The charging of the scrap container and thus the crane operator play an essential part in the scrap handling process: scrap containers must be filled with the specified recipes for the charge materials in the correct order and weight within the shortest possible time. SMS group’s Scrap Yard Management system provides assistance here by recording the key events in the crane's movements. This allows scrap handling within the scrap yard to be tracked and the set recipes to be compared in real-time with the scrap that is actually charged. The crane driver can use an operator panel in the crane to check the loads he has already carried out any time he chooses and, if necessary, adapt the scheduled loading process. For outdoor scrap yards, there is also the possibility of tracking all vehicles and any completed process steps via an app and instructing and guiding the operators to ensure complete transparency in outdoor working areas too.

The detailed recording of all sequences significantly improves stock level documentation. What's more, the scrap heap volume can be captured by means of laser scanners on the crane beam and a precise volume model can be created to calculate the exact stock level down to just a few kilograms. This allows orders to be placed more precisely and any ordered materials no longer have to be stored for an indefinite period at considerable cost. Here SMS collaborates with the experienced laser-based application provider LASE Industrielle Lasertechnik.  Short storage times also reduce the oxidation of the material, which in turn increases yield and reduces CO₂ emissions. The laser scanner also provides a precise calculation of the fill level of the scrap container - down to a few centimeters - and thus ensures optimal filling of the container. Using a laser scanner for material detection is the first important step towards autonomous crane operation.