EN 13557 (Crane Control Devices and Control Stations)
Sets the design requirements for crane control devices and stations: direction consistency, marking, button layout. Sound insulation is out of scope.
EN 13557 is the standard that sets out the health and safety design requirements for control devices and control stations on every type of crane. Its focus is the interface the operator touches with their hand: which direction a movement corresponds to, the lever returning to zero when released, the buttons being distinguishable from each other and a layout that makes a wrong grip difficult all fall within this scope.
The main subjects of the standard
- Direction consistency: the direction of the control movement must match the machine's direction of movement intuitively.
- Marking: the function of every control element is indicated permanently and legibly.
- Stopping on release: the control element returning to the neutral position when released is the counterpart of the momentary control principle.
- Outside the scope: noise and cabin sound insulation are not the subject of this standard.
The difference between wired and wireless
Control systems as a whole, that is the circuits and the electrical equipment, are dealt with in separate standards; this standard focuses on the device itself. On a wireless crane remote control the interface requirements apply exactly as they are, with headings such as loss of connection and unauthorised use added on top. Those additional headings are the field of the wireless control systems standard; do not put one in place of the other.
The most practical difference between them is the position of the operator. On a wired control box the length of the cable limits where the operator can stand; on a wireless one there is no such physical limit. That is why, alongside the interface design, the rules about the safe distance within which the operator is to work also need to be put in writing.
What it corresponds to on a radio-controlled crane
What it means in practice is labelling the button layout on the transmitter consistently with the movements of the machine. Mark the channel-to-movement mapping the same way on the panel and on the transmitter; verify every channel unloaded during commissioning. Do the labelling not in pen but by a method that will not rub off: a faded label is the most frequent cause of the wrong button being pressed. The emergency stop element on the transmitter must be distinguished from the other buttons by shape and colour, and must be findable with a gloved hand as well.
A frequent mistake
Two mistakes stand out. The first is to see the standard as a product label and to take the conformity of the control device for the conformity of the machine; the standard is written for the machine as a whole. The second is to try the direction mapping once during installation and not record it. When the wiring changes later the mapping is quietly broken, and the first to notice is usually the operator. The third is to leave a movement that runs the wrong way to the operator with a "you will get used to it"; a habit is the first thing to break at the moment of haste.
How to verify it
At commissioning, take the transmitter in your hand, look at the machine from the side the operator stands on and press every button in turn to see that the movement is in the direction you expect. Correct a movement that runs the wrong way on the panel side, not on the remote control. Enter the verification on a written list; the same list is used at periodic maintenance too. Do not do this job on your own: while one person works the transmitter, a second should watch the movement beside the machine, with a visual signal agreed between them. Repeat the same check whenever the control box is changed or work is done on the panel; the direction mapping is most often broken after a cable intervention that looks unrelated. The conformity of a particular product with this standard is confirmed only by the manufacturer's declaration of conformity and technical file.
The context in which this term is used: Wireless Crane Remote Control Selection Guide