Danfoss R70 Radio Remote Control Receiver (formerly Ikusi R70)

Overview

The Danfoss R70 is a crane and machinery radio remote control receiver from the Danfoss PLUS+1® remote control range. Engineers who have worked with industrial radio controls for some years will know this product line under its earlier name: in July 2018 Danfoss acquired the Remote Control business of the Spanish company Ikusi, and the former Ikusi Remote Control products, including the R70 receiver and the T70 transmitters, now continue under the Danfoss Power Solutions name. The Danfoss R70 is the machine-side half of the system. It sits on the crane, hoist or machine, receives the radio commands from the handheld transmitter and converts them into relay, proportional or fieldbus outputs for the machine’s electrical panel.

Seven Star LLC supplies the Danfoss R70 to crane owners, maintenance contractors and lifting equipment builders in the Sultanate of Oman and across the GCC, with engineering support in Muscat. Many overhead cranes in the region still run original Ikusi-labelled radio sets, and we help maintenance teams identify the current Danfoss equivalent, check transmitter compatibility and plan replacement receivers before an old unit fails.

Operating Principle

The Danfoss R70 works as a paired radio link with a dedicated handheld transmitter. Each set carries a unique identification code stored in a removable EEPROM, so the receiver only accepts frames that carry the correct ID; a nearby Danfoss system with a different ID is ignored, which the receiver diagnostics report as “no valid ID”. In the 400–900 MHz versions the radio operates in licence-free bands at 433, 434, 869 and 902–928 MHz, and a 2.4 GHz platform is also listed in the manual. When valid frames arrive, the receiver energises the corresponding outputs within a response time of about 100 ms.

Safety is built into the output structure. The STOP function on the 400–900 MHz platform is rated Category 3 / PLd, and Category 4 / PLe on the 2.4 GHz platform, and the receiver provides dedicated STOP outputs, a START output and a safety relay in addition to the ON/OFF command outputs. If the radio link is lost or the operator presses STOP, the safety relay drops out and the machine main contactor opens, which is the behaviour a crane inspector expects from a radio-controlled hoist.

Engineering Design of the Danfoss R70

The Danfoss R70 housing measures 245 × 160 × 80 mm, weighs about 1,350 g and is sealed to IP65 / NEMA 4 for outdoor and dusty crane installations. Inside, the user manual identifies the switching power supply, the RF module, an internal removable EEPROM, an INXXX expansion card socket, an RS232/RS485 socket, the CAN bus connection and termination, signalling LEDs and the wiring connection block. Cables enter through an M32 gland, and fixing slots allow rigid mounting or mounting on shock absorbers where the crane structure vibrates.

Power can be AC (48–240 V AC or 18–30 V AC) or DC (8–36 V DC), which lets the same receiver family serve mains-fed overhead cranes and battery-powered mobile machines. The receiver has an external antenna and an M12 tether connector, so the operator can switch to cable control where radio use is restricted. Options extend the standard 13 ON/OFF outputs to 16, add up to 8 proportional outputs (PWM or voltage), up to 44 ON/OFF or 11 analog inputs, and CANopen, Profibus DP or Profinet communication for cranes controlled through a PLC.

Key Features

The Danfoss R70 receiver offers the following capabilities for radio-controlled lifting equipment:

• A STOP function rated Category 3 / PLd on 400–900 MHz and Category 4 / PLe on the 2.4 GHz platform protects personnel when the link is lost or STOP is pressed.
• A removable internal EEPROM holds the system configuration and ID, so a replacement receiver can be put into service quickly.
• Wide AC and DC supply ranges allow one receiver design to serve overhead cranes, hoists and mobile machinery.
• Thirteen 8 A ON/OFF outputs as standard, with options for 16 outputs and 8 proportional PWM or voltage outputs.
• Optional CANopen, Profibus DP and Profinet interfaces connect the radio link directly to a crane PLC or ECU.
• An IP65 / NEMA 4 enclosure with M32 cable gland and shock-absorber mounting suits outdoor and high-vibration installations.
• Internal POWER, HARDOK, SIGNAL, DATA, ID, ORDER and RELAY LEDs give a clear fault diagnosis during commissioning and service.
• An M12 tether connector provides a cable-control fallback where radio operation is not permitted.

Industrial Applications

The Danfoss R70 is used on overhead travelling cranes, gantry and semi-gantry cranes, jib cranes, hoists and winches in workshops, warehouses, fabrication yards and plant maintenance bays. In Oman that covers EOT cranes in power and desalination plants, workshop cranes at oil and gas service bases, steel fabrication and pipe yards in Sohar, port and logistics facilities in Duqm and Salalah, and maintenance cranes in cement and mining operations. It is typically installed on hoists such as the Konecranes CXT electric wire rope hoist or the Demag DC-Com electric chain hoist, where it replaces a pendant control station.

Where the crane’s travel motions are driven by inverters such as the Danfoss VLT AutomationDrive FC 302, the optional proportional outputs or a fieldbus interface let the Danfoss R70 pass stepless speed commands instead of simple contactor signals. The standard Danfoss R70 must not be used in potentially explosive atmospheres; hazardous-area cranes require the separate R70 ATEX receiver models. Seven Star LLC supplies the Danfoss R70 and matching transmitters across the GCC and helps customers match outputs and supply voltage to the existing panel wiring.

Technical Specifications

The main Danfoss R70 data published in the Danfoss R70 Receiver User Manual are listed below.

How to Order

To replace or upgrade an Ikusi or Danfoss crane radio receiver, send Seven Star LLC the label data of the existing unit, the transmitter model, supply voltage and number of motions. Our Muscat team will confirm the matching Danfoss R70 configuration, advise on stock and delivery in Oman and the GCC, and send the official Danfoss R70 user manual for your maintenance file.