All mechanical equipment, from your lawnmower to your overhead industrial cranes, requires periodic assessment, maintenance, and repair. Failure to keep these systems in top shape can result in unnecessarily spending more money on downtime and emergency repairs that could have been avoided. When it comes to your heavy equipment, you also face the potential for serious injuries to people that work with and near it.
Fortunately, the simple act of scheduling your monthly, quarterly, and annual overhead crane inspections can help you catch common issues now that could result in big problems later on. These include:
- Degraded wire. There are three types of wire damage that can put your operation on hold. These include birdcaging, corrosion, and wear from overuse (or failure to replace wire on time after normal use). Operating conditions, such as chemical exposure and abrasion, can quickly damage a wire rope system. Your pre-shift overhead crane inspections can identify these issues so that you can take action quickly.
- Alignment issues. Just like your vehicle needs to be properly aligned to operate efficiently, your overhead cranes must have a predictable load to ensure proper support. An imbalance load can result in costly repairs, lost productivity, derailment, and, even more alarming, accidents. An improperly tracking crane can also cause secondary damage to other components, such as the motor drive. Cracked wheel flanges, using more power than normal in certain areas, and a loud scraping sound are all indications of alignment problems. Your routine overhead crane inspections can help you keep your equipment compliant with CMAA tolerances.
- Wear on end truck wheels. Even when everything is aligned properly, your system’s end truck wheels must be replaced routinely, much like the brakes on your vehicle. These components may be made of carbon alloys or polyurethane. You can extend time between replacement by investing in heat-treated wheels.
- Electrical malfunctions. There are dozens of things that can go wrong with an electrical system, and that of your overhead crane is no exception. Older cranes that utilize copper rails may experience oxidation or corrosion. Even those with a carbon graphite brush can experience wear and carbon buildup that can cause electrical system shortages.
- Damaged hooks. If you’re not familiar with the engineering of your rigging hardware, you may not know the hooks are specifically designed to load with precision. No two types of hooks are alike, and even minor damage is a major threat. A warped or damaged hook loses integrity, which can result in stretching and other disfigurement. When this happens, every load that comes into contact with the hook is at risk of falling. Overhead crane inspections should always look for hook damage as just one of many steps to keep both your employees and your operation safe.
Your equipment is a vital component of your business. Making sure that every piece of it is routinely inspected, maintained, and repaired, saves you money and time while giving you peace of mind that your employees have the safest possible operating conditions.
Visit Integrity-Crane.com today to schedule your service.