25 years of eliminating operator fatigue and safety risks with Spohn & Burkhardt
At AS Controls, we have the experience and knowledge to understand what is required from a joystick, whatever the conditions or wherever they are fitted, which can be as diverse as an air-conditioned control room to the harsh environment of a steelworks.
To illustrate our expertise, which has been gained over 25 years, we have worked with our manufacturing partner, Spohn & Burkhardt and our customers to identify any issues which may have arisen and then engineer any problems away.
Case Study: A case in point was a steelworks application where the customers Crane Operator were experiencing problems with RSI Issues whilst operating their existing Eaton Cutler Hammer Joysticks. The Crane Engineers and Management were also concerned about the safety issues as the joysticks were “Stay Put” and not spring return to centre which meant that the Crane could be moving without the Crane Operators hand on the joystick, creating an unsafe working condition.
In 1997 we introduced our VNS0 joystick which incorporated spring return to the centre off position when the crane operator removed his hand from the joystick and also lift up mechanical lock which meant that the joystick could not be moved out of the centre position by accident.
VNS0 Joystick with Lift up Lock
🕹 Our VNS0 Joystick was first installed in 1997. The Joystick had an 8mm diameter Handle Shaft, with a spring return to centre off position, with a lift up mechanical lock deadman handle.
➡ The feedback was that crane operators were complaining about having to lift up the mechanical deadman. Also, through misuse they were bending the 8mm handle shaft.
➡ The Solution was to develop a joystick with a stronger 12mm handle shaft, and also a push down mechanical lock Deadman handle.
NNS0 Joystick with DC Contacts and Push Down lock
🕹 The NNS0 Joystick, installed in 1998, had a 12mm diameter handle shaft, with a spring return to centre off position. The joystick had a push down mechanical lock deadman handle.
➡ The feedback showed that due to the environmental conditions of the steelworks, the engineers required a stronger joystick akin to the mechanically robust Eaton Cutler Hammer joysticks that were prevalent throughout the Steelworks countrywide.
➡ The Solution: we worked with our manufacturing partner to produce the mechanically stronger VNSB2 joystick with a spring return to centre and pushdown mechanical lock deadman handle which complied with the Steelworks joysticks safety regulations.
VNSB2 Joystick with Push Down Lock
🕹 In 2000, the first The VNSB2 Joystick, was installed with a 12mm diameter handle shaft, contacts for 460vDC control circuits, a spring return to centre off position and a push down mechanical lock deadman handle.
➡ The feedback: The Crane Operators were used to the Eaton Culter Hammer Joysticks, which were “stay-put” and did not comply with the Safety Regulations. So, when they were presented with the VNSB2, they were complaining about having to push against springs.
➡ The solution we developed was the “T” Grip sensor handle which worked in conjunction with the stay put joystick, eliminating the need for the spring return to centre operation. The Crane Operator now had a stay put joystick and as long as he had his hand touching the handle, that joystick was operational. If his hand lost connection with the handle, the joystick would go in to failsafe, meaning he had to move the joystick handle back to the centre position to reset the joystick, and begin the operation again.
VNSB2 Joystick with T-Grip Sensor Handle
🕹 The VNSB2 Joystick with T Grip Sensor Handle, was first installed in 2002. The joystick has a 12mm diameter handle shaft, DC Contacts for 460vDC Control Circuits, a stay put operation and a T Grip sensor deadman handle.
➡ The feedback from the Crane Drivers was generally very good, although in some instances, the crane operator needed to take his hand off one of the joysticks to perform another operation. At times, this caused some frustration and inefficiency when operating the crane, as it meant that the joystick had to be moved back to centre position to reset the joystick, each time your hand was removed.
➡ The solution that was introduced, was an adjustable timer into the joystick circuit, which meant that the crane operator could then take his hand off the joystick, if he needed to perform another operation, before the joystick timed out and went to failsafe resulting in the efficient operation of the crane and eliminating any potential RSI issues.
VNSB2 Joystick with T-Grip Sensor Handle and Timer
🕹 In 2003, the VNSB2 with T Grip Sensor Handle, complete with a Timer Circuit and stay put operation was introduced and installed. This consisted of a 12mm diameter handle shaft, DC Contacts for 460vDC control circuits and stay put operation. The T Grip sensor deadman handle works in conjunction with an optional timer circuit for operational efficiency.
➡ The feedback from crane operators have reported that there have not been any issues with operating the joysticks, and they far outlast any other joystick due to the mechanically strong construction and ease of use.
Some of the original joysticks are still in operation today!
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