Industrial cranes are workhorses that often last for decades without having to be replaced. This longevity sometimes leads to some cranes lacking the recent technologies that improve crane performance and service life. This article discusses some important aspects of crane safety technology that you should consider retrofitting onto the cranes in your industrial plant.
Anti-Sway Technology
One of the key technologies that you should consider during the modernisation of your cranes is anti-sway technology. Such technologies help to keep loads stable during lifts. This removes the stress that crane operators face as they keep a watchful eye on an unstable load. That reduced operator responsibility reduces the chance that human errors due to operator fatigue will result in a crane accident on your premises.
Duty-Cycle Monitoring Technology
You should also consider acquiring technology that enables you to keep track of how many hours a given crane has worked during a week or month. That technology should also be able to record the number of times a crane has lifted loads during the hours when it has so far been in service. Such a system can make it easy to conduct preventive maintenance on parts based on how much work they have done. This can prevent accidents that can take place when there is a delay in replacing a worn crane component.
Load Limit Warning Technology
Some crane accidents may be caused by frequently loading a crane hoist beyond its rated capacity. Such incidents of overloading may worsen load swaying as the load is lifted from one location to another. It is therefore advisable to modernise your cranes so that they are equipped with a system that alerts the operator each time the load limit of the crane is exceeded. The warning can be a flashing light on the control panel or it can be an alarm sound each time the crane is overloaded. Such an upgrade can prolong equipment life and prevent system failure due to overloading.
Thermal Protection Technology
Another useful form of crane modernisation is the acquisition of thermal protection technology. Such technology monitors the temperature of key components, such as hoisting motors. The technology can trigger a system shutdown at the end of a lift cycle in case the temperature of that component has exceeded the safe level. This can prevent any accident that could have resulted when an overheated component failed catastrophically.
Crane modernisation offers you a cost-effective way to improve the performance and longevity of your lifting equipment without incurring the often-prohibitive price of buying new equipment. You should therefore find a crane specialist near you so that he or she can help you to identify the most needed upgrades that you could implement to improve the safety of your cranes.
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