5 Signs It’s Time for Crane Modernization and Upgrades

Safe use of a crane is an absolute necessity for many businesses and industrial concerns. Without the lifting power and transport capabilities of a crane, your operations can grind to a halt.

Unfortunately, many businesses wait too long to act on crane modernization. They see the expense as too costly to justify.

But the truth is if you don’t update your important equipment and machinery the costs are impossible to recover. Beyond tragic safety issues, you will be risking the loss of your competitive edge.

If crane use is important to your business it’s important to know when to update or upgrade your equipment.

Let’s find out when it’s time. Here we go:

1. Daily Inspections Reveal Deficiencies

Because OSHA requires your crane to have a daily visual inspection prior to operations, any deficiency can take it offline.

And, until the deficiency is remedied and deemed safe by a designee, your company will be losing productivity.

If daily inspections are frequently taking your crane offline it is time to consider an investment.

2. Performance Is Lagging

There have been many upgrades to crane technology over the years. If your crane is older, it may not have the benefit of the newest technology.

Modernizing your crane doesn’t always mean replacing the asset. An upgrade effort could include installing new software, drives, or controls.

3. You Need More Capacity

If your crane is not handling the loads you would like, it can cost man hours and significant energy costs making extra loads. A modernization effort can help increase capacity.

Your crane will be operating more efficiently.

4. Your Control is Suffering

With an upgrade, you can install radio and infrared controls in your crane. Enhancing control means more efficient performance.

And more efficiency means cost savings through investment.

5. Crane Modernization and Cost Benefit Analysis

In a thorough preventative or predictive maintenance program, crane modernization should never be a surprise capital expense. The asset is necessary to your business, and its efficient operation requires maintenance.

A thorough cost-benefit analysis (CBA) will reveal when it’s time to modernize your equipment. Don’t wait for costly downtime and unnecessary repairs.

Updating your equipment should be part of a well-thought-out process. Using a template for a CBA will help you analyze when it’s time to upgrade or update.

Rather than risk expensive and ineffective repairs, unsafe operation, and significant downtime, updating your crane should show a payoff timeline.

Integrating your crane update into your tax planning and capital improvement plan will help every facet of your business as well.

An Integrated Operations Plan

Just like your cranes are essential for operations, so is all of your industrial equipment. A great integrated strategy means considering the value of all of your machinery and assets to your customers, owners, and employees.

The right equipment means you are invaluable to industry. At Kor-Pak we help our customers boost value and deliver more money to their bottom line.

Kor-Pak serves numerous industries, including steel, rail, energy (wind), mining, and oil. At Kor-Pak, we keep industries productive.

Our customers are important to us. Don’t wait to see how we can help with every aspect of your operations plan.

Contact us now and discover how Kor-Pak can help bring value to your business today.

Why You Need to Be Doing Regular Crane Maintenance

Are you doing your best to keep your workers safe?

Regular crane maintenance is crucial for the safety of your employees. Like any large machine, a crane can wear down after a while.

Since cranes move very heavy objects, there are many parts that wear down quickly. This can cause materials to drop unexpectedly, and it puts your workers in danger.

There are many types of cranes out there, including wall cranes, gantry, semi-gantry, etc. However, all of them are exposed to the same risks.

If you want to find out more about crane maintenance, read on. We crafted a mini guide on what parts are more susceptible to risks and how often you need to check your crane.

The crane parts that are at high risk and daily inspections

They are a couple of daily inspections that you could do yourself to ensure the safety of your working site.

Some of the most important inspections that should be done daily are:

• Look for maladjustments in the operating mechanisms.
• Check the hydraulic and pneumatic parts for intense deterioration and leakage.
• Look for cracks, crevices, and deformation in the hooks.
• Look for any damage in the chains.

Safety concerns

Accidents provoked by faulty cranes are quite costly when it comes to equipment, materials, and injuries to your employees. You will also have to face the OSHA fines for not investing in your crane maintenance.

On top of the direct costs and the OSHA fines, you will also have to face the lawsuits from property owners and the families of your workers who have been injured.

Most of the time, these tragic events happen simply because the work personnel is not educated properly in handling cranes. Also, a lack of crane maintenance is also to blame.

One of the first steps you can take to improve the safety of your workers is to hire certified crane operators. Someone who does not know what they are doing when handling a crane could cause a lot of damage financially and ruin human lives.

How crane maintenance has changed over the years

An annual inspection is only the tip of the iceberg. Some inspections should be done daily while others periodically, such as electrical components, load indicators, brakes, etc.

Why has crane maintenance changed?

In the past cranes were made out of a strong alloy that was more resistant to heavier weights and mishandling.

Today, the materials used are not that strong and they cannot be abused as much as their older counterparts. Not to mention that many cranes, even the older ones, suffer from working decades in extreme temperatures. This can cause the cranes to lose structural strength and provoke a lot of damage.

Make sure a crane never lifts a heavier load than recommended.

Wrapping up

Ensuring the safety of the machines you are working with saves you not only money, but it can save lives too.

Make sure your workers are trained properly and are well aware of the risks of mishandling and abusing a crane.

If you want to find out more about crane maintenance, do not hesitate to check our blog. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us

Any job working with heavy equipment demands only the very best in parts and supplies. Sourcing less than quality parts could cost people their lives.

This sentiment applies especially to cranes. Choosing the correct crane hoist can make or break your job site.

Hoists come in many different varieties, and you need to know what will work best for your situation.

To make sure disaster never strikes your job site, we’re bringing you our guide on how to pick the right crane hoist.

What’s a Crane Hoist, Exactly?

Most people get the general concept behind a hoist, but don’t know what they’re actually all about.

Yes, hoists move things up and down. That’s the very basic concept; moving something heavy from one place to the next.

However, hoists vary widely in size and application. What you’d use in your garage isn’t the same as what you’d use on a job site.

Since we’re talking about cranes, our focus is on electronic and air powered chain hoists.

Chain hoists give crane operators the strength they need to move heavy objects, often in high danger situations.

They also specialize in vertical lift, resisting grime, are portable, and modular.

Today, we’ll touch on the two main types of chain hoists and why they’re the perfect choice for your next crane hoist.

Electric Chain Hoist

Electric chain hoists work well for lifting large objects in small spaces. That definition isn’t pretty, but it’s true.

The electric motors provide operators with extreme accuracy without sacrificing lifting power or capacity.

If you choose an electric crane hoist, remember to specify what voltage your crane can handle. Mismatching voltages won’t allow your hoist to work with your crane.

Air Powered Chain Hoist

Air powered hoists are the strongest of the heavy lifting chain hoists. Whatever you throw at them, they’ll lift and move.

These hoists are specifically for faster, longer, and more intensive lifting. Their air powered nature also makes them practical where electricity may pose safety hazards (near water).

However, air hoists do require an air compressor. This means extra equipment brought on site, and extra money.

Choosing Your Crane Hoist

Choosing the correct hoist for your crane depends solely on the work you’ll undertake. Every environment is different, and so the correct hoist varies.

We recommend talking to your hoist supplier to get their opinion on the matter. They’ve heard all manner of situations and likely have insight into your unique circumstances.

Before we end our guide, there is one more crane hoist option we should mention. When chain hoists can’t bear your load, wire rope hoists are the answer.

Large cranes commonly used on construction sites are prime candidates for the wire rope hoist.

Choosing the correct crane hoist is vital to the success and safety of your job site. Don’t bet on a hunch when there are lives on the line.

Use our guide to make the correct decision for your next crane hoist. Don’t forget to contact us if you need any help.