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Customer application 21 September 2017

Valve Control from the Bridge

The restricted amount of space aboard ships presents great challenges for developers of marine equipment. Therefore, compact and versatile automation solutions have gained in appeal. This was also the case for MacGregor Hatlapa GmbH & Co. KG (“MacGregor Hatlapa“), headquartered in Uetersen, Germany. To control the proportional valves in their hydraulic winches, the specialists in deck machinery use an I/O module developed by WAGO specifically for controlling this type of valve.
Maritime hydraulic winches must function in very small spaces and, at times, deliver immense traction forces that should be both quickly and exactly controllable. This task is carried out by proportional valves, which convert a stepless electrical control signal into a proportional, hydraulic output signal. However, in order to easily and precisely set and monitor control variables from a distance, such as traction force and speed, the system needs intelligent electronics and freely-programmable controllers. When searching for a new solution for controlling the proportional valves in their hydraulic winches, MacGregor discovered WAGO.

Deck Handling and Cranes – Here’s How WAGO Supports You:

  • The low number of components related to use of the 750-632 WAGO I/O Modules leads to cost savings.
  • The module is compact and powerful.
  • Its advantage for controlling proportional valves lies in the integration of PLC functionality and proportional valve electronics in one device.

From DIY to New Product Development

The name Hatlapa stands for high-quality deck machinery from MacGregor, a subsidiary of Cargotec, a Finnish specialist in freight handling solutions. For almost a century, compressors, steering gear, and winches bearing the venerable trademark, Hatlapa, have been developed and manufactured in Uetersen. The portfolio includes mooring and anchor winches for merchant shipping, specialized winches for research purposes, and large, offshore winches. The output range of the electric winches extends from a few kilowatts up to 1 megawatt; the latter are used, for example, during anchor handling at oil platforms.

Up until the end of 2013, the proportional valve controller installed in the Hatlapa hydraulic winches was developed in-house. It consisted of an open-source PCB with high-resolution potentiometers, an analog card and, depending on the application, an additional digital card. Using this valve controller, operators could switch the magnetic current on and regulate between a minimum and a maximum value. Henrik Schädel, electrical engineer at MacGregor Hatlapa in Uetersen, did not consider this a satisfactory solution. “Previously, it took three people using radio sets to operate one winch: one turned the potentiometers on the bridge; another watched what was happening within the machine housing on deck; and the third was in the engine room, adjusting the setting on the control cards in the control cabinet. For our largest project to date, there were a total of 101 steps between the engine room and the bridge. In cases like this, setting the parameters for the winches required several long stretches.

MacGregor Hatlapa and WAGO enjoy a long-term business relationship, which extends from connection technology increasingly into automation. The high point so far is the collaboration on the module developed for proportional valves for the WAGO 750 I/O SYSTEM.