52 cranes at Hinkley Point C work in safety thanks to the expertise of AMCS technologies

Since three years AMCS technologies has had the privilege of participating in one of its most challenging projects.

The company specialised in zoning and anti-collision systems for lifting machines equips the 52 tower cranes at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant site in England. This site benefits from all the expertise of AMCS technologies in terms of safety and productivity. 

The construction of the buildings that will house the two nuclear reactors is currently being carried out by 52 tower cranes with horizontal and luffing jibs, of which 4 are traveling. They are all equipped with the DCS 61-S, the latest generation anti-collision and zoning system from AMCS technologies. 

The company also supplies part of this extraordinary project with additional security products (cameras, aircraft warning lights, etc.). 

This project represents a real technical challenge in the market of anti-collision, due to the high number of different kind of cranes in a very small area. 

AMCS technologies has been meeting this challenge for more than 3 years by installing 52 anti-collision systems which are all in active mode today and running daily. The anti-collision system is essential to ensure the safety and productivity of this project. The 52 tower cranes each have several inference zones with other cranes. This means that several cranes can work in the same area and the risk of collisions between their cables or between cables and jibs could occur. 

The DCS 61-S systems allow these numerous areas of interference to be managed in real time. Consequently, this ensures the productivity of the site but also the safety of the machines and the 3,500 workers (in periods of high traffic) mobilized day and night (20 hours per day), 7 days a week. The DCS 61-S detects in real time the risk of collision of all interfering crane components (for example jib on jib, jib on cable, etc.). The device calculates in real time and in 3D the distances between each element of the cranes as well as the speeds and direction of movement (when they are on the rails) in order to intervene on the control mechanisms of the crane to ensure a slowing down and then a complete immobilization of the machine at a preset distance from the other machine. 

The system also provides the crane operator with working comfort by displaying all the parameters useful for operating the machine. It gives him the possibility of visualizing in real time the position of his crane as well as the positions of interfering cranes as such guaranteeing high performance in terms of site productivity. AMCS technologies also developed site supervisors (SUP 61) available for site management. They can view and monitor in real time the activity of the cranes as well as their positions, the operation of the DCS 61-S devices installed on the site and all other useful information (eg wind speed).