Cattron-Theimeg Europe Introduces “Global” Remote Control

Moenchengladbach, Germany – Cattron-Theimeg Europe GmbH & Co. is rolling out a new line of Radio Remote Control products it intends to market worldwide. Cattron-Theimeg Europe is a part of Cattron Group International, a global group of companies that are leading manufacturers of remote control products and professional services for the industrial, mining, commercial mobile and railroad markets.

The new line, dubbed “Excalibur”, will play a significant role in the company’s quest to establish itself as the premier global resource for industrial radio remote control for any application. The formal premier of the new product line will be at this year’s CeMat exhibition in Hanover, Germany.

One of the key features of the Excalibur line will be its worldwide design and architecture. “We have many OEM customers who market their products all over the world,” states Wieland Weigler, General Manager of Cattron-Theimeg Europe. “Our systems must be universally deployable and meet all the relevant standards in all countries.”

Weigler added that increasingly higher global safety standards also weighed heavily in Excalibur’s design and development. “Safety requirements for machines and their operation are continuously getting more stringent,” he says. “Even simple applications will have to comply with higher standards in the future. We have prepared for this trend by implementing a uniform safety concept throughout our new systems.”

Building a safe and reliable remote control system is only half the battle, however. The Excalibur will compete primarily in the mid to lower range non-engineered remote control market where pricing is extremely competitive. Developing a price-sensible product with the necessary performance is no small task.

“We made no compromises in the design and selection of components and materials,” states Jim Robertson, Senior VP, Industrial Sales Worldwide. “Excalibur is a real tribute to our engineering staff. This will be a very competitive product that will provide a high degree of flexibility as well as a platform for future development.” Robertson added that Excalibur can accommodate a wide range of applications from simple hoists to large overhead traveling cranes.

Initially, Cattron-Theimeg will offer Excalibur with transmitters in 6, 8, 10 or 12 two-step push-button configurations and receivers with 9, 12 or 17 relays. A receiver with up to 32 relays is expected soon.

A significant feature of Excalibur is its dual-processor architecture. All data is processed through two separate paths in both transmitter and receiver. A command cannot be executed unless the data compares identically. This method ensures that Excalibur meets ‘STOP’ command requirements for DIN EN954-1, Category 3.

Another important Excalibur feature is its transponder key, or “TransKey” as named by the company. The TransKey, based on RFID technology, is a programmable, removable electronic key containing all the necessary identification, configuration and addressing information for the system. Not only does this ensure that the proper transmitter will operate only the right equipment it reduces the need for spare transmitters. Any properly configured transmitter with the correct TransKey can communicate with the matched receiver.

Several new joystick transmitters are currently being developed in addition to a version of the handheld transmitter with a digital text display.

Cattron-Theimeg touts many other features of the Excalibur including transmitters that are extremely light and robust with excellent tactile feel. Receivers are said to be compact, dust tight and splash proof.