Cavotec RRCs keep control system ship-shape

Our radio remote control (RRC) units support a wide variety of applications worldwide. In one of our latest projects, we’ve delivered an integrated control system that operates eight lanes of traffic lights, a road barrier and hydraulic decks on a car ferry in Sweden. The system was inaugurated earlier this month.

The ferry service links the island of Visingsö to the mainland at the town of Gränna in central southern Sweden, with some forty sailings daily. A new ferry, the Braheborg (see image above) will be introduced onto the route later this year. The vessel was named recently at the ceremony attended by residents and local officials.

Our system consists of four MC-3200 RRC terminals fitted with a radio link, and base units installed at Gränna and Visingsö.

Cavotec has supplied the RRC systems and control boxes with Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) that feature software to operate all functionality demanded by Sweden’s national road and safety regulations.

A special feature on this installation is real-time view of the status of all traffic and road barriers, shown on LED indicators mounted on the terminals. These will show operators which lights are red or green, and the position of the road barrier.

Also, a key part of the installed system is that is equipped with twin radio technology to ensure a range of more than 1,500 metres between the terminal and base units. This feature is an essential requirement because it allows operators to switch on shore-based fog lights to ensure safe navigation.

For our Swedish-speaking readers, you might like to find out more about the opening ceremony here (on TV4), or here (on SVT). And there’s more background on the application, (again, in Swedish), here (Trafikverket), and here (Infrastruktur Nyheter).