The ASTAT Digital Crane Motion Controller has

better control and information properties

compared to earlier controllers. Equally

important is the focus on quality of hardware

components. The digital controller can be

mounted on a steel plant crane in hot countries

such as India without extra cooling or air

conditioning. This capability provides additional

benefits to worldwide industrial crane users.

i.e. The crane control system must withstand

dirty, hot and cold environments in addition to

difficult power supply systems. This has forced

us to integrate functions like brake control, time

relays, logic control and thermistor relays into

the ASTAT controller. Generic products with the

same robustness as the ASTAT controller are

difficult to find. With this level of integration we

offer a complete, fully tested motion control system.

Slip-ring motors may be produced with small

internal rotor losses. This is important in crane

applications with multiple motors and a high

demand for good motion control. As well as

being ideal for crane applications, slip-ring

motors are low on maintenance with brushes

being exchanged only every 5 to 10 years.

ASTAT uses the slip-rings for measurement of

the rotor frequency and from this calculates the

speed. In most cases no tachometer or pulse

encoder is necessary.

The operator controls the crane motion, while

all rotor contactors are optimized by ASTAT, as

an integrated part of the current control. This

results in dramatically reduced wear of

contactors and crane mechanical parts. Crane

maintenance costs will therefore be reduced.