Trimble's displays for monitoring crane sensors

California-based Trimble has announced the availability of the Trimble MBR Series Displays for quick, handheld or cab-mounted wireless monitoring of crane sensors. The MBR Series Displays can monitor load, wind speed, wind gust, A2B, boom angle, trim angle, list angle, rope payout, rope speed and/or pressure for many crane and lifting applications.

The MBR Series Displays are “efficient, simple and precise,” said Olivier Desrochers, crane operator at Grues Laurier, a Quebec-based crane rental and construction company. The MBR Series includes a handheld, battery-powered version (MBR100) and a cab-mounted, vehicle-powered version (MBR105). Both display models can monitor one analog and one digital sensor simultaneously. The battery-powered MBR100 operates with four  ‘AA’ cell batteries; the MBR105 operates with a 9-30 volt power connection. Unlike other portable displays, the MBR100 has a long battery life—up to 90 operational hours using alkaline batteries or 125 operational hours using lithium batteries.

“The compact size and long battery life from standard off-the-shelf  ‘AA’ batteries alone are a great solution, but the MBR100 takes it even further by simplifying the sensor ID programming and taring a load, making this a perfect product for load testing applications with the flexibility to check and monitor standard sensor data,” said Adam Hyla, branch manager Offshore & HALO Smart Crane at Hoist & Crane Service Group Inc., a national provider of lifting equipment inspections, preventative maintenance and repairs based in Louisiana.

The MBR100 is portable and lightweight (0.95 pounds or 430 grams), allowing free mobility on the jobsite while providing comfortable, in-hand monitoring of Trimble’s wireless crane sensors. With a wide line-of-sight wireless communication range of 4,260 feet, the MBR Series Displays can monitor sensors using “Listening Mode” without modifying the current RF network hierarchy. Users can set limits for alarms and view the peak load during use when programmed with a load sensor.

“The MBR Display Series has been designed to be utilized by a range of customers,” said Dawn Cirkl, business area director for Trimble’s Lifting Solutions Division. “Whether it’s an OEM wanting to test a machine’s design, a crane supervisor wanting to monitor a load, or an inspector certifying a crane during its annual inspection, the MBR Display Series offers a wide variety of applications.”

The MBR Series Displays are compatible with Trimble’s Lifting Solutions wireless sensors and transmitters.


Originally published in the second quarter 2016 edition of 10/12 Industry Report