This case study was originally published on the Dassault Systèmes website. You can read the article in its entirety, here.

Challenge:
Boom cranes are long arm-like construction parts used to move heavy or awkward materials. Sometimes when a crane is lifting a particular load boom deflection can occur causing “load swing”. Well-experienced crane operators have learned how to manage “load swing” by using sensory analysis. However, sensory analysis requires an actual machine, as well as time and money to manufacture a prototype. Any adjustments found during a sensory analysis means that you have to start again from the beginning of the process. For this reason, speeding up the R&D process by establishing an environment makes it possible to validate the development process from an early stage, and facilitates the development of a real-time crane simulator (below, “simulator”) with a high level of safety that controls boom crane load swing.

Solution:
Utilizing Simpack multibody simulation software, which provides real-time simulation for largescale 3D vehicle models, we succeeded in the development of a simulator that takes into consideration human sensor analysis.

Results:
By enabling sensory analysis through real-time simulation, Tadano significantly reduced their manufacturing prototype costs and time for rework, and accelerated the time for adding new functions. In addition, they are using it as a communication tool so that the research department can communicate new ideas to the development department in a manner that is easy to understand.

DEVELOPMENT OF A SIMULATOR THAT ENABLES INDISPENSABLE SENSORY ANALYSIS IN TERMS OF THE PROPERTY OF THE CRANE
Tadano Ltd. is engaged in the manufacturing and sales of products including construction cranes, vehicle-mounted cranes, and aerial-work platforms. They celebrated their 100th anniversary in 2019 as one of the world’s leading construction crane manufacturers. Currently, the group’s business domain has been defined as machines for anti-gravity and aerial work called lifting equipment (LW), and it is engaged globally in locations including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Middle East, Oceania and Russia. Among its construction cranes, Tadano is a global leader in the number of shipments of rough terrain cranes that are in high demand in Japan because they can maneuver rough terrain. Tadano offers work vehicles optimized for customer needs in the market through its abundant line of construction cranes, including the active use of M&As for the market roll-out of all terrain cranes that lift up to 1,200 tons and crawler cranes that have a traveling body equipped with a crawler belt device (crawler). The crawler cranes lift up to 3,200 tons.