Crane Cab Simulator

Offshore Simulation Equipment

Following the Moving Platform project, where we helped proved a concept, we were asked to design the simulator’s crane cab itself, ready for manufacture.

Software used:

Early prototype produced at the client’s HQ in Norway. This was our starting point.

The Brief

This design project was extremely heavy on the ergonomics side, with the aesthetics playing a small part. The primary reason for this was the pragmatic use of the end product – the view from within a physical offshore crane cab was of paramount importance to replicate. This was, after all, a training tool for reality.

We had our moving base designed and ready from the successful completion of a previous design engineering project. The challenge now was to design a crane cab around specified equipment, which could fully articulate as a crane cab at sea would (including wave motion), yet remain within the confines of the spherical simulator project screen surrounding it. On top of all of this, there was the requirement that it could break down into pieces small enough to be palletised and shipped anywhere in the world.

This was fun!

Space Constraints

Seating

There were two seating components to be allowed for in the design. The first was the Recaro Maritime North Sea control chair. This would also have two arm rests fitted to it, either side, and need to rotate 90 degrees to the left in order for the operative to access it.

The second chair was a smaller fold-away, where an instructor could sit if needed. Both of these chairs needed to be accessed from the rear, where the gap in the spherical projection screen allowed movement into and from the simulator unit.

Spherical Projection Screen

The second critical set of measurements was how the entire cab unit sat inside the spherical projection screen of the simulator.

The overall dimensions of the screen were fixed to a size suitable for installation in a typical office space without need to alter ceiling lines. The ideal eye height for the operative was perpendicular to the equatorial line of the sphere, and there needed to be enough space beneath the floor of the crane cab unit to house the moving platform.

Movement Limits

Additionally, as the crane cab would move, mimicking the roll of the ocean and the turning of the cab itself, it needed to remain inside a critical space within the spherical projection screen, so as not to damage the screen itself.

Visual Ergonomics

It was imperative that the crane cab operative had a field of vision over 70 degrees to their left and right.

By exporting the CAD file from Autodesk Inventor to NewTek LightWave 3D, we could place a camera at a typical vantage point and record the resultant field of view.

Production Drawings

Needless to say, the crane cab simulator project produced a whopping 104 original production drawings, with some of those handed to create more pieces. A parts list was also drawn up, for sundries bought in.

Prototype Assembly

As is typical for any project of this kind, we carried out a test build of the first prototype.

This allows us to see for ourselves any issues with manufacturing, giving us the opportunity to make any alterations needed to the production drawings. We can also follow any build instructions we may pass on to the eventual customers or construction engineers, and ensure they are adequately clear and concise.

Installation Testing

This short video shows the very first cab unit during installation in Norway.

Notice the critical space between the top front corners of the cab unit and the spherical projection screen surrounding it.

Final Product

The final design has been built several times now, and shipped around the world for various end clients. The two smaller images show a pair of crane cab simulators being installed at the Farstad Shipping Offshore Simulation Centre in Perth, Australia, whilst the single image shows the installations in our client’s headquarters in Alesund, Norway.