NovaMaster is SWF Krantechnik's electronic condition monitoring and crane protection system, standard equipment on NOVA electric wire rope hoists and CRABster winches. It shifts hoist maintenance from calendar-based intervals to actual usage by continuously calculating the Remaining Safe Working Period (SWP) from live load measurements, motor starts, total operating hours, and complete hoist cycles. The system also tracks overload incidents, emergency stop events, maximum recorded load, and calculated duty cycle — all readable from the LCD display on the control panel or pendant.

What parameters does NovaMaster monitor and calculate?

Beyond SWP for the hoist and brake, NovaMaster records total starts, total working period (cumulative motor run time), complete hoist cycles, average load percentage, and live hook load displayed as either a percentage or actual weight. Supply voltage, overload incidents, and emergency stop events are counted and logged. Optional features include motor temperature sensing, brake wear monitoring, slack rope detection with bypass function, and programmable intermediate load thresholds. The system also captures the maximum calculated duty cycle value and total crane switch-on time for long-term utilization analysis.

How does CANbus tandem operation work?

A CANbus network links up to five NovaMaster-equipped hoists for synchronized tandem lifting — essential for handling long or unbalanced loads such as precast concrete beams, steel structures, or excavator assemblies. The system performs automatic load summation across all connected hoists, displaying the combined load on each pendant. If any hoist approaches its capacity limit or registers a fault, all linked hoists receive the shutdown signal simultaneously. Real-world deployments include 80 t double-girder cranes with two 40 t NOVA NF hoists and 64 t multi-hoist bridge cranes with three synchronized NOVA units.

What display and retrofit options are available?

The NovaMaster LCD display — integrated into the hoist control panel or pendant — provides instant readout of all monitored values without external tools. An optional 0–10 V analog output drives large external load displays visible from the factory floor. For remote access, the SWF X-Link hardware module adds an antenna for wireless data transmission to a smartphone app, displaying live load, SWP, and event history at the hoist. The system is retrofittable to existing NOVA hoists and operates on 48 V control voltage. Multifunctional inputs accept configurable overload switching points, start counters, and runtime totalizers for integration with higher-level crane management systems.