Below, we’ll take a look at what components are typically upgraded when you increase your crane’s capacity, and what that might entail.
If your crane is equipped with a built-up hoist, then a lot of the internal components can be swapped out or interchanged without having to completely remove and replace your existing hoist and trolley. The internals were originally specified to meet application-specific requirements, so if you upgrade your crane’s capacity, the internal components including the gear sets and motor will need to be swapped out with more substantial parts. It’s possible that an upgrade to the wire rope reeving system could be recommended as well.
For lower-duty electric or pneumatic hoists, these systems come as a complete system and would need to be swapped out and replaced with a heavier-duty hoist package and re-installed.
One of the most common problems with overhead cranes is uneven and excessive wear to the end truck wheels. The wheels on an overhead crane will naturally wear down due to normal use and may require more frequent maintenance, replacement, and adjustment than other components. However, a crane that is out of alignment or is moving loads outside of the capacities and service classes that it was designed for, will put extra stresses on the end truck and wheels as it moves down the runway.
You can upgrade to wheels made of a harder material that is better suited for the application and for the hardness of the rail itself. A wheel that is harder than the hardness of the rail will begin to cause excessive wear to the rail or beam itself, so make sure that the wheels were made specifically for the rail they’re running on, but can also handle the added load.
The bearings can also be upgraded with an anti-friction design to reduce wear while increasing productivity demands.
During the feasibility study, a P.E. or structural engineer can help determine what type of reinforcements may be required to strengthen the existing bridge and runway girders in order to support the new wheel loads. The beams themselves may need to be reinforced by adding a cap channel, or you may have to have specially-engineered plating designed and installed to allow the existing bridge and runway beams to handle the new loads being applied to the crane system and supports.
At the same time, the P.E. can make a recommendation on any changes that should be made to the bridge motor, bridge gearbox, and bridge braking systems.
When you think structure, most people always think about the building and the runways and bridge beams, but overlook the foundation. A foundation survey should also be performed to ensure that the foundation and flooring of the building can support the crane’s new load requirements. A third-party surveyor should be brought in to assess the foundation and issue a report to the customer and the installer before any work begins.
When the work of the motor changes, the drive system changes as well. Any changes to gear sets or motor size will require changes to the crane’s drive system and controls as well. Adding in a modern control system, like a variable frequency drive, can provide smoother acceleration and deceleration controls—which eliminates abrupt starts and stops and helps prevent load sway. Smoother starts and stops, and less load swing all help prevent everyday wear and tear on your crane equipment.
Modern-style radio controls also offer diagnostics and monitoring (off-site or on-site). Crane operators and production personnel can now use mobile devices, tablets, workstation computers, or an operator’s “belly box” to view real-time diagnostic data, including:
When you increase the capacity of an overhead crane, you’re also increasing the overall amperage draw. You can upgrade the size of the wiring in the crane’s electrification system to accommodate the higher amperage, and also upgrade the size of the electrification. Different and/or higher capacity festoon cabling can be installed, or the conductor bar system can be removed and replaced with a higher amperage system.
If the new amperage requirements exceed the existing requirements in place, then a new disconnect equipped to handle higher amperage will be required to safely disconnect power from the crane equipment in the event of an emergency—per OSHA 1910.179(g)(3)(i).
Any other upgrades or changes to the electrical system, to accommodate the additional amperage resulting from the upgrade, must be made by the customer. This will allow the installers and service team to properly power up and test the equipment once the upgrade is complete.
If you choose to upgrade your crane’s brake system at the same time that you add variable frequency drive controls, you can greatly reduce the wear and tear and maintenance on your brake system—especially if the crane is lifting and moving loads heavier than the original brakes were specified for. Having a microprocessor control the motor and slow the crane’s motion versus using the brakes to slow down the crane, can prolong the life of the crane’s brake system.
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