The duisport Group officially presented its own crane simulator in the Duisburg free port on 27 January 2020: A first for combined transportation in the hinterland.
With this initiative, the world’s largest inland port not only sets new trends for technical innovation in the logistics industry but also invests in the professional training and continuing education of its own employees.
“The duisport training center in the Duisburg free port has already had its own train simulator since the beginning of 2019, and it is an integral part of our long-term training and continuing education strategy. The addition of a crane simulator means that the duisport Group’s training program is unique in Europe,” explains duisport Chief Executive Officer Erich Staake.
Under the project leadership of duisport Executive Board member Professor Thomas Schlipköther, the crane simulator was made in the US and was adjusted to the requirements and conditions of the Port of Duisburg. The crane was made by US company GlobalSim, which is based in Salt Lake City.
When using the simulator, the employees operate crane facilities in a virtual environment that mimics a real crane and the scenery in the Port of Duisburg. The so-called “piggy back simulation” is especially designed for the needs of inland ports.
The system has seven 4k flat screens that are based on a proprietary 3-DOF movement (three-dimensional space). Users get a realistic sense of how the entire simulator moves – exactly how the equipment would move during the operation of a real crane.
An instructor control station is in constant contact with the system and the user. The operator can simulate any number of scenarios with instruction, including difficult weather conditions and special emergency situations. Such scenarios cannot be simply practiced on a real crane during regular operations. This represents a fundamental advantage of the crane simulator, according to the Port of Duisburg.
