35
MAY-JUNE 2013
access
INTERNATIONAL
Safety first
Euan Youdale
spoke to Antonio Silvestri,
technical manager at Autec and Alexander
Hemming, head of product management
at HBC-radiomatic, about how remote
controls are adapting to the modern
access work environment.
of emergency. Autec’s
system ensures that the
AWP can only operate
when the supervisor unit is engaged
and ready. Our solution consists of a basket
transmitter used by the operator in the
basket, an observer transmitter used by the
operator on the ground, and a special-purpose
receiver capable of communicating with both
transmitters simultaneously.
MR HEMMING:
Our latest innovations are the
technos 2 and spectrum E radio controls.
Both come with integrated 3.5 inch colour
LCD screen allowing for the clear indication
of feedback data being provided from the
machine.This includes height of the platform,
oil temperature, engine speed and much more.
In addition, the colour display can be used
with the new live video transmission feature.
By means of up to eight video cameras on the
machine or in the work area, the operator can
safely work even in areas with limited view.
The live video is shown on the display and
can be used as a ‘third eye’ ensuring maximum
safety. Furthermore, both radio controls can
be equipped with various combinations of
joysticks, linear levers, toggle and push buttons
and various other operating elements.
AI:
How have safety
requirements affected the
design of your products?
MR SILVESTRI:
An example is that the EN
280 European standard for MEWPs still
specifies the stop function, according to the
old EN 954-1 safety of machinery standard.
The expected revision of the EN 280 standard
will conceivably require even higher safety
performance levels, namely between PL d and
PL e. Performance levels such as PL d and PL
e translate in specific design terms as hardware
redundancy/diversity, diagnostics of dangerous
failures, components with exceptional
reliability, rigorous software development and
extensive tests. All these measures add up to
offer the user higher safety and reliability, thus
Access International:
What are
your latest products for the
powered access market?
MR SILVESTRI:
Autec has recently developed
the Supervised Operator System. Due to the
potential hazards of working on live power
lines operators require the presence of a safety
observer system that can intervene in case
An isolated boom
using Autec controls
The spectrum E from HBC-Radiomatic
is designed to offer a broad range of
functions in an easy-to-use design
CONTROLLERS
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