Crane beam control panel: description and varieties

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Girder crane, or single-girder overhead crane - a lifting mechanism designed to lift and move goods both across the room and along it. Sometimes these devices are made with a manual drive, when the operator lifts and moves the load using his muscular strength. A person pulls on a chain passing through a system of blocks and gears to reduce the required force. However, most often, beam cranes are driven by electric motors, and the operator controls them through a special remote control.

Cable Crane Control Panels

The most common and easiest way to control lifting mechanisms is a cable remote control. It is also often left as an alternative control method in case the radio control fails. The beam crane consists of the following main parts:

• metal structures (bridge), which includes span and end beams with movement drives;
• electric hoist (hoist), whichcarries out the lifting and lowering of the load, as well as its movement along the span beam.

Usually the hoist comes with the control panel. If the hoist is purchased specifically to complete the crane-beam, then its remote control initially has two additional buttons to control the movement of the bridge, and an additional pair of contactors is installed in the electrical panel. Thus, it remains only to hang the hoist on the span beam, connect the movement motors to the electrical panel of the hoist - and the crane is ready for operation. The remote control of a conventional hoist has 4 buttons, the control panel of a crane beam has 6 buttons.

The main disadvantage of the cable remote is its low mobility. During the operation of the crane-beam, the operator is forced to be in close proximity to the transported load, which is unsafe. In addition, a person has to follow the crane beam throughout the workshop. In addition, the cable for the control panel of the crane-beam wears out over time from kinks and begins to require replacement.

Radio control overhead crane

A more expensive, but also more convenient way to control a lifting mechanism is a radio remote control. The radio control set consists of a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver is connected to the electrical panel of the crane-beam in the same way as the wired remote control, and the transmitter is located at the operator.

Thus, the person operating the device is not limited in movement and can be onconsiderable distance from the transported cargo. It's convenient and safe.

In case of failure of the remote control of the beam crane, it is enough to purchase a new one and synchronize it with the receiver using a special program. There is no need to purchase a whole new set of equipment.

Recently, many enterprises, realizing the advantages of remote control of lifting devices, massively transfer their overhead cranes to radio control.

Push-button control panels for overhead cranes

This is the most popular type of remote control, be it cable system or radio control. This is due to the following reasons:

• cheap manufacturing;
• compact;
• ease of use;
• button remotes are suitable for most users, since the number of speeds on crane beam drives rarely exceeds two, and in this case, buttons are more convenient than joysticks.

Frequency control of a crane is very convenient, but it is much more expensive than a conventional relay-contactor circuit, and in the event of a breakdown, it requires costly repairs and adjustments. Not every owner of handling equipment can afford such a luxury, so joystick remotes are still in little demand compared to push-button ones.

Joystick Remotes

Remotes are not only push-button, but also joystick. The latter, as a rule, are used on heavy cranes with a frequency control system - joysticks have five stepsmovement in each direction, which is convenient for step speed control. In addition, there are many different buttons for connecting additional functions - sound and light alarms, emergency stop, etc. For ease of operation, the remote control is worn around the neck, freeing the operator with both hands.

Popular models of cable remotes

The leading positions in the Russian market are occupied by XAS type consoles. These are Schneider Electric products, but their Chinese clones are the most popular due to their extreme cheapness, relative reliability and high degree of protection against dust and moisture.

HAS remote controls are produced in a wide range - from two to twelve buttons, equipped with an emergency stop button for the mechanism and a key-mark to prevent unauthorized access to the control of the crane beam. The buttons can be single or double position, depending on how many speeds the crane has for each movement.

The most common radio control

The undisputed flagship of the Russian radio control market is the Taiwanese company Telecrane, which manufactures products under an Italian license. As in the case of XAS remotes, the non-original has a much better price with comparable quality. The manufacturer provides the widest range of products with different functionality.

The load handler can be controlled from a distance of up to 100 meters. The company offers radio control kits with push buttons and joysticks.remotes with different number of buttons. Depending on the models, it is possible to control lifting mechanisms with the number of speeds from one to five for each movement.