CM Labs announced a new training pack for its Vortex training simulators that includes the industry’s only simulated mobile crane tandem lift exercise, as well as a competency demonstration exercise that provides a safe, objective tool for employers to assess crane operator skills.

Developed in response to industry demand, the tandem lift exercise teaches the lead crane operator how to safely and efficiently maneuver a steel pipe load in tandem with a secondary crane, operated from another simulator connected on the network.

The tandem lift feature can be deployed in multiple configurations, with operators working at any combination of CM Labs simulators, including the Vortex Advantage simulator or the portable Vortex Edge Plus.

The Signalperson Training Station allows a trainee to guide the operation within a challenging virtual job site that includes power lines and job site personnel. This type of team-based training can be difficult and expensive to produce in real life, but is safe and easy to set up on a Vortex simulator.

The Mobile Crane Training Pack also allows trainers to fully evaluate operator readiness with a Mobile Crane Skills Assessment exercise. This exercise is the only simulation-based assessment tool to cover advanced lifting techniques, such as performing a blind lift, recovering from a load pendulum, girder lifts, and more.

The system tracks all operating metrics during training exercises, and rolls them up into a single score that updates in real time. Organizations can customize this scoring system according to their operating criteria. This gives instructors a benchmark for objectively assessing operators after every training session, in order to meet training objectives more rapidly.

The new training pack will be on display at the International Construction & Utility Equipment Exposition (ICUEE), which takes place Oct. 1-3, 2019 in Louisville, Ky.