Ask the Crane Tech: Pre-Use Inspections

Ask the Crane Tech: Pre-Use Inspections

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As an overhead crane technician, one of the questions I get asked a lot is, “What do I look for on a pre-use inspection?” Well let’s look into that today. Completing daily pre-use checks are an important part of having a crane, as not only can completing these checks save time, money, and lives(!) but are also required by occupational health and safety. And when you think about it, it seems completely reasonable to me to take a few minutes at the start of your shift in light of the possible consequences that may result from skipping your daily checks. Let’s take a few minutes from our busy days to discuss what to check and what to look for in a pre-use crane inspection.

 

STEP 1 – CHECKING THE PENDANT FOR DAMAGE OR WEAR

Make sure there are no holes or cracks in the casing. Press the e-stop button to ensure you do not move the crane and check all the buttons for wear or damage. Press each button to see if they feel right. If you have 2-speed control — do you feel the detents? Check the pendant cable and strain relief for damage. If all your checks are good, you are ready to release the e-stop.

 

STEP 2 – OPERATE THE HOIST

 

When you press the up button, does the hook go up? Does the hook go down when you press the down button? If your answers are yes, then great — then this step is done!

However, if the hook is going the wrong direction during this first check, there is something very wrong with your hoist; likely the power phasing has somehow been reversed. Do not use the crane and call for immediate service. Using the crane in this condition will almost certainly end up with the hook stuck at the top or bottom, with the possibility of damaging the wire rope and rope guide or burning out the hoist motor. At this point, repairs will become more expensive and the downtime will increase to bring your hoist back to safe operational capacity. Having everything running backwards also presents a safety hazard as the operator will likely press the desired button out of habit only to have the load travel the opposite direction… and in the worst case… pinning the operator.

 

STEP 3 – CHECK THE LIMIT SWITCHES

 

Run the hook to the top, using slow speed (if applicable) as you reach the top just in case, and make sure the hook stops on its own. If it does, then your upper limits are good. Now run the hook down to the bottom, using slow speed (if applicable) near the bottom just in case, and make sure the hook stops on its own. If it does, then your lower limits are good.

NOTE* Not all hoists will have a lower limit or upper limit. It is important to know the specifics of your equipment when conducting these checks. If your hoist does not have a lower limit, do not bother taking it all the way to the bottom as that could damage the equipment. Certain chain hoists do not have an upper limit switch. These chain hoists may utilize a stop block on the chain or just the load block itself that works to stop the chain at the top. If this is the case with your hoist, skip this check because when the hook gets to the top it will just run through the load limit clutch and cause increased wear on a part that should never wear under normal operation.

STEP 4: CHECK WIRE ROPE/LOAD CHAIN

 

If your hoist has a wire rope, you will want to look for obvious visible damage such as kinks, broken wires, wires from the core sticking out between the strands on the outside, or significant gaps between the strands which allow you to see the core. If your hoist has load chain, you want to check for damage which may come in the form of grinder marks, bent links, twisted links, or corrosion. With a chain hoist, wear is a factor as well. Take your time to look for marks on the chain, thinning of the links where the chain contacts the sprocket or where the links rest against each other. One additional factor of concern with chain hoists having more than one “fall” (more than one length of chain coming down from the hoist.) Check for a twist in the chain; twists can develop if the load block gets rolled over between the falls. A twist in the chain can jam up in the hoist and has been known to break the chain, especially under load, so this should be corrected immediately if found. Remember there is no expectation to go up to the hoist itself to complete these checks — simply check for what you can see from the floor.

STEP 5: CHECK THE LOAD BLOCK

Now let’s bring the load block up to eye level and check that. Are there any cracks? Has a grinder run across it? Do the sheaves (pulleys) turn freely? Are there ruts worn into the saddle of the sheaves? Are the side cheeks moving around? Damaged? Is the hook twisted? Stretched? Does the safety latch come out the throat of the hook? Is there a significant groove worn into the saddle of the hook? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, please have the crane serviced immediately for your own safety

STEP 6: CHECK THE LATERAL TRAVEL AXES

 

So far, so good? Good. Now that we are finally done with the hoist, time to check the lateral travel axes. Run your motorized trolley in low speed and high speed to make sure the circuit is working properly. If your crane has a single-speed trolley, a push/pull trolley, or no trolley, then don’t worry about trying multiple speeds. Complete your trolley check by making sure the trolley moves well. Now stop the trolley. Did it brake well? Good. You need to make sure the brakes work. Complete the same check with the bridge or jib. Again, the purpose of this check is to make sure all components of the crane are working as they should prior to operation.

If you have gotten this far without finding any problems, then congratulations, your crane is ready for use! Don’t forget to fill in the inspection report… and get to work!

