The space that the control system takes up in the control cabinet is comparatively small with respect to the converters, but it is the decisive component that sets BANG cranes apart from their competitors. "Our process cranes are so much more than basic lifting gear – in reality, we can call them large-scale robots" – continuing, Christoph Bang explained "this is because our cranes can automatically move heavy loads in challenging production areas and risky environments."

To achieve this, over the years the company has continually increased the level of automation of its solutions. We've also integrated a sway control system to ensure that load movement is dampened when accelerating and braking – a central function not only to make handling easier in the manual mode, but also to facilitate semi or fully automatic operation of our crane systems. Based on powerful sensors and control system, BANG cranes can automatically pick up, move and place down loads so that manual interventions can be restricted to an emergency stop or when transitioning to manual control.

This collaboration resulted in automation and drive solutions from Siemens being fully integrated in the company's process cranes. BANG was the first Siemens Solution Partner for cranes in Germany, and this collaboration has developed over the years to become a true partnership: BANG benefited at an early stage in the close contact as a result of the innovation in the automation domain; while Siemens, on the other hand, leverages Bang's technological expertise to continually improve its solutions for cranes. This resulted in a whole series of innovative solutions, for example, the sway control or the advanced safety functions of the crane systems.

The huge diversity of functions and systems makes Siemens automation and drive technology attractive, but it's the reliability that is especially crucial. "Some of our process cranes have been in operation around the world for more than 20 years, so we need a partner who can guarantee the appropriate sustainability and global availability of spare parts," states Christoph Bang. "We must also be able to adapt our systems to address the widest range of requirements. Thanks to the outstanding scalability of Siemens systems, we have been able to successfully implement a modular concept to address this objective."

Marcel Frank, who heads up the electrical design department for Bang, also sees a huge advantage as a result of the scalability of Siemens components. "This means that we can use those components that precisely fit the application. This is also important, as space in the control cabinet for process cranes represents a significant cost factor." In many of their applications, BANG uses SINAMICS booksize converter modules, which offer an especially high power density.

All the components can be engineered and configured in a uniform and seamless environment as Marcel Frank explained: "We have one system and one program with which we can cover everything – from selecting components in the TIA Selection Tool through exchanging data with the electrical planning department up to engineering standard and safety-relevant functions in the TIA Portal." And specifically, the current generation of SIMATIC S7-1500 controllers offers a high degree of integration and a huge diversity of options and features – which makes configuring even simpler. All of this certainly pays off for BANG: "As a whole, using this seamless solution we slashed our engineering time by about 20%", acknowledged Christoph Bang.