There is a TRUCONNECT page in yourKONECRANES for each connected asset in your fleet. The page begins with a summary showing the main items that require attention in each category.

Condition: This shows the shortest current service life of a component from the Condition section. Condition values will change over time due to differences in the wear rate of components and different crane operating patterns, as these can significantly accelerate the wear rate.

Alerts: This shows the cumulative number of alerts in the review period from the Alert section. 

Operating Statistics: The shows the current most significant problem that could affect the safe operation or condition of the crane from the Operating Statistics section.

What the TRUCONNECT data tells you

Hoist DWP is a calculation of the remaining service life of the hoist and the remaining fatigue life of the machinery components.

Common issues and corrective actions you can take

When the hoist DWP is between 30% and 10%, you can begin to plan for an overhaul or replacement. The hoist DWP estimate gives you an estimated end of service life so you can plan well in advance.

If you notice an unusually fast decline in the hoist DWP, it can be because of continuous usage of the hoist near the rated capacity and/or continuous hoist operation. This can lead to premature wear on the hoist and hoist components so you may want to modify your inspection and preventive maintenance schedule to help avoid unplanned downtime.

What the TRUCONNECT data tells you

Remote Monitoring data shows you when the entire brake must be replaced. The Brake DWP calculation is based on the number of hoisting motor starts and the number of emergency stops during lifting and lowering motions.

Common issues and corrective actions you can take

Continuous hoist operation, motor jogging, and emergency stops during lifting or lowering motion (hoist brake) or traversing and traveling motion (trolley or bridge brake) can lead to premature brake wear or failure. You should schedule brake replacement with Konecranes when required by physical inspection or when brake life warning is indicated in the graphic.

What the TRUCONNECT data tells you

Brake Monitoring measures opening current and indirectly shows the status of air gap and friction material wear. As the air gap of the brake increases, the value decreases toward 0%. If the value is under 5%, there is very probable risk that the brake will not open. If the brake does not open you can be faced with sudden brake failure that can result in load drop and severe danger to everyone in the vicinity of the crane.

Brake Monitoring provides safety alerts so you can be alerted to brake issues such as condition warnings and failures by text or email. Alerts are shown in the Alerts section.

Common issues and corrective actions you can take

An increase in air gap and moderate wear in the friction material of the brake indicate a need for corrective action.

You’ll want to closely monitor the condition of the brake and brake friction materials. You can also have the brake mechanics and electrics inspected and an inspection and adjustment of the air gap of the brake.

What the TRUCONNECT data tells you

The service lifetime of hoist contactors is directly influenced by the usage rate of the hoist and, most significantly, by the use of jogging/inching. TRUCONNECT data indicates when you should start planning for, or there is an immediate need, to change the hoist contactors.

Common issues and corrective actions you can take

Operator behavior, such as jogging / inching of the hoist, peaks in production demands, or excessive hoist operation above design class of hoist motor starts can lead to sudden contactor failure that results in crane stoppage.

When contactor life levels reach warning level you’ll want to plan for changing the hoist motor contactors. If the contactor life reaches alert level, you’ll need immediate maintenance.

What the TRUCONNECT data tells you

Trolley and bridge steel structure DWP is a calculation of the remaining service life of the trolley steel structure. When the DWP value approaches zero, the steel structure should be overhauled or replaced. TRUCONNECT data shows the theoretical remaining DWP of the machinery based on the operating history.

Common issues and corrective actions you can take

If you notice a steep decline in DWP, it may be due to premature fatigue of the trolley steel structure. You should consider a Crane Reliability Study.

On or before reaching the end of DWP, a general overhaul is typically required. You can also use the information to modify your inspection schedule based on actual usage.

What the TRUCONNECT data tells you

With TRUCONNECT Wire Rope Monitoring, sensors gather data while the crane is in normal operation to allow for continuous monitoring of the most wearing sections of the wire rope. Wire Rope Monitoring data shows a trend view which indicates the progress of rope defects over the selected time frame. Warning and discard limits are shown so you can plan for replacements or there is an immediate need to replace the wire rope. Safety alerts can be sent by email when a Wire Rope Monitoring safety issue appears such as a pre-warning for a need to replace the wire rope or a warning that the wire rope needs to be replaced immediately.

Common issues and corrective actions you can take

Continuous hoist operation, especially when the same lifting height is used repeatedly, shock loads and overloads, repeated rope bends through rope sheaves during hoist operation with burden, and rope surface damage for an external reason such as a collision or corrosion can indicate that the number of broken wires is increasing which can cause sudden rope failure. Replace the wire rope according to the TRUCONNECT alerts.

In addition to Brake Monitoring and Wire Rope Monitoring alerts, Remote Monitoring also provides text or email alerts for safety and production critical issues.

Overloads, emergency stops and motor over temperatures can all contribute to premature wear on components. Alerts can help you take appropriate and immediate action before safety and production is compromised.

In the Alert Pareto a 20/80 rule can be formed to show the 20% of the causes that are responsible for 80% of the problems. In other words, the 20% of the most common causes are responsible for 80% of problems related to safety and/or production downtime.

By eliminating the root causes of the most frequently occurring alert types, it is possible to significantly improve the safety and reliability of the equipment.