-The Crane Tech

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CREATURE COMFORTS – CTR Crane Systems for the U of C

CREATURE COMFORTS – CTR Crane Systems for the U of C

Following the outbreak of Avian Flu and Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) traced to Alberta feedlots, the University of Calgary established the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) in 2005, making it only the fifth veterinary school in Canada.

The UCVM expanded in 2011 with the construction of the Veterinary Medical Clinical Skills Building (CSB), a fully equipped animal housing and research facility for a large variety of domesticated and exotic species. CSB functions today as a hands-on clinical and diagnostic learning facility, housing areas for surgery, imaging, laboratory, and diagnostic activities. This state-of-the-art facility earned a gold LEED certification for its energy-efficient and environmentally friendly design.

 

Image courtesy of GEC Architecture (https://gecarchitecture.com/)

This specialized facility was divided into three sections, a classroom/office area, laboratory, and a handling area. The animals at the CSB may range from small dogs and cats up to horses and livestock. With the larger of these animals weighing upwards of one ton, the building design had to take into consideration an efficient method to transport the animals to and from different areas of the CSB. When Kristian Electric was brought on board, we knew that Gorbel’s Cleveland Tramrail system was the perfect fit for this application.

Cleveland Tramrail and its patented Tarca® Track offers segments of straight or curved track that work together in conjunction with interlocks and switches to change the load direction. Cleveland Tramrail has long been a popular application choice for laboratories, foundries, and any facility where material must be moved through an entire production area.

The unique Tarca® Track has a special raised tread and high-carbon track, making it superior to I-beams in strength and durability. Cleveland Tramrail allows for underhung hoists and carriers to operate on a single-straight, curved, or inclined track, and even operation on two or more straight track runways.

Cleveland Tramrail also allows for both switches and gates at every junction. Both 2-way or 3-way switches can be utilized, permitting the load to move right, left, or straight. Gates can be installed in areas where the system needs to “open” to allow other facility movement. At the CSB Building, some areas needed to allow large doors to close. The gate segment of the monorail could be pulled aside to allow this and could be swung back into position once the doors opened again. Both switches and gates are operated manually.

With capacities anywhere between two to forty tons, an unlimited length of coverage area, and the ability to be powered, Kristian knew that a Cleveland Tramrail monorail crane system from Gorbel was the obvious choice for the lift and access requirements for the CSB Building.

Kristian technicians began installation of two new Cleveland Tramrail monorail crane systems at the Clinical Skills Building in 2009. The first Cleveland Tramrail monorail crane system included hundreds of feet of track, five switch points, two gates, and multiple curves; spanning much of the building with numerous junctions allowing the operator to enter separate rooms and laboratories.

The second Cleveland Tramrail monorail crane system was provided for a specialized laboratory and set up as a manually operated system which included two gates.

Both systems were outfitted with multiple Coffing LHH hand chain hoists and were completed in 2011.

Kristian Electric returned to the CSB in 2014. The second specialized lab Cleveland Tramrail monorail crane system was modified with an expansion and conversion to a powered system, which included a 1 Ton Coffing JLC electric chain hoist and electric motorized trolley.

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RISING STARS – The Cosmic History of CM Hoists

RISING STARS – The Cosmic History of CM Hoists

POST Count Off brand cereal, introduced in 1962.

From 1955 to 1975, the imagination of the world was gripped by the competition between Cold War adversaries, the Soviet Union and the United States, as they raced to achieve superior spaceflight capabilities.

From Yuri Gagarin becoming the first human being in outer space to the famous ‘one giant leap for mankind,’ every warm-blooded citizen of Earth was fascinated with the great beyond.

This excitement spilled over into all areas of life and commodity; board games, television shows, and even breakfast cereals all took on new space themes. Everyone and their dog were getting on the space race bandwagon. The space frenzy didn’t just stop at commercial products, but expanded into the industrial sector as well.

At this time, Columbus McKinnon was riding the post-war economic boom which allowed all types of industries and businesses to reach new heights. It was also during this time that they unveiled the iconic Lodestar electric chain hoist.

LODESTAR

A Lodestar is defined as something that serves as an inspiration or beacon, like a star used to guide the course of a ship. Over the past sixty plus years, the Lodestar electric chain hoist has earned its name — quickly becoming CM’s flagship electric chain hoist; renowned for its performance and reliability across both industrial and entertainment sectors. Since the Lodestar’s debut in 1955, more than one million Lodestar electric chain hoists have been produced and installed in facilities around the world.

This star of a hoist, however, was not the first piece of equipment that Columbus McKinnon christened with a celestial name. Long before Neil Armstrong, decades before Captain Kirk, and years before Sputnik, Columbus McKinnon was looking to the stars.

