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What happens during an overhead crane inspection?
Konecranes offers a variety of inspections to increase crane safety and reliability. But what exactly happens during an inspection?
“Inspections and other proactive preventive maintenance procedures are carried out to identify risks and opportunities for improvement while supporting compliance,” explains Henri Luotonen, Product Group Manager at Konecranes Service Product Management. In many countries, local regulations require compliance inspections.
“However, preventive maintenance and regular inspections beyond the scope of regulatory requirements are a smart investment because they can improve safety and productivity,” Luotonen points out.
“Unplanned, costly downtime can be avoided by preventing sudden breakages. Moreover, inspections can be scheduled to suit production’s demands,” he continues.
Lifecycle Care is Konecranes comprehensive and systematic approach to maintenance, which aims at maximizing the productivity of uptime and minimizing the cost of downtime. The extensive service offering includes inspections and preventive maintenance programs.
Early detection
“It’s important to catch any defects as early as possible. One should bear in mind that regulations set the minimum level for inspections, not the maximum. Especially with cranes that are critical in terms of safety and production, preventive maintenance inspections and routine maintenance are a must. Konecranes’ trained and qualified inspectors and technicians evaluate risks, identify improvement opportunities and provide recommendations for further action,” Luotonen says.
He provides a rundown of some of the typical measures that are taken at a Konecranes inspection:
- Inspectors carefully examine the parts of the crane that if broken, could pose safety or production risks. Over time, moving parts can wear out from use and environmental factors can strain the crane. Sometimes the operator’s actions may cause extra abrasion or other damage to the crane.
- Most inspections are visual and operational: inspectors look for signs of leakage, fractures, wear and corrosion. Methods vary according to the type of inspection selected by the customer. Initial and major inspections are typically more extensive than frequent or periodic ones.
- Besides sight, inspectors put other senses to work. They listen to the crane while it is running to make sure it sounds right. They feel for any abnormal vibrations. Furthermore, they always carry out a test drive.
- During periodic inspections, internal components that require disassembly are typically not inspected. Nevertheless, Konecranes technicians can open up safetycritical components, if the customer requests.
- In addition to assessing the condition of the equipment, inspectors can give recommendations on how to enhance safety and productivity. For example, improving the lighting of the crane can improve safety.
Text: Anna Hiltunen
Photo: Konecranes
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Depending on the size and complexity of the crane, the inspection may take less than an hour or almost an entire day. The smaller the crane, the
swifter the inspection.
The inspection can be carried out smoothly when the inspector is allowed a safe and easy access to the crane. The team can work with the customer to choose an appropriate inspection time.
Other devices should be kept from disturbing the inspector or risking their safety. In order to prevent accidents due to falling objects, access under the crane under inspection should be restricted.