What the TRUCONNECT data tells you

Under normal operation, hoist running hours should not exceed the estimated design limit for its duty class. TRUCONNECT data shows the daily running hours of the hoist relative to the maximum design running time. If the design running time is exceeded, the hoist is being operated in excess of the design and its mechanical components service life will shorten. Looking at the running hours trend is an easy way to examine hoist-specific running times, changes and the possible asymmetrical operation of different hoists. If only one in a pair of hoists is frequently used, it will reach the end of its service life much faster than the unused hoist.

Common issues and corrective actions you can take

Process flow, long lifts, excessive use of low speed motion and long running periods at peak production demands can cause excessive running hours. This can affect the condition and temperature of the hoisting motor and increased motor temperature can lead to an over temperature condition and operational interruptions.

Excessive running hours can also increase wear of crane components such as the bridge, trolley and drive and reduce the service life of the hoist. You should review your inspection and preventive maintenance schedule so you can make changes according to actual usage.

What the TRUCONNECT data tells you

Load data shows the production volume of the crane or individual hoist. Load spectrum shows the distribution of loads the crane operates with and whether the crane is in heavy or light use.

Operation close to the rated load value causes stress on the crane structures and requires increased attention to maintenance.

Common issues and corrective actions you can take

If loads are continuously at or in excess of 50%, it must be taken into account in the maintenance planning of the crane.

The load spectrum can also be used to assess the suitability of the crane for the current type of operation based on the frequency of overloading and how often the load spectrum reaches the rated load.

What the TRUCONNECT data tells you

Hoist motor starts per work cycle (jogging/inching) shows the frequency of incremental lifting of the load. Inching significantly reduces the service life of the brake and hoist contactors, stresses mechanical structures and overheats the electric motor.

Common issues and corrective actions you can take

Operator behavior, such as jogging and/or inching (repeatable motor starts), peak production demands, and loose cabling can cause excessive starts. This can lead to premature wear of the brake, contactors and other components and reduce the lifetime of control equipment such as radio remote or pendants.

Excessive starts can also increase the motor temperature which can lead to an over temperature condition and operational interruptions. Excessive starts can indicate the need for operator training, inspection of brake components, motor and hoist contactors, and a review of your inspection and preventive maintenance schedule.

What the TRUCONNECT data tells you

The maximum number of work cycles is an estimate of the remaining working period of the hoist. The working period is calculated from the cumulative number of maximum hoist cycles. TRUCONNECT trend data shows the remaining working period based on the operating history. When the end of the safe working period is reached, the hoist should be overhauled.

Common issues and corrective actions you can take

If there is an indication that the hoist is being used more than expected, you should consider operator training, an application study to determine whether the equipment suits current production and operating demands, and a review of your inspection and preventive maintenance schedule.

What the TRUCONNECT data tells you

TRUCONNECT data shows the impact of emergency/ abnormal stops on the brake service life in addition to the hoist motor starts. The impact of a single emergency stop during lifting or lowering corresponds to 50 normal starts. You can see the cumulative number of emergency stops per period and the service life trend of the brake.

Common issues and corrective actions you can take

Emergency stops can be caused by operator behavior such as using the e-stop as a normal means of stopping or lifting the hook to the upper limit switch, power quality including radio power, and loss of control signal between the controller and equipment.

Emergency stops can indicate an actual emergency so it’s important to look into the use of the e-stop. When emergency stops are misused it can lead to shock loading and premature wear of the brake, contactors and other components.

Abnormal e-stop usage can indicate a need for operator training, pendant or remote controller maintenance, power supply issues or the need for a hoist brake or other machinery brake inspection.

What the TRUCONNECT data tells you

Overloading is registered when the load exceeds the rated capacity of the hoist. TRUCONNECT records the cumulative number of overloading episodes and the period at which the load exceeds the set limit.

TRUCONNECT load spectrum data shows how close to the rated load the hoist is operated at on average. It provides an indication of the suitability of the hoist to the application and the operator’s usage habits. The information can be used to examine the frequency of overloading in work cycles.

Common issues and corrective actions you can take

Overloads can be caused by operator error such as attempting to lift loads beyond the rated capacity, shock loading or starting a load lift in high speed, improper rigging, improperly calibrated load monitoring device or improper use of below-the-hook devices. This can cause cumulative fatigue or damage to crane or hoist components such as hooks, weld seams, sheaves, wire rope, drums, gearboxes, couplings, motors and brakes.

If the data shows overloads you may want to consider operator training to address rigging, crane controls, load swing and pre-operational inspections. You may also need a more in-depth look at the critical components of your crane such as a gear case inspection or coupling inspection or a rail survey.

What the TRUCONNECT data tells you

Over temperature has a significant impact on the service life of the motor. Even one episode of significant over temperature can halve the service life of the motor. TRUCONNECT data shows the ratio of low and high-speed operation of a 2-speed motor and the number of over temperature episodes in the same period. Frequent operation at low speed increases the likelihood of over temperature.

Common issues and corrective actions you can take

Hoist motor over temperature can be caused by excessive operation at slow speeds, too many starts in a short time frame, ED values have exceeded the nominal ED value of the hoist duty class, high ambient temperature and/or a dirty environment, the work environment is hotter than the design limit of the motor, the hoist is used above its design duty cycle, or the motor is dirty or the fan is inoperative. This can lead to premature motor failure.

If excessive over temperature events are occurring you may want to consider operator training, check the motor design class, measure resistance and insulating resistance of motor windings, and review your inspection and preventive maintenance schedule.