 

COMET

In the late 1930s, two engineers from the Ohio State University’s Engineering Department designed the Comet electric chain hoist. Released under the Chisholm Moore brand, the Comet hoist had a heavy oil-filled gearbox and was originally finished with a grey and scarlet color scheme; the official colours of Ohio State.

The Comet hoist stayed in the CM hoist line-up until 1954 when it was completely re-designed and re-introduced on the market under the moniker Super Comet. One year later, the name was changed again… this time to the famous Lodestar.

 

A fully restored Sky Hoist by Robert Dean of ZFX Flying Effects

SKY HOIST

During World War II, Columbus McKinnon produced a stainless-steel hand chain hoist called the Sky Hoist. The Sky Hoist’s magnesium-aluminum frame and two strains of aircraft cable were capable of lifting up to 4,000 lbs while only weighing 25 lbs itself.

Throughout the war, CM supplied both the American Navy and Air Force with vast quantities of tie-down chain and hand chain hoists, including the Sky Hoist. Columbus McKinnon holds the designation as the only company who was able to meet the American government’s wartime specification for military-strength chain.

METEOR

Columbus McKinnon launched the Meteor wire rope hoist in 1941. The Meteor was the first hoist developed through the company’s new independent research and development unit. The Meteor was a low-headroom wire rope hoist that utilized steel weldments in place of castings. In fact, the Meteor was the first hoist to introduce low voltage and two-speed button control! The Meteor remained in production until 1998, but CM continued to produce spare Meteor parts for service depots like Kristian Electric until 2014.

 

 

POLARIS & APOLLO

Upon retiring the Meteor in 1998, CM introduced the Apollo and Polaris wire rope hoist models. After Columbus McKinnon’s acquisition of LiftTech International in 1995, the Apollo and Polaris were both CM-branded versions of LiftTech’s popular 700 and 800 series hoists. CM produced the Polaris and Apollo until approximately 2012, and continued to produce LiftTech’s 700-Series until 2018. CM continues to produce the LiftTech 800-Series today.

 

SATELLITE

The Satellite hand chain hoist was introduced in the early 1970s. Armed with an all-steel frame, steel covers, and forged-steel hoist hangers, the Satellite was a compact, low-headroom hoist produced in capacities between 1/4 Ton to 10 Ton. The Satellite was a short-lived hoist series and was retired by CM within the decade.

Even though not all of these hoist models remain in production today, they symbolize a time in which innovation was reaching new horizons…even within the industrial sector. Today, CM continues to produce some of the world’s more versatile and rugged lifting equipment.

Since the merging of McKinnon Chain with the Columbus Chain Company back in 1917, Columbus McKinnon has always strived to reach new heights in the material handling industry.

And sometimes when you aim high enough, you land amongst the stars.

 

 

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Blown Away – An Almost Olympic Disaster

Blown Away – An Almost Olympic Disaster

Still considered one of the top ten best Olympic opening ceremonies of all time, the Calgary Winter Games were officially opened on February 13, 1988. Not only are the ’88 games emblazoned in our memory for the heroic ski jumper Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards, not to mention the début of the Jamaican national bobsled team, but the ’88 games were also the most expensive Olympic games ever held at that time. The opening ceremonies alone came with a 10-million-dollar price tag, but long before the age of LED lights, drones and augmented realities, this ceremony relied on more traditional methods of entertainment. The 60,000 spectators crammed in McMahon Stadium each donned coloured ponchos to create a stadium-wide image for the two billion people watching from home. With upwards of six thousand performers, one thousand pigeons, hundreds of horses and thousands of balloons, the opening ceremonies were a joyous and colourful celebration.

Every Olympic opening is leading to that fateful moment when the cauldron is finally lit with the Olympic flame officially starting the games. For this memorable moment, the cauldron was placed atop a long staircase and a giant tepee structure was built aloft as a tribute to Canada’s indigenous heritage. Atop this tepee structure were wire rope hoists, connected to banners below that would be risen to form the full tepee at the moment the cauldron was set alight.

And that is how our Kristian Electric team found themselves at the 1988 Opening Ceremony. Hired to run the rigging required to bring up the tepee, they stood on the scaffold deck next to the controls, patiently awaiting their moment.

And then there was the wind.

Chinook winds are no stranger to the Calgary area. They didn’t want to miss out on the celebration. As 7-year-old Robyn Perry, a local seventh-grade student and figure skater, lit the cauldron, our Kristian workers began to raise the banners when the wind arrived.

“The structure started to shake violently. The wind had caught the curtains about halfway up,” remembers Dean Gjertsen, one of the Kristian workers on site that day. “The scaffolding started shaking violently too. Five of us dove off the scaffold and onto the red and white club roof!”

