P.O. Box 357, Morristown, IN 46161
[email protected]
Toll-free: 800.203.9176
Office: 765.763.8985
Fax: 765.763.8986
Inspections, Load Tests, Runway Surveys & Training
Harriman Material Handling is a full-line equipment supplier for material handling. We perform extensive testing and inspections on all our products to ensure they’re safe to use and operate at peak performance in your plant. We know that only a well-trained inspector can deliver the kind of precision necessary to ensure top performance, and that’s why we place such a premium on training at Harriman.
OSHA Certified Inspections
Harriman offers a variety of crane and hoist inspection options to meet your individual needs. Whether it is a basic frequent or periodic inspection or a complete inspection and preventative maintenance program; Harriman has an experienced inspection team to get the job done.
Why perform crane and hoist inspections?
- Remain in compliance with OSHA
- Improve plant safety
- Reduce the number of equipment breakdowns
- Reduce downtime
- Identify minor problems before they result in major repairs
Basic, Frequent, and Periodic Crane and Hoist Inspections
As part of this service, we will:
- Fully inspect and test your equipment to OSHA regulations, ANSI/ASME and ASTM Standards
- Prepare a written report on the condition of each unit
- Provide a list of recommended repairs, if needed
Periodic Inspections
Harriman will inspect your lifting units in accordance with:
- OSHA Regulations 1910.179, Overhead and Gantry Cranes.
- Appropriate ANSI/ASME Standards for Overhead and Gantry Cranes and Hoists.
Our service technicians will check the hoisting and traveling drives, the general condition of the runway rails, electrification and controls. They will test the equipment, inspect all mechanical and electrical parts that are visible, and identify any items that need replacement. At the completion of the service, one of our service technicians will discuss the results of the inspection with the appropriate representatives of your organization. In addition, you will be provided with a written report for each lifting system.
Specifically, our technicians will:
- Inspect and test the hoists, trolleys, and cranes for proper operation.
- Inspect the motor brakes for proper operation.
- Visually examine the sheaves, drums, wheels, and bearings.
- Visually examine the hoist cable or chain for kinking, crushing, cutting, or corrosion.
- Insure that the hoist reeving is correct.
- Inspect the end stops, bumpers, and rail sweeps.
- Inspect the collector shoes, brushes, and wheels for signs of arcing and wear.
- Inspect the external motor couplings and wiring for wear and deterioration.
- Visually check the electrical control enclosures for broken or loose connections and proper operation.
- Check the hoist, trolley, and crane control units for proper operation.
- Examine the hooks for wear, bends, and cracks. Insure that the safety devices are not missing.
- Inspect and test the safety devices such as lights, horn, and limit switches.
Frequent Inspections
- OSHA Regulations 1910.179, Overhead and Gantry Cranes.
- Appropriate ANSI/ASME Standards for Overhead and Gantry Cranes and Hoists.
Specifically, our technicians will:
- Inspect and test the hoists, trolleys, and cranes for proper operation.
- Visually examine the sheaves, drums, and wheels.
- Visually examine the hoist cable or chain for kinking, crushing, cutting, or corrosion.
- Insure that the hoist reeving is correct.
- Inspect the end stops, bumpers, and rail sweeps.
- Check the hoist, trolley, and crane control units for proper operation.
- Examine the hooks for wear, bends, and cracks. Insure that the safety devices are not missing.
- Inspect and test the safety devices such as lights, horn, and limit switches.
- Examine the condition of the pendant station
Preventative Maintenance Programs
Harriman can create a custom preventative maintenance program specifically for your equipment. This program would be designed to inspect, perform routine maintenance and scheduled repairs in order to prevent equipment safety issues, breakdowns, and compliance violations. By performing preventative maintenance on your equipment we can lower costs by eliminating emergency service calls and production down time.
In-shop Inspections and Load Testing for Manual Chain Hoists
Remember the importance of inspecting your come-a-long and chain fall hosts. Harriman can inspect these hoists on site or inspect and load test them in our shop.
Non-Destructive testing of hooks:
Harriman will perform a NDT (non-destructive test) of the hooks in order to uncover any fractures that are not visible under normal conditions. This will include the thorough cleaning of the hooks and the use of a magnetic particle test or dye penetrant test. The inspection will be performed to ASTM Standards.
Dynamic Load Test:
Harriman will load test your equipment in accordance with OSHA Regulation 1910, and provide a load test certificate for each unit tested. (Link to Load Testing page)
Bore-a-scope Inspections:
Harriman can perform bore-a-scope inspections on hoist, trolley and bridge gearboxes in many cases to avoid costly disassembly and examinations of these components. inspectors
Runway Surveys
Crane runways are at the foundation of good crane health. Runways are originally installed to be within the tolerances published in CMAA recommendations. These tolerances are in many cases plus or minus 1/8 of an inch in span and within ¼ inch of each other in elevation. No mater what type of overhead crane system you have in your plant, good runway systems are the key to safety and reduced maintenance.
Aging crane runways can become out of span for many reasons but the most common reasons are building settlement, crane overloads, and crane malfunctions.
Building Settlement
Runway misalignment due to building settlement is common to most buildings containing bridge cranes and monorails. Buildings settle naturally anyway but with the added impact loadings that cranes produce they sometimes settle more quickly. This settlement results in runway elevations and spans becoming out of tolerance.
Crane Overloads
Crane overloads can lead to permanent deflection to bridge support columns and crane runways causing them to be out of tolerance. This out of tolerance condition will tend to worsen over time if left unchecked.
Crane Malfunctions Leading to Cranes Becoming Out-of-Square
When a component of an overhead bridge crane fails, such as a wheel, wheel bearing, drive shaft or brake, it will often times cause the bridge crane to skew and become out-of-square. This can cause damage to the crane runway by spreading the runways apart and cause the runway steel to yield permanently, hardware to stretch and connection and rail bolts or clips to break. Many crane malfunctions such as broken drive shafts and worn bridge motor brakes can go undetected for a long period of time. These are the types of failures that can lead to catastrophic wear and damage to the structural integrity of the crane and runway.
Harriman offers a variety of solutions to combat these issues and a number of ways to detect these problems. Harriman inspection team will develop a course-of-action that will allow you to bring you structures, runways and overhead cranes back into compliance.
Laser Runway Surveys and Runway Inspections
Harriman is experienced in the area of performing crane and hoist inspection surveys that include: runway girder elevation, runway rail straightness and span compliance. In addition to those items Harriman also checks the general condition of the running surfaces.
Reporting
Out team of professionals perform necessary field measurements and inspections and relay them back to our drafting department for them to produce drawings. These drawings will illustrate the condition of your existing crane runways as well as demonstrating how much if any of the runways is out of allowable tolerance. As part of our reporting a written report with images illustrating non compliance issