18 Cranes Equipped With AMCS Anti-Collision System Works Together in France

The 18 Potain tower cranes that make up the foundation site for the Fécamp wind farm will all be equipped with DCS 61-S anti-collision systems.

An offshore wind farm with 71 wind turbines will be located between 13 and 22 kilometers off the coast of Fécamp in Normandy. These wind turbines will be connected to gravity foundations installed on the seabed at depths between 25 and 30 meters.

The design and construction works of the 71 concrete gravity structures for the foundation of the offshore wind farm are carried out on the Bougainville shipyard, at the Grand Port Maritime at Le Havre.

In order to deliver the project by the end of 2022, 18 traveling cranes are needed. Two MDT 349 move on 120 meters of rails and the sixteen MR 608 machines of the same height are spread over 4 parallel tracks (4 cranes on each track).

This project represents a real technical challenge in the world of anti-collision and AMCS technologies was chosen to meet this challenge. The anti-collision system is essential to ensure the safety and productivity of this project because several cranes move on the same track and are placed at the same height. Jibs can therefore collide easily.

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 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 while guaranteeing high performance in terms of site productivity.

Other technical prowess is expected to be in place on this site next year.