With gusts that reached upwards of 74 kilometres an hour, the wind was using the raising banners as sails… causing the tepee to shudder. Just as the job appeared to be heading south, the crowd was distracted by the Snowbird military aerobatic flyover and the resulting echoing sound of church bells and sirens that rang through the city of Calgary.

Seizing the opportunity, the Kristian team quickly lowered the banners and discovered that wind had caused the large ground screws securing the tepee to start pulling out of the ground.

“We were fortunate the jets distracted the crowds,” says Gjertsen. “It would have been a disaster with all the athletes and kids on the playing field below.”

After the ‘88 Olympic Games wrapped up, the tepee was moved to Medicine Hat, Alberta where it was rechristened the Sammis Tepee. With the addition of more structural elements in 1991 to turn the temporary structure into a permanent monument, the Sammis Tepee now stands in full glory above the scenic Seven Persons coulee. Today the Sammis Tepee is a popular roadside attraction, even christened the World’s Largest Tepee! With a foundation weight of 800 metric tons and nearly a thousand bolts holding the structure together, it is safe to say that this tepee isn’t going anywhere.

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SHORT CUT – Hypertherm Plasma Gouging

SHORT CUT – Hypertherm Plasma Gouging

What is gouging?

In the maintenance and repair industry, welds are often in need of replacement if determined to be worn or defective. Metal gouging and/or backgouging is the process of removing old welds or base metals to restore the weld surface. Gouging is also a popular process used in foundries to remove defects from castings.

Gouging can be achieved through mechanical processes such as grinding, hand milling, routing and chipping and oxyfuel, the latter of which can only be used on carbon steels. Out of the many processes, traditionally the most popular choice is air carbon arc gouging.

Carbon arc gouging uses a carbon/graphite electrode, compressed air, and a power source. The electric arc between the electrode and work piece cuts and melts the metal, while the high velocity air stream blows away the molten metal to leave a clean groove. Though carbon arc gouging is a popular choice, it does come with some disadvantages and safety issues.

What is plasma gouging?

Much like plasma cutting, plasma gouging uses a plasma arc between the torch and workpiece to melt the metal, while utilizing the gas jet to blow it away. This is achieved with specially designed consumables for the plasma cutting system that produce a wider arc. When the plasma torch is held at an angle, only some of the material is blown away. Plasma gouging works on any conductive metal, including mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and copper.

What makes plasma gouging superior to carbon arc gouging?

Cleaner – Carbon arc gouging, especially with poorly practice or insufficient air flow, results in contamination within the side walls of the metal which may lead to metallurgical issues. Plasma gouging reduces contamination of the workpiece and minimizes the spread of debris and pollutants at the worksite.

Automation – Powermax plasma cutting systems from Hypertherm allow the user to gouge both freehand or with a track cutter, and can even be made fully automatable with a CNC cutting table. These features ensure clean and consistent gouge profiles every time.

Spot Weld Removal – The Powermax45 plasma system is a fast and cost-effective solution for spot weld removal. Using the precision-gouging consumables and operating at 10-25 Amp output current not only allows the operator better visibility but increases precision to protect the base metal with less fatigue on the wrists, arms, and shoulders.

Safer – As carbon arc gouging pushes the molten metal away with compressed air, fine droplets are created when the metal reacts with the air, resulting in a high level of fumes during the process. Plasma gouging uses gas to push the molten metal away, which generates less metal vaporization and reduces metallic vapour in the work area.

Faster – With the less time spent on secondary grinding work and overall quicker operating speeds, plasma gouging saves time and increases efficiency.

Quieter – Although both processes tend to be on the louder side, plasma gouging is 5-10 decibels quieter than carbon arc; reducing risk of possible hearing loss and communication interference.

Powermax Family

The Powermax family from Hypertherm is a line of portable cutting and gouging systems that are the ideal choice for cutting and gouging of any electrically-conductive metal. Six out the seven machines in the Powermax line offer dedicated gouging operation modes that adjust the amount of pressure traveling to the torch. Hypertherm also offers specialized gouging consumables in four tiers depending on the end user’s needs.

 

Consumables

 

Max Control Gouging Consumables

Max control shield is designed for slower rates of metal removal.

– Better control over amount of metal to be removed

– Shallow gouge profile creation

– Light washing capability

 

Max Removal Gouging Consumables

Ideal for experienced operators looking for faster rates of metal removal.

– Aggressive metal removal

– Deep gouge profile creation

– Extreme metal washing capability

 

HyAccess Extended Consumables

Designed for cutting or gouging in hard-to-reach places.

– Extended reach

– Improved visibility

– Easy to use

 

Precision Gouging

Ideal for precise applications, such as spot weld removal.

– Designed to operate at low output current (10-25A)

– Ultra low-density arc for better visibility of defect removal

– Precision performance to protect the base material

 
 
 
 

Learn more about Hypertherm plasma gouging here.

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