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 with the capability to do 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 that require every remote controller be equipped with a Push to Operate bar. The PTO feature requires the operators to have the bar pressed while the crane is in operation. The crane will stop operating if the bar is no longer pressed. This gave the production team the added reassurance that if something happened to the operator, he/she could quickly and almost instantly stop the crane.

In addition to the PTO bar on the controller, Cattron also 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 step less crane control system, all which Cattron provided.

Cattron is the only manufacturer that 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 a variety of industrial applications. While other companies offer safety features on their controllers, such as a vigilance setting also offered by Cattron, a PTO bar remains one of the most effective and straightforward safety measures available, and very difficult for wireless remote control manufacturers to ergonomically design. 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.