Top Tips for Outdoor Overhead Gantry Crane Maintenance
24 Jun, 2021
Top Tips for Outdoor Crane Maintenance
It is recommended that outdoor equipment is inspected more often than that, by trained and certified professionals. Semi-annual or more often inspections should be done – depending on the harshness of environmental conditions and crane usage.
Outdoor equipment lubrication dries out faster, grease becomes softer in high heat and can melt off, rubber parts become more brittle in the cold, and environmental debris gets blown into the equipment. All of this means that outdoor equipment should be inspected more often and equipment maintenance is ongoing and performed more often than in an interior installation.
During inspections, inspectors will perform some routine maintenance on the equipment and also spot wear and tear before it can cause a work stoppage. Having a inspection on your equipment more often will save you money in the long term by preventing downtime.
Pr-operational inspections and weekly inspections of lifting equipment and rails should also include a cleaning or lubrication of moving parts to keep them free of dirt, dust, and outdoor contaminants.
When not in use, hoist units should be moved to a covered area to protect them from wind and debris.
The rails of an outdoor crane frequently become obstructed with debris. These need to be checked often, at every use, weekly and during bi-annual inspections.
Debris on rails will wear parts faster, slow down crane operations, or prevent the crane from moving entirely. Check your rails often.
