Premiere at WindEnergy 2026: New sensor system improves occupational safety during crane lifts
At specialist supplier ematec AG, based in Memmingerberg in the Unterallgäu region of Germany, one innovation follows another. At WindEnergy 2026, the leading provider of lifting equipment for the wind energy industry is once again presenting a groundbreaking innovation: the new ematec Diagonal Pull Sensor System (DPS). The two-axis side-pull sensor system takes occupational safety during crane lifts to an entirely new level. Thanks to wireless signal transmission with a range of up to 200 metres, the new unit can also be used for rotor blade installation. The innovation focuses primarily on safe operations in projects involving two cranes performing tandem lifts.
“Particularly when two cranes are working in tandem, preventing side pull on both cranes is a major practical challenge. Such projects usually require a signaller, but that person can only keep one of the two cranes in view at a time and also depends on good visibility. With our DPS unit, crane operators can now check in real time, without requiring any additional personnel, whether the hook block and the load are both plumb. This not only improves occupational safety, but also efficiency, because installation and logistics projects require less manpower than before and lifting operations can still be carried out safely when visibility is restricted,” explains Julian Eberhard, CTO of ematec AG.
Magnetic easy-to-install-and-use unit
What makes ematec’s new DPS so impressive is how easily it can be attached magnetically to the hook block. This makes it the first mobile easy-to-install-and-use unit of its kind that can be retrofitted to cranes.
Long-range wireless radio transmission
The ematec Side-Pulling Sensor System consists of a sensor unit and a ground unit. Both are battery-powered and communicate with each other wirelessly by radio in real time. The graphical display uses a bull’s-eye level and shows the numerical angle values on the X and Y axes. ematec uses different radio frequencies depending on the continent, enabling the DPS system to be used in the Americas and Asia without difficulty. In addition to radio transmission, the system can transmit data to a tablet via Wi-Fi. The app’s clear and intuitive user interface allows users to zero the current readings on the tablet.
Wide range of applications
“Our DPS is suitable for any scenario in which loads are too heavy for a single crane and tandem lifts are required. This is the case, for example, when bridge sections or heavy components for industrial plants need to be lifted into position. We can now offer users an additional level of safety, as the system enables them to prevent side pull with ease,” says Julian Eberhard.
Additional safety when installing rotor blades
ematec has deliberately chosen WindEnergy 2026 in Hamburg to unveil its innovation, as the system is also ideally suited to wind turbine installation processes. For years, ematec’s RBC-D rotor blade yokes have set the benchmark for the safe and efficient installation of rotor blades.
Safe release of the grippers from the rotor blade
At the end of the rigging process, when the rotor blade is bolted to the hub, many crane operators apply slight pressure with the boom. “As a result, the boom is no longer positioned vertically above the rotor blade yoke, but is angled slightly towards the nacelle. When the RBC-D is released from the rotor blade, however, the yoke must be positioned at its centre of gravity beneath the boom to prevent the RBC-D from swinging. With our DPS unit, crane operators can now see when the shackle is fully vertical and therefore aligned with the centre of gravity, allowing them to release the RBC-D from the rotor blade safely and without tension,” says Eberhard.
New blade turning device
Alongside the new DPS unit, ematec is once again presenting its innovative blade turning device for rotor blades at WindEnergy 2026 in Hamburg, a development that is revolutionising service and maintenance. The ematec solution enables a rotor blade to be pitched around its longitudinal axis while on the ground. This allows the blades to be rotated continuously for repairs while in a neutral, tension-free position. “This saves users millions of euros in service costs, because for the first time most repairs can now be carried out directly at the wind turbine site, without the enormous logistical effort previously required,” explains Julian Eberhard.
RBC-D technology remains a top attraction
Once again this year, ematec’s innovative RBC-D technology will be a major crowd-puller at WindEnergy 2026. ematec’s RBC-D yokes are regarded as the most innovative lifting equipment available for rotor blade installation. Enercon, Germany’s largest wind turbine manufacturer, has ordered 40 yokes from ematec over the past six years and has already deployed the majority of them worldwide. RBC-D technology combines several advantages that are unique in their totality. ematec’s RBC-D remains the only rotor blade yoke available on the market with an adaptive blade support system for all rotor blades, regardless of their length, weight or manufacturer. This means RBC-D yokes are ideally suited not only to the installation of new turbines, but also to the servicing and dismantling of older turbines. “Anyone seriously considering repowering projects – and this is an enormous market worldwide – cannot afford to overlook RBC-D technology. It is also the most cost-effective solution,” says Julian Eberhard.
Author: Ingo Jensen
ematec is presenting its new Diagonal Pull Sensor System (DPS) at WindEnergy 2026 in Hamburg. Illustration: ematec
The app shows the crane operator whether the load suspended from the hook is plumb. Illustration: ematec
ematec’s RBC-D technology is regarded as the benchmark for the efficient and safe installation of rotor blades. Photo: Marian Ifrim/ematec
ematec’s RBC-D technology is regarded as the benchmark for the efficient and safe installation of rotor blades. Photo: Ingo Jensen/ematec
Information:
ematec AG
Am Ziegelstadel 3, 87766 Memmingerberg, Germany, Telephone +49 8331 9487-0, Fax +49 8331 9487-740, info@ematec.de, www.ematec.de
Press contact:
Management Board member Manfred Eberhard
Media contact
Jensen media GmbH
Agency for corporate news
Hemmerlestrasse 4, 87700 Memmingen, Germany, Telephone +49 8331 99188-0, Fax +49 8331 99188-10, redaktion@jensen-media.de, www.jensen-media.de
Contact: Ingo Jensen