The major benefit of installing an overhead crane system is the lifespan that you can get once you’ve invested in the equipment. While the components of the crane can wear down over time and may need to be repaired or replaced, the structure of the crane itself typically has a longer lifespan than the other components.This allows you to upgrade or modernize the individual crane components as newer and more efficient technologies become available, all while continuing to utilize the main runway and girder structures in place.
So, why would you need to upgrade your overhead crane system? Let’s explore some reasons that would provide the opportunity to modernize your overhead crane’s components.
You may have been reliably using your overhead crane system for years with no problems—but now your production needs have changed due to any of the following conditions:
When you originally designed your overhead crane system, each individual component including the controls, hoist, end trucks, trolley, and drive systems were all specified to a specific duty cycle or crane service classification. If you now need the crane to make more frequent or heavier lifts, this can put a strain on your crane equipment if the new production demands exceed the duty cycle or service classification of the existing crane components. Over time, this will lead to premature wear or even failure of your crane components if they aren’t properly inspected, serviced, and maintained.
Consider your crane’s braking system. If over time, you have to keep replacing the brakes on your crane because the load it’s lifting is now heavier than what the brakes were originally specified for, this puts more strain on the brakes to slow down and stop the crane’s motion. This added strain will begin to prematurely wear the brakes—requiring more frequent service and an increase in maintenance costs. These increased costs add up over time and in the long-run, can end up costing more than it would to have simply upgraded and replaced the entire brake system with something more substantial.
Overhead crane components that receive a lot of use may be showing signs of excessive wear, or you may be experiencing more frequent shutdowns for service or repairs. The cost of frequent repairs can add up over time versus the cost of new replacement component (brake systems for example).
Not only do you need to consider the cost of the service call and replacement parts, but the true cost related to shutting down your production when your crane equipment goes down.
You have to factor in the cost of the equipment downtime, lost production costs, and lost production time for your workers. In certain manufacturing environments, the cost of downtime can be tens of thousands of dollars an hour!
Older cranes can require more maintenance and repairs. While you may find that your crane system is still structurally sound, you may want to consider modernizing or upgrading any specific components that need to be serviced or replaced frequently.
Think of it like this—if you had a work truck that constantly needed new shocks, at some point, you would decide it’s more cost-effective to install a heavier-duty set of shocks and springs that will hold up to the demands of your daily driving and hauling needs.
If you find that you’re replacing or repairing the same pièces de grues again and again, it may make sense to schedule a consultation with a professional crane technician to come in and inspect your crane equipment and make a recommendation on replacing or upgrading your equipment.
OSHA, ASME, and CMAA have specific guidelines for the frequency of inspections for overhead cranes. Establishing a regular inspection schedule can help to keep your crane and hoist equipment operating at top efficiency, help keep the operator and other personnel safe, and help reduce costly downtime and extend the life of the equipment.
Regular inspection also helps to identify signs of wear and irregularities with the whole crane system as well as with the individual components. If during the course of an inspection, you find that individual components are wearing faster than normal, you may be able to replace these with components that are stronger, have greater performance, and require less maintenance. That’s the benefit of replacing a 15-20-year-old part with a new and modern design.
You may also find that an industry sanctioning body like OSHA, ASME, HMI, or CMAA have released an updated version of one of their standards. When it comes to wear and fatigue tolerances for individual crane components—what may have been acceptable in the past may no longer be in compliance with current safety and design standards or best practices. Modernizing your overhead crane using components that meet or exceed the latest industry standards will help to ensure that you’re in compliance and help keep your employees safe.
As cranes age, it can become more and more difficult to find replacement parts for their individual components. The OE manufacturer may no longer be in business, may no longer have a distribution network, or the parts themselves may be obsolete. It can be difficult to source direct replacement parts for older cranes—and if you’re even able to find the parts, they may have extremely long lead times, and come at a steep price.
Some crane service companies are able to reverse engineer or rebuild parts for older crane systems, but this can also lead to high costs and long lead times as these are most often custom-designed and one-off builds.
Under certain circumstances, the easiest and most cost-effective solution can be to upgrade or modernize your crane’s broken or worn-down parts. Not only do you get the benefit of a brand new component and modern design, but you know that if it needs to be serviced or replaced down the road it will be easier and more economical to find replacement parts.
Today, most businesses with an older crane are replacing and modernizing their crane’s control systems and replacing the operator cab with push button pendant or remote radio controls.
While not as popular today, open or enclosed operator cabs were standard on most crane systems. The operator sat in a cab that was attached to the bridge of the crane and relied on other personnel on the floor to provide signals and direction to help them lift, lower, and maneuver the crane’s hook to safely move a load through a facility. By moving the operator to the ground, you can reduce the number of personnel required to move and operate the crane—and in most instances, the operator can load, move, and unload the crane himself.
The most important reason that companies are converting to pendant or radio controls are for safety reasons. The operator has a much clearer vantage point from the ground to identify and react to obstacles, personnel, and hazards while the crane moves through the bay.
If your overhead crane system has become a maintenance headache or is no longer a reliable piece of equipment, it can be easy to cave-in to the idea of buying a completely new crane system. While the idea of a brand new system can be attractive, it may not be a cost-effective solution. You can still modernize one or multiple component systems on an overhead crane at the fraction of the cost of a completely new overhead crane.
If your crane equipment is older, you should consider the return on your original investment. You’ve most likely paid off, or are close to paying off, the cost of the initial investment. Like we mentioned earlier—very rarely do you find that the actual structural components of the crane need to be replaced.
Also, an overhead crane upgrade or modernization can be scheduled in phases to spread out the cost of the upgrades, as well as cause less disruption and downtime that can affect your business’ production and manufacturing output. Consider how long your crane system could be down if you had to replace the entire structural, mechanical, and electrical pieces of your crane system.
Most crane upgrades consist of upgrades or modernization to the crane’s electrical or mechanical systems. Due to the cost and transportation of the material, the crane’s support structure (including the runways, supports, and girders) can be the single most expensive component of an overhead crane system.
We typically recommend that you price out the cost of modernizing or upgrading your overhead crane and weigh that versus the cost of an upgrade.
If the cost of your crane upgrade or modernization exceeds 65% of the cost of an overhead crane, then it may make more financial sense to go with a completely new replacement system
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