The first crane simulator of its kind has been taken into use in the defunct fish factory in Reydarfjördur, east Iceland. The simulator is designed to train crane drivers for working in the Alcoa-Fjardarál smelter in Reydarfjördur.
The crane simulator was designed by the French company ECL, which provides solutions for aluminum smelters, and cost about ISK 30 million (USD 447,000, EUR 336,000). The company also designed seven cranes which will be used in the smelter. RÚV reports.
Drivers will not be allowed to operate the cranes until after they’ve completed ten training sessions in the crane simulator with the average mark of seven out of ten. The simulator is designed to evaluate speed and precision.
“People can practice without damaging anything. It is expensive when something is damaged, […] so this is totally worth it,” said crane driving instructor Haraldur Thorlacius. Alcan-Fjardarál plans to train 80 of its employees with the simulator.
