Abstract: An assembly, system and method for compensating a crane position offset error based on wheel float by viewing, with an optical sensor located on a trolley on the crane, a target or target shape adjacent a storage rack containing a vertically stored mill roll and determining a positional compensation signal based on a separation or offset of a center of a field of view of the sensor from a center of the target shape. The assembly, system or method compensates for the crane position offset error by moving the crane, as instructed by the positional compensation signal, a distance equal to the separation or offset of the center of the field of view of the sensor from the center of the target.

Abstract: A device, system, and method for testing and measuring the grip strength of tongs for a crane system is provided. The device may include a frame body carrying a testing assembly configured to measure the tong grip strength. The system may include the grip strength tester used in conjunction with a crane including an operator tower and a pulley assembly operatively connected to the tongs. The method of use associated with the tong grip strength tester may include the steps of expanding a distance between teeth on the tongs and positioning the teeth adjacent sides of the testing assembly, then closing the tongs thereby clamping teeth to the sides of the testing assembly. Then, the testing assembly measures the compressive force associated with the tongs and registers the compressive force in a computer system to determine whether the grip strength is sufficient to lift a weighted slab of material.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically positioning a metal coil into a rail car using stereoscopic image processing is presented. A method begins by picking up the metal coil using a hoist of a crane. The metal coil is then moved to a position over a rail car to where the metal coil will be located. At least one stereoscopic photo is taken of a location in the rail car to where the metal coil will be located. The coil is accurately positioned as it is lowered based on data extracted from the stereoscopic photo(s) to determine where the coil is as it is lowered onto the rail car. The picking up the metal coil, the moving the metal coil to a position over a rail car and the lowering the metal coil into the rail car are performed automatically without human involvement.