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New crane tech prevents collisions

Austrian crane manufacturer Hans Künz GmbH, and laser-based sensor manufacturer LASE have announced the successful implementation of a new application on two crane systems at the Intermodal Terminal WienCont in Vienna, Austria – the LaseLCPS-2D (Load Collision Prevention System). Using the laser measurement system, containers can be picked safely, quietly – due to a lack of collisions – and dropped ‘softly’.
The facility is one of the biggest container terminals for inland ports in Europe, where approximately 200,000 containers are handled annually.
Primarily WienCont put a high emphasis on the soft landing function of the crane driver assistance system. This function is activated while the load is being hoisted, and it ensures the container drops without any wear, as well as with noticeably reduced noise pollution.

An animated depiction of the position of the scanners.
An animated depiction of the position of the scanners.

The system comprises two 2D laser scanners from the LASE 2000D-Series that provide highly precise 2D profiles to the measurement software. The laser scanners are mounted under the crane trolley in order to generate a scan area in both trolley directions. While driving over the container stacks, a current height profile of the containers is created immediately. Simultaneously, the laser scanners measure the height of the load – spreader with or without container. In the case of a finished container being moved, the relative distance between the objects is ascertained by the relative position measurement. Thus the measurement system can control the hoist so that the spreader on a container or a container on a container, wagon or truck can be dropped ‘gently’, preventing collisions.
A 3D version of the application software is also available, for use with 3D scanners on RMG, RTG and STS cranes.

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