SCX provides Heathrow with Crane Scale System

Street CraneXpress Ltd (SCX) have supplied a remote radio link crane scale assembly that is helping Virgin Atlantic keep a track of the loads being handled at its Heathrow Maintenance hangar.

Developed by Weightron Bilanciai, the crane scale assembly features a model LD chargeable 20t capacity scale, a bi-directional UHF radio link, a D800 weight terminal and an audible alarm.

The crane system has been installed to monitor loads in the overhead crane system of Virgin Atlantic's maintenance facility during the lifting of major aircraft components such as, engines, engine nose cowls and wing flap assemblies.

Using the remote link, weight data can be transmitted up to 500m with a direct line of sight connection. The LD crane scale also fetaures a seven-section backlit LED display.

Lifting such components requires monitoring of the pre-loaded weight at all times in order to prevent overloading the aircraft structure. As such, the D800 weight terminal features 100Db alarm if pre-set loads are exceeded. The first set-point can be manually set by engineers at a level incrementally above the known weight of the load. The second acts as a maximum crane system overload warning and permanently set at 16 tonnes.

Andy Currey, Tooling and GSE Manager at Virgin Atlantic commented on the system ''it is vitally important to ensure critical and operations are carried out safely and effectively''. This system gives rapid warning to the crane operator if lifting forces exceed pre-set safety levels. The wireless radio link allows excellent operational flexibility within the expansive hangar and the system can be transferred if required''.