From concept to innovation: the story behind Rope Vision
Rope Vision is more than just a new service, it’s a major development in how to approach wire rope inspection and maintenance. Designed to improve inspection reliability, wire rope lifetime predictability and overall safety, Rope Vision reflects Huisman’s commitment to technological innovation, digital services and adding value to their clients. Read the full story of why Rope Vision was developed.
/ the question that started it all
Back in 2016 Huisman saw an opportunity to better determine the actual conditions of wire ropes and thereby eliminate wire ropes being rejected prematurely and faulty wire ropes passing inspection. It sparked a simple question “how do we make our clients more successful; can we develop a service that offers a certainty on the future of the wire rope?” and so began the research and development process.Initially Huisman investigated MRT (magnetic rope testing) as a possible solution, though it quickly became clear that automated visual inspection was the way to go. Early development stages then prompted two ideas for innovation: firstly, a tool to automate these visual inspections through high-speed cameras. Secondly, in combination with Performance Insights, deriving the actual wire rope usage data. By way of tracking the real usage of the crane, the powerful combination of usage and condition data makes predictions possible.
/ more than a wooden box
The very first prototype of the Rope Vision tooling was just a wooden box with cameras inside. Meant as a robust proof of concept, it merely had to demonstrate what the instrument would, and should, be capable of in offshore conditions. It was not yet technologically advanced, but it served the purpose and was convincing enough to pursue R&D. A necessary step, especially since making the software user-friendly, accessible and future –proof proved challenging. Given it was not certain how the industry would develop.
/ the need for outstanding technological software
The criteria were known, it had to be possible to detect the wire rope edges, differentiate between the actual wire rope and its surroundings, be able to measure the diameter and lay length and use phase correlation to determine the total distance. All in real-time, at high-speed and high-resolution, while processing 80 images per second and visualising and storing all live data. This sheer volume of data that the software had to handle instantly formed a big challenge.
/ implementing C++
It meant switching from solely analysing software to a completely new application that could do all this. The solution was found by optimising algorithms and changing the programming code to C++ before splitting the application into two separate applications. One application manages the camera, capturing and storing images, while the other handles data analysis, processing and reporting.
/ testing and perfecting Rope Vision
Both the product and software developments were done completely in-house. Through close collaboration with a dedicated multidisciplinary team and several clients, valuable feedback and insights were collected. It led to major improvements being made, before getting to what is now Rope Vision.
Since the first prototype, the body material was upgraded to aluminium, and the system now features our high-speed cameras. Extensive testing ensured product reliability and consistent outcome quality. Additional enhancements include spring-activated guides to manage birdcages and a scraper at the entry point to clean ropes before scanning. To make the transportation and storage easy, an all-in-one toolbox was added to provide a complete product.
/ maintaining quality
What Huisman offers is a robust system suited for offshore and outdoor conditions, yet technologically and electronically very advanced. So, the final product meets the requirements set back in 2016, adapted to today's standards. With all optimisations done to make it user-friendly, efficient and reliable, clients are trained and then encouraged to perform inspections themselves. This data is shared with Huisman where a wire rope expert team performs an assessment and secondary analysis of the data before providing the final conclusions and reports. Huisman does not just provide an inspection tool but provides an advisory report with recommendations on maintenance needs and wire rope conditions.
/ plotting the next project
Rope Vision is currently available on the market for clients. This is the first step in condition monitoring and predictability of the wire rope. By being the crane supplier, wire rope supplier, and offering reeving services, Huisman provides a complete offer that guarantees wire rope performance and remaining lifetime.
What makes Rope Vision unique is its ability to combine knowledge and usage data from the crane with wire rope data to allow accurate predictions, reduce unplanned maintenance, and downtime. It lets clients look toward the future and their upcoming projects and realistically plot those needs against the capacity and condition of the wire rope.
/ Rope Vision of the future
With current and ongoing developments, Rope Vision is a step towards offering outcome-based contracts; guaranteeing operational availability of the wire rope
as well as improved digitalisation and reliability. Through remote data sharing and performance insights, maintenance becomes more efficient, manageable, and unnecessary travel becomes obsolete. Huisman is further evolving as a data-driven, proactive service partner focused on delivering long-term value and reliable performance for its clients.