Intelligent Switch Solution for Safe Crane Maintenance Sections

March 2021. Conductix-Wampfler, one of the world's leading manufacturers of energy supply and data management systems for moving consumers and machinery, is launching a system solution that can be used to safely and easily de-energize crane maintenance sections.

Overhead cranes have become indispensable in today's industrial production environments. Often, several cranes are operated on one crane runway. This offers more flexibility and increases productivity. For crane operators, the challenge is to safely maintain a single crane without having to shut down all the others and without endangering the safety of the maintenance workers.

Conductix-Wampfler now has a simple and safe solution to this challenging situation: PowerGuard 0800.

PowerGuard 0800 has been designed for the use with the conductor rail series 0812 and 0813 and is not only applicable crane systems, but anywhere the question arises: How do I de-energize single consumers on a common conductor rail system while others are to continue operating? In other words: How do I ensure maximum safety without major losses in productivity?

PowerGuard 0800 is an intelligent switch system that allows to turn-off and ground individual maintenance zones. The rest of the runway remains active and fully usable. Maintenance zones can be located within the track as well as at the ends.
So-called buffer zones prevent possible collisions of the cranes still in production with the unit undergoing maintenance. Or - far worse - collisions with the maintenance personnel or maintenance equipment such as hoisting platforms. In addition, the buffer zones prevent at any time that live power can be transferred accidently into the maintenance area through current collectors of adjacent cranes.

The switches on the switching units are secured against incorrect operation by an intelligent key concept and can also be combined with existing safety concepts such as additional padlock security. A correct switching sequence is always ensured by design. Additional safety is provided by the optional signal lamps for visual indication of the voltage states of the individual phases.

PowerGuard 0800 is not only relevant for new installations but can also be easily retrofitted in existing crane systems.