Control Network as Back Bone of the Crane Motion Control System

Requirements of modern cranes and another heavy-duty material handling systems result in demand for sophisticated crane control and automation systems capable of handling loads fast and reliable connection to the particular information systems. These systems continuously provide up-dated information about containers moves and crane status. The total function is built up of a number of distinct building blocks installed from the beginning or added on after. Many of the building blocks are tightly connected to each other to achieve the right functionality and performance. For steel mill cranes and another similar industrial systems special attention is paid to the systems robustness, reliability and availability. Generally, the crane motion control system supports positioning, brake control, and another application function. In order to achieve a number of different possibilities to solve engineered problems, the multidrive concept is applied. Mentioned concept includes: powerful process controller with advanced multitasking, capable of handling several real time critical control loops simultaneously, high speed communication links between different clients, accurate measurement and fast transmission of drive positions and speeds and centralized interface for diagnostics of the complete system. This paper presents the important features of Control Network used in crane motion concept with Digital Drive Controller (DDC) system. DDC system, based on operational flexibility through standardized hardware and software modules, offers a solution for many engineered crane application problems.