What products does Erne offer to the crane lifting industry?

Erne Lifting is a proud partner of Vita Industrial and the Australian Distributor for load stabilization devices - Vita Load Navigator, Rocketlever - that utilize a system of powerful air thrusters and proprietary special awareness sensors that enable “precision load positioning.” This eliminates the need for taglines, as it stops loads from spinning, automatically repositions loads in controlled increments, and can be manually controlled via remote down to 1° increments.

How do the Load Navigator and its load stabilization technology work?

The Vita Load Navigator is a remotely operated, suspended load system that utilizes load stabilization technology. The system uses an aviation sensor suited to sense position and motion and automatically stabilizes loads, ensuring high-precision lifts in even the most challenging environments. The Navigator captures well over 1,000 data points per second and feeds the motion control engine to dynamically adjust to load sizes, crane movement, and environmental conditions. Four independent electric thrusters' pulse vectored air to reorient the load either autonomously, or by a user via a control pendant. With what precision can a Load Navigator navigate and place loads? The Navigator can continually hold loads with up to 1° precision, also enabling the operator to position and reorient a load within 1° of accuracy. The wireless system has a handshake feature that enables one operator to pass control to another operator in a different position that is optimally situated to place a load due to their line of site. Remote control response time is under a second, allowing for fast reactivity and reorientation.

What is the maximum, lift capacity of the VLN?

WLL is 40 Tonne.

How does load stabilization technology increase the ability to use cranes at higher wind speeds (safety envelope)?

High wind speeds exert a large force on loads. This makes the crane use some of its load capacity to withstand this force and reduce its effective capacity. Neglecting the effect of high wind could lead to miscalculation of the crane capacity and raise serious safety concerns on the job site. High wind could also cause load spinning, which leads to job site accidents. The thruster technology in the Navigator stabilizes loads and enables control in wind gusts as high as 30 mph. This increase in wind envelopes allows the crane to operate on more occasions, thus increasing crane utilization and expediting construction progress.

What are the implications of eliminating taglines on the job site?

Taglines have been used in construction for thousands of years. But they are deemed inefficient, unstable, and more importantly, dangerous. With the Vita Load Navigator, loads remain stable, in a pre-set orientation, despite wind or slew impacts on the load. This eliminates the need for long taglines and significantly enhances operational VITA INDUSTRIAL FAQ October 2022 efficiency and safety. Load stabilization technology enables crews to place loads exactly where they want without running a tagline at the ground level. This means a more efficient utilization of space and labor. It is also considerably safer. According to a MAC Safety Consultants’ research, utilizing stabilization technology can reduce crane-related fatalities by 75% and risk of a crane-related injury by 63%. Are Load Navigators already in use on job sites in North America? Yes, Navigators are already being utilized at construction sites. For example, Creative Lifting Services has also tested the Navigator for a tower crane erection on a busy city block in Boulder, Colorado, and was impressed by its performance. There is a Navigator deployed on a wind farm in Texas for tower construction, and another helping with construction at an oil refinery. According to Vita Industrial, its customers are pleased with the increased efficiency and safety they are seeing so far, and the company anticipates widespread adoption of Navigators in the future.