Elsewhere on our Web site, you will find
other testimonials about Simlog customers in the
construction industry,
mining industry, and the
forest industry.
We have also posted some
articles about Simlog and
simulator-based training in the crane industry.
Five Operator Training Schools
"Since purchasing the Simlog [Mobile Crane Personal] Simulator in 2005
for our training centre,
we have found that prospective crane operators gain more working time on crane
operating.
We call it working time because the simulator is as the real
thing, but with no risk of collision or accidents.
With the top of the range
controllers, our delegates have commented that if they master the Simlog
[Mobile Crane Personal Simulator], the
transition to actual cranes is easy.
"As an Instructor, I have found the
Simlog [Mobile Crane Personal]
simulator invaluable as all our delegates gain more experience with
operating, especially with all of the different lifting scenarios that come
with the software. As with any training, the more operating experience the
better, and Simlog gives the new operator that valuable operating time. The
results: a safer crane operator, and this is what the crane industry needs.
Well done Simlog! I recommend the Simlog [Mobile] Crane [Personal]
Simulator to everyone I talk to.
Ian S. McGarvie
Quigley Training Services (England)
"Our Operating Engineers Joint Apprenticeship & Training Plan offers courses
in many trades including the Mobile Crane Operator Apprenticeship Program,
Earth Moving, Asphalt Laydown and Aggregate Plant.
In 2003, we created a special training station using Simlog's
Mobile Crane Personal Simulator, a PC, and a projector,
at our training facility in Maple Ridge, British Columbia.
"Now we use the simulator to help our apprentices gain additional
seat-time and more importantly become familiar with joystick-based
controls, since our cranes are all equipped with control levers.
The graphics are great, and the simulation exercises are very real.
Simlog also makes it easy to change the speeds of the various boom
functions, so that our simulated crane behaves even more like our real cranes.
"But what really sold us was the price, which is very reasonable
for a training institute.
The fact is, we know about many other crane simulators and we believe
that Simlog's product offers the best training value by far!
We would not hesitate to purchase new simulators being developed by Simlog
for training operators of other heavy equipment such as
tower cranes and excavators."
Brad Randall, Training Administrator,
Gordon Lindberg, Instructor
Mobile Crane Program,
Local 115 Apprenticeship & Training,
International Union of Operating Engineers, B.C. (Canada)
"Simlog's Mobile Crane Personal Simulator
is a very important tool used to teach crane
apprentices at Durham College.
Apprentices are able to experience the operations of a crane, like
hoisting, swinging, and lowering the load while changing the boom angle
and the boom length. The controls are accurate and the simulator even shows
the apprentices the weight of the load that they are attempting to lift.
"After 30 years of experience in the craning industry on mobile and lattice
boom cranes, I was amazed at the performance and reality of this simulator."
Allen Scriver, Instructor, Crane Apprentice Program, Durham College,
Ontario (Canada)
"We are very happy with Simlog's
Mobile Crane Personal Simulator. It
has very good graphics and good motion control.
When used with inexperienced crane
operators, it is easier to teach load control with the
simulator than using different cranes with different
characteristics, fighting the wind, and other problems
in the field. With the score results printed out, it
is very easy to keep track of progress.
"In my opinion, it is equivalent to products costing quite a
bit more.
The more I use it, the better I like it."
Monty Smart, Crane Instructor, Local 103 Apprenticeship & Training,
International Union of Operating Engineers, Indiana (U.S.A.)
"Historically, the problem has always been the
risk associated with allowing a trainee to operate an expensive and
potentially dangerous crane.
At the Crane Institute of America,
Simlog's Mobile Crane Personal Simulator
benefits several groups of students, from the trainee to the
occasional operator and the experienced professional.
The trainee has an opportunity to make the necessary and vital connection
between control movement and load response.
The occasional operator can rebuild their hand/eye coordination, and the
pro can hone their fine, but seldom-used, skills.
In the future, as simulators become more widely accepted,
they will also be used to evaluate potential operators.
"I commend Simlog not only for the valuable tool you have developed for
the crane industry, but also for your exceptional customer support.
