The Mobile Crane Simular (MHC) is built to cover a necesity of training of this king of cranes of general use that move by means of a wheel traction system (not guided by rails) around the port termina

Description

Updated version November 2017 (here)

The Mobile Crane Simular (MHC) is built to cover a necesity of training of this king of cranes of general use that move by means of a wheel traction system (not guided by rails) around the port terminal.

Thanks to its great versatility, these cranes are widespread around the world and, specially, in smaller ports. In this simulator there is a series of exercise to upload and download of containers, pallets, special containers, general and bulk cargo.

In the programme, the crane LHM 550 of Liebherr, widespread around the world, though it could be easily adapted to oTHer crane models such as Gottwald or similars.

Characteristics of the simulator

LSyM present an advanced simulator of mobile crane (Mobile Harbour Crane Simulator, MHC). To its development the most advanced techniques in 3D graphic applications have been employed, throwing the full potential of one of the most powerful and widespread graphic engines, the OpenSceneGraph. In this line of development, MHC provides an atmosphere of total immersion, which makes of this simulator the ideal tool to develop the skills of the operator; providing him with training material to carry out his routine and preparing him to the use of the general crane.

The main goal of this simulator is being able to instruct the future operators of mobile crane completely in a cheap and less dangerous way since the given operator will carry out the same task in real life.

Types of exercises

MHC has a wide range of operations to move containers and several types of cargo in the ports. It is important to highlight that it is easy and fast to deploy new types of exercises if it were necessary for any specification of a case in particular. The exercises are divided in three habitual operations in the world of Mobile Harbour Cranes, the exercises are:

Uploading and downloading of containers, of 20 and 40 feet, the standard sizes.
Loading and unloading of pallets, cars, overwheight and general cargo.
Uploading and downloading with the grapin.

Physics of the cables

The simulator is an advanced physic model of cables that simulates in a quite loyal way to the reality of the swaying, tensions and their behaviour.

Of course, all the movements of the pendulum that occur with heavy cargo are also produced in the simulator, if the movements of the crane are more abrupt than usual.

Extra panels of information

The simulator is able to, through one or several external screens, show the extra information screens which has also the Liebherr as the sight from the extreme of the boom downwards and the screen with all operating data gathered of the crane.

User interface

MHC has an user interface for the instructor from where he can check the condition of the crane, control it and inject some errors as the exercise is being developed.

The interface of the crane keeps reports of every user with a detailed description on how he has carried out each exercise, with a mark, number of colitions and dangerous maneuvers and more relevant information.

It will also be reflected all touches and control moves of the cranes carried out by the operator in the instructor’s interface.

Realist spreader

The Mobile Crane Simulator simulates one of the widest used standard spreader which may extend to 40 or 45 feet of distance to take containers of different sizes.
The spreader is also made for taking 20-feet containers in pairs by means of a twin-lift. Of course, it has flippers which affect to the easiness to fit the container in the proper place and it also has bolts to hook the containers or any other cargo which functions by means of this system.

Palletized cargo

For overall scope cargo, slings are used most of times; these make the moves of the cargo to be more unpredictable than they are with spreader.

Great length cargo

One of the exercises that may be carried out with the crane is the uploading and downloading of tubes, that through slings, due to its great length and weight, make it is complicated and easy to collide with the ship or any other object around the area.

Grapin

The simulator has a physic terrain model to drive bulk cargo with the grapin.
There are exercises to perform bunk moves from barge to ships, from harbour to barge and the usage of hoppers is also considered.

Other characteristics

(Advanced and HID) Sensors

The whole system of entrance of events and analogic signals of the simulator is made in a way in which it is widely operable being able to use, from game devices to high level electronic plates.

Each customer may configure, through a user-friendly interface, the controllers as they like and according to the type of engine he/she employs.

Motion platform

The simulator is capable of using a motion platform to simulate accelerations and abrupt movements as the ones produced by the real crane.

The main purpose is to assure that the user to notice a stronger feeling of realism and immersion during the training. Many time, carrying out the exercise with virtual reality simulators, either by its difficulty or its lack of physical response, may cause lack of motivation in the user at the end of these simulators.

Collaborative

The simulator is prepared to simulate several cranes similar or different in the same place at the same time.

In this way an only instructor may assess two or more operator, each one of them controlling one crane.

The skills of future machinery operators may be trained in order to improve their communication with the rest of operators, and so, improve their efficacy.

Languages

Our simulators offer multi-language support. Thanks to the configuration panel, you may change in an easy way, the language of the simulator. Currently, we offer translations into Spanish, English, French and Portuguese; if the language you want to use is not among the languages above, do not hesitate to contact us.

Types of exercises

Thanks to the simulator of exercises, our simulator offers the possibility to create custom-made exercises. In the editor, you may add items on the area, thus practices may be carried out on shortages detected in the student. The created exercise will be kept, thus it would be used afterwards by other students.

Tracker

Our simulators offer image traceability through vision thanks to the compatibility with the products natural point This technology will add one grade more of realism to the product since you will be able to change the viewing point just with a motion of your head-

Automatic updates

This tool informs about the launching of a new version of the simulator. It connects every time the application to the LSyM server group is started and it is responsible for the search of a newer version of the software, if so, a screen shows information about this new version, and a link to the direct download of the new executable.

Updates images (common)

Users and groups management

The simulator includes the necessary functions for the proper user management and working groups Through the interface basic tasks can be carried out, such as the creation, edition and delete of users and groups, adapting the use of the simulator to meet the costumer’s needs. Also, it allows to visualize the statistics and to make assessments of each student in a clear and detailed way.

Exercises assessment

Each time an exercise is carried out in the simulator, the necessary data are kept so as to assess the given exercise Users may access this information through a report of an exercise. This report contains outstanding information such as the motions made or remarkable observations and those are presented to the user through tables and graphs showing in detail each of the assessed parameters and information of interest such as the completion time of year, number of exercise performed, date, etc..

Debriefing

One of the most beneficial characteristics for the training offered by the simulators consists in being able to reproduce any exercise which have been carried of previously. This characteristic is very important when trying to identify the mistakes made during an exercise, since the exercises may be reproduced and the recording may we watched from any angle, rewinding or pausing the reproduction.

Also, a situation that happens in the training processes is that students usually comment with each other the mistakes they may have made during the exercises. With this system of debriefing of our simulators, an instructor may reproduce the exercises done by any student with the aim to show the new students the mistakes that they must avoid.

Weather conditions

The simulator implements several types of weather situations that may be critical in the real world, as low visibility in a cloudy day or in a dark night. These conditions are also reflected on the physic functioning of the crane, since in rainy and windy days, operators find much more difficult to carry out with success the different exercises. It is important to highlight that, new types of exercises are easy and quickly to implement, if necessary, for some specification of a particular case.

cloudless day

Dawn and shadows Reflections in the water. OsgOcean

Screens

The screens of a simulator are a very important part of it. A wrong configuration of the screens may cause the user to experience a not so real immersion as it should be in the exercise he is performing.

Hence, our simulators provide a very intuitive and user-friendly screen configuration interface, and it is designed so as to the screen system where the simulator is being carried out is entirely configurable. Up to 8 screens may be set, placed in any position and in any angle. Having up to 8 screens allows boundless possibilities to make the visual perception of the user who employs our simulators identical to the visual perception obtained from the real crane.