling
Crane systems that transport molten metal pose a number of dangers that are not present in normal industrial environments. Countless related accidents have been documented. In some cases, the pin of the casting ladle was only in contact with the tip of the laminated hook (point load), and soon after the load has been lifted, the ladle has slipped from the hook point resulting in the ladle falling or tilting and molten metal discharge with severe consequences.
Sophisticated assistance systems based on piezo sensors or inductive elements were recently state of the art. With these systems, the transmission of signals is often tethered via a cable reeling drum., This leads to problems, particularly in hot environments and on exposure to flames, and results in enormous maintenance costs. Even camera systems and angle measuring units are not failure-free and, more importantly, are not a reliably safe solution.
Pro-Kran-Assist: A 3D sensor system as an assistant
The Pro-Kran-Assist provides crane drivers with a completely new system based on contactless and wear-free detection of load pick up and put-down processes.
Pro-Kran-Assist is a laser-based system that comprehensively monitors the working area of a ladle crane using special 3D-LiDAR sensors. In particular, the system analyses the load lifting system which is comprised of the traverse, the crane hook and casting ladle concerning the motion dynamics in real time.
To make this possible, 4 LiDAR cameras are installed at suitable points, and their signals are processed by the Pro-Kran-Assist computer in the electrical control room. Pro-Kran-Assist records a high-precision, three-dimensional picture of the surrounding space and depicts it in a 3D point cloud. Rule-based algorithms assess the 3D point cloud and enable a safe interpretation of the specific reloading operations of a process crane when it comes to picking up and putting down the load. The results are depicted in a VR model in real time, and shown to the crane driver on a monitor.
The system works absolutely autonomously and does not interfere with the control system of the crane. The necessary hardware is individually pre-assembled and can be quickly installed.
Pro-Kran-Assist has been tested for several months under harsh ambient conditions in a casting bay and has performed brilliantly. Neither flames and heat, nor smoke, dust or vibrations affected its functioning and reliability.
Your benefits:
- Tested and proven under real ambient conditions in a casting bay
- Safe interpretation of several local positions in 3D-coordinates
- Real-time depiction of reloading operations
- The system operates entirely autonomously
- Installation and commissioning can be performed in a very short amount of time
- Reliable detection of incorrect use of the hook
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Pro-Kran-Assist is resistant to:
- High vibration / shock stress
- High temperatures
- Considerable deposits of dust, pig iron spatters, pieces of slag etc.
- Deformations Variation in relative mechanical dimensions which may occur due to deformation
All information for download
The assistance system to detect and display safe load pickup
Download: Flyer Pro-Kran-Assist
LiDAR-Sensor-System
Distance measurement between objects using laser scanning
LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging, and refers to the process where a ray of light (typically with 905nm wavelength) is emitted and reflected -and a range can be calculated using the time until receipt of the reflection and speed of light.
Crane systems for reliable, continuous operation
Kranbau Koethen process cranes are hoisting devices tailored to the customer's company and its requirements. We design and manufacture these hoisting devices on a customer-by-customer basis at our Köthen plant. Our well-defined quality management structure and careful design of the components ensure excellent crane availability as well as safety and cost-effectiveness — and it is not just our customers from the steel production and handling industries that reap the rewards.
Process cranes include:
- Ladle cranes
- Charging cranes
- Ladle transport cranes
- Slab transport / turning cranes
- Coil transport cranes
- Gripper cranes
- Forging cranes
- Magnetic traverse cranes
- Automatic cranes
FAQ
Process cranes for steel production / handling
What are process cranes?
Process cranes are an integral part of the steel production process and are used around the clock. They are fully integrated into a company's production process and must be in working condition at all times. Every process crane from Kranbau Koethen meets the most stringent quality standards and can be safely and easily incorporated at a range of points in the process chain.
Where are process cranes used?
Potential applications are extremely varied and often depend on the prevailing environmental conditions. Kranbau Koethen manufactures process cranes designed predominantly for steel production or steel processing companies (smelting works and steel mills). Process cranes for steel production are subject to particularly demanding production loads in this area.
Short View: Crane travel over process crane
Spare^ parts
Conversions an refurbishment
Individual assemblies make your hoisting device quicker and stronger
Components are manufactured at our Köthen site to meet specific customer requirements. In addition to ensuring quality, production in one place means we can also be flexible in responding to changing product requirements.
Components/load-carrying equipment include:
- Travelling cranes in all special designs
- Complete crane bridges
- Slat hooks and universal joints
- Hoisting drums for all common standards
- Load-carrying equipment
- Ladle traverses with weighing technology, rotating lower section
- Magnetic traverses
- Slab turning traverses (patented)
- Hook blocks, normal/rope-tensioned/with weighing technology/rotating hook
- Trap bucket for transporting bulk cargo
- Intermediate suspension gear / traverses
- Safety catch sensor system for retrofitting
Block tongs for cranes
Customized manufacture of load handling devices
Not only cranes are manufactured by Kranbau Köthen. Also, load handling devices, such as block tongs, are manufactured individually according to the wishes and requirements of our customers.
An example of such a customer-specific custom-made product is a mechanical block tong (picture). It is planned so that it is optimally suited for use in steelworks thanks to its extremely robust lever construction. There, the block tongs can be used for transporting pressure-resistant billets, blocks or slabs.
The block tong, as seen in the gallery, has a gripping range of 150 mm to 1,150 mm and can be used in work environments from -15 ° C to + 80 ° C. The bolts run in this custom-made product in special bushes, consisting of high-strength bearing steel and their gripping jaws were additionally armored.
In the production of such a block tong customer requests can be considered individually. For example, an upper traverse for bolting and / or hanging in standard hook blocks, but also other geometric dimensions, can be adapted directly to your requirements. Matching hook block packages can also be supplied as an option.
In addition to the customer-specific components, a user manual, spare parts lists, the CE declaration of conformity and test reports are also included.
Safety catch sensor system in load-carrying equipment
Increased safety for ladle cranes
Together with the VDEh-Betriebsforschungsinstitut (BFI — operational research institute), Kranbau Koethen has jointly developed a patented system made up of piezo-electrical sensors that are not affected by environmental influences. This sensor system enables operators to monitor the position of the slat hooks to ensure that the pan suspension gear or the pan is securely in the slat hook safety catch before lifting begins. We place customer requirements and concerns at the heart of everything we do, even in terms of sensor technology.