Automation
When we talk about process automation we refer to a completely autonomous and efficient system (full-auto), where in addition to obtaining all the data relating to the process, the system ensures that all the parties involved are able to manage the entire process without the need for the intervention of crane operators.
Where required, we can recreate the environment and its operating parameters in our digital twin in order to "train" our system and arrive at the plant commissioning phase with the most suitable configuration.
From Auto to Full Auto
The usual material flow in the processes automated by Vi4Crane follows this order:
In this way we achieve repeatability and control of the process ensuring that it will always work in the same way based on the initial parameters set in the system, thus achieving significant cost savings.
There is sometimes a tendency to confuse the fact that the overhead crane has the capacity to move autonomously with fully automating the cycle, and this is not like that. Firstly, in almost all cases there are many actors that have an influence on the management of material storage pits and all these same factors (in the best of cases) are controlled by the plant operators. In other words, if you cannot understand, measure, control and manage all the parameters of the operation, it will be difficult to achieve full automation. So, if you want to make the transition from an automatic management process to one in which the system is fully controlled by managing its software and not dedicating human resources, Vi4Crane can help you throughout the process.
Microservices infrastructure
We scale and adapt our system to integrate it into the plant ecosystem. Depending on the scope, environment and requirements, we can manage different communication protocols, type of hardware and, in resume, optimise the automation process and speed up the return on investment.