Push-to-Operate Your Radio Remote Control

Company

A large North American automobile manufacturer.

Challenge

Improve the safety of operators working on a stamping bay crane.

Solution

The manufacturer partnered with Cattron to implement the safety enhancement after quickly realizing that Cattron was the only company capable of doing what they wanted and the experience to make it a reality. They upgraded their remote control equipment with a customized controller incorporating a Push-To-Operate (PTO) bar. The automobile manufacturer bolstered the safety and efficiency of its stamping operation that uses Electric Overhead Travelling (EOT) cranes to load and unload large dies to its stamping presses.

The cranes were already fitted with remote control equipment, keeping the operators at a safe distance. However, the existing controllers were not enough to satisfy their safety needs, which required every remote controller to be equipped with a PTO bar. The PTO feature requires the operators to press the bar while the crane operates. The crane will stop operating if the bar is no longer pressed. This reassured the production team that the operator could quickly and almost instantly stop the crane if something happened.

In addition to the PTO bar on the controller, Cattron implemented RF Close Start functionality that requires the operator to be within a defined distance of the crane before the crane can be started. Finally, the system needed to interface with a step-less crane control system, all of which Cattron provided.

Cattron offers an integrated PTO bar on its controllers with a proven track record of producing safety-driven and efficiency-focused wireless remote control solutions for various industrial applications. The PTO bar remains one of the most effective and straightforward safety measures available, and it is challenging for wireless remote control manufacturers to design ergonomically. Cattron’s deep specialization and experience with designing, manufacturing, and servicing industrial remote control equipment made it the number one choice for this manufacturer, giving them the safety, efficiency and quality they needed.