According to the company, the three-dimensional computer-aided drafting system assists with the creation of drawings detailing each aspect of a proposed lift.ĭevelopments in lift planning software continue to be complemented by advances in technology, and an emerging phenomenon is the lift supervisor equipped with palm-held PC. The latest Crane/Cad version configures the equipment for specific lift requirements, taking into account ‘all critical factors’.

The software featured on the cover of Cranes Today back in 1992. As these facilities tend to have plot plans and equipment drawings already prepared in AutoCAD, they require a compatible lift planning tool, which usually includes a library of rigging elements.Ĭanadian firm Irving Equipment claims to have led the lifting industry with the development of Crane/CAD lift planning software in 1983, which allowed their engineering team to “select the ideal crane for any lift by looking at clearances and capacities and providing detailed drawings”. The other type of lift planning software are the AutoCAD computer-aided design systems made for the refinery and industrial sectors. This software is useful for crane dispatchers, and is generally offered by the crane manufacturers.

The first is focused on crane capacity optimisation, with a crane and capacity database and elementary graphics used to produce a lift sketch. Meehan says, broadly, two types of software have emerged. The reason for emphasising lift diagrams is to avoid errors that can lead to accidents.” These three criteria will result in the generation of many lift diagrams.

“One customer involved in building a power plant related that he must produce lift diagrams for lifts over 75% capacity of any crane, all lifts involving two cranes and any lift over 20 US ton. David Wheeldon reports.Ĭomputerised plans have revolutionised the appearance and consistency of lift plans, and now, advances in technology have made it possible to anticipate many complex lift movements to within millimetres.Īmerican software developer Lift Planner’s CEO Jim Meehan says demand for crane and rigging planning software is increasing worldwide, especially as large construction projects often impose firm guidelines as to when a lift diagram must be generated. Modern lift planning software has allowed 3D video simulations to supersede hand-drawn sketches.

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