Keep up the good work!"
Bill Schofield, Senior Training Specialist, Crane Institute of America,
Florida (U.S.A.)
Two Electrical Utilities
"We find Simlog's Mobile Crane Personal Simulator
to be very helpful for our new and experienced operators.
Each operator is allowed to get a life-like
experience performing various moves and lifts with the simulator
without the dangers of operating an actual crane.
"One very important feature I appreciate is being able to demonstrate
how to reduce and eliminate the swinging of a load or
an empty block. I have had several trainees in the past who could not
demonstrate how to perform this task in an actual crane.
Now with the simulator, before new operators can get into an actual crane,
they are required to demonstrate to the trainer their ability to perform
this task.
"Another great feature is the Simulation Module that provides the operator
with an example of what they can experience when qualifying for the
NCCCO crane operator certification.
This module simulates pouring concrete into a form using
a zigzag pathway just like in the NCCCO Practical Exam.
"I have enjoyed using this simulator during training classes.
Everyone is so impressed with the graphics.
I highly recommend this simulator to any trainer to enhance the training
of mobile crane operators.
Thank you, Simlog, for this very helpful training aid."
Claud Wessinger, Senior Trainer, Santee Cooper Power,
South Carolina (U.S.A.)
"At Ameren, many of our Maintenance crafts use mobile cranes as part of
their regular work. For this reason, our two week class for new apprentices
includes an introduction to craning.
"And we now rely on Simlog's Mobile Crane Personal Simulator as a
"teaching by showing" tool, to help me demonstrate the use of crane
controls and crane operating concepts including lift charts.
I also make sure that each new apprentice has some
virtual seat-time on the simulator to get the maximum benefit from the
actual seat time on the crane before leaving our centralized
training facility.
"In the future, I hope to use Simlog's product for "just-in-time"
training help so that when there is specialized crane work to be done,
our journeymen can first double check their crane operating skills
at the controls of the simulator, and improve those skills where necessary."
Andrew McKellar, Director of Training, AmerenUE.
Missouri (U.S.A.)
A Steel Plant
"At US Steel, we are using Simlog's
Mobile Crane Personal Simulator to
better demonstrate crane operating concepts as part of our introductory
classroom training.
After this "teaching by showing", the same Simlog simulator is used to
provide preliminary "hands-on" training to our operators before they
leave the classroom for seat-time in their respective departments.
"The fact is, Simlog's Mobile Crane Personal Simulator has become an
invaluable part of our program at US Steel and I wouldn't want to be
training crane operators without it!"
Larry Neace, Technical Training Center, US Steel (Gary Works),
Indiana (U.S.A.)
A Nuclear Power Facility
"All mechanical apprentices contacted agree that the simulator duplicates
crane movement and provides immediate feedback on operator actions.
Apprentices also agree
that mistakes are not as embarrassing on the simulator as they would be if
they were performing the same lifts on a real machine."
Fred Luther, Crane Instructor, Callaway Nuclear, Missouri (U.S.A.)
A Mine Site
"Solvay Minerals is a world-class producer of sodium-based products
through the mining and processing of soda ash.
We operate a small fleet of mobile cranes and we have used Simlog's
Mobile Crane Personal Simulator to help prepare new operators before
seat-time in the field.
"After demonstrating crane operating concepts, the same Simlog simulator
is used to provide preliminary "hands-on" training to our operators.
Once their performance on the simulator is good enough (as noted by the
simulation results), the operators then move on to run the cranes in
our yard.
The length of the simulator-based preparation has varied from as little
as 1 week to as much as 3 weeks, per person, but in the end, everyone
trains up to the same level.
"Our mobile cranes have lever-based controls, not joysticks, but we have
found that new operators easily adapt. After all, on the simulator, they
are really learning basic crane operating principles including boom
movements, sway control, and load chart ratings.
In this way, Simlog's product has provided
invaluable help to our training program at Solvay Minerals. We'll never
send new operators right out to the crane without Simlog help first!"
Craig Hovde, Surface Maintenance Foreman, Solvay Minerals,
Wyoming (U.S.A.)
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