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The storage and processing of metal coils are important activities in the metals industry. These coils can weigh as much as 50 tons, stand 7 feet high, and have a width of 6 feet, making the handling of them challenging. Trutegra has proven automation technology for the cranes and transfer cars that handle these metal coils. Recently, a company that standardizes on Trutegra’s crane technology expanded its facility.

This new expansion contains 1800 storage locations. Trutegra incorporated multiple sensors (lasers, limit switches, encoders, load cells) to measure the selected coil and verify that it matched the information from the Level 2 system. Once picked, the selected coil is moved to a transfer car for transport to another area of the plant for processing, e.g., galvanizing, annealing or shipping.  

These fully automated cranes run 24/7 in a limited-lighting warehouse.  Each crane has its own PLC, receiving commands from the Level 2 system and executing all the maneuvers necessary to complete the orders. There are multiple cranes on each runway, adding another layer of complexity to the project. This results in an overlap in the area of travel, requiring careful execution of moves and the inclusion of collision avoidance technology. Trutegra’s Skew Control package keeps the bridge girders perpendicular to the rails at all times. In total there are 10 fully automated cranes, 10 semi-automated cranes, and 24 semi-automated transfer cars across 3 buildings running Trutegra’s technology.

Trutegra has also successfully automated the handling of metal processed as slit coils. These coils are significantly narrower and lighter (usually only 2 to 24 inches wide and weighing less than five tons), and are typically stacked “eye to the sky”. Due to these unique challenges, this was an entirely manual process for our customer. Trutegra custom-designed the mounting system for an array of sensors on the coil grabs to enable automation. The implementation of Trutegra’s TruStor Warehouse Management System enabled the tracking of these coils in storage, as well as optimization of the storage to minimize crane time to retrieve coils. Since these cranes do not run 24/7, it was possible to optimize the storage field at night, bringing coils required for the next day to the front and top of the stacks. Along with Trutegra’s No-Sway technology, these features improved the efficiency of production significantly, eliminating manual intervention, saving both time and money.

A common practice when providing crane automation is to include regenerative drive technology. In an aluminum processor, Trutegra provided this technology along with its advanced crane automation features, allowing previously wasted energy to be recaptured. The need for braking resistors was eliminated, further increasing the savings to the customer.

A typical challenge across these projects is the need for wireless communication. Constant, reliable communication is a critical requirement in any automation project – especially so with cranes. Metal tends to reflect and distort the bounced RF signal, and the large number of reflective surfaces on the ground beneath the crane causes havoc with wireless communications. It is necessary for the wireless hardware to be able to filter the reflections in order to discern the correct signal. Trutegra is well-versed in this technology and can provide robust communications for these critical assets.

The storage and processing of metal coils are important activities in the metals industry. These coils may weigh 40-50 tons, stand 5-6 feet high, and have a width of 4-4 1/2 feet, making the handling of them challenging. Trutegra has provided automation technology for the cranes that handle these metal coils. For example, the project for one company involved the automation of existing cranes and upgrades to the hardware and technology. Recently that company expanded its facilities and the Trutegra technology was written into the specification for the expansion. Thus, suppliers of the new cranes used Trutegra’s automation technology.

The new facility contained approximately 1800 storage locations with an existing Level 2 system that informed the crane operators which coil was to be picked up, together with the physical characteristics of that coil. The incorporation of multiple sensors and load cells allowed measurement of the selected coil and verified that it matched the information from the Level 2 system. The selected coil is usually moved to a transfer car for transport to another area of the plant for processing, e.g., galvanizing or annealing.  

The cranes run 24/7 and are fully automated, incorporating laser positioning technology.  They are essentially self-contained with a PLC on each crane receiving commands from the Level 2 system and executing all the maneuvers necessary to complete the orders. A common feature of both the old and new facilities of the company is the use of multiple cranes on the same runway. This results in an overlap in the area of travel, requiring the inclusion of collision avoidance technology. Skew control was also provided in the automation technology due to the size of the bridge span. In total there are fourteen fully automated cranes and 6 semi-automated cranes across 3 buildings running Trutegra’s technology.

Trutegra has also successfully automated the handling of metal processed as slit coils that are significantly narrower and lighter (usually only two or three inches wide and weighing less than five tons). The handling of slit coils was originally entirely manual before Trutegra implemented their TruStor Inventory Management System, coupled with sway control software, which allowed the cranes to automatically find the required coils. The cranes do not run 24/7 and it was possible to optimize the storage field at night, bringing coils required for the next day to the front and top of the stacks. This improved the efficiency of production significantly and eliminated much of the manual intervention, thus saving both time and money.

Trutegra has also provided crane automation technology to facilities processing aluminum.  In one facility the existing cranes were already fully automated, but the technology required upgrading. The project also involved using regenerative drives, dissipating previously wasted power back to the grid. The need for braking resistors was eliminated and the waste of energy as heat was avoided.

One challenge with these projects arose from the need for wireless communications, which are a critical part of the Trutegra technology. Metal tends to reflect and distort the bounced RF signal and the large number of reflective surfaces on the ground beneath the crane causes havoc with wireless communications. It is necessary for the wireless hardware to be able to filter the reflections in order to discern the correct signal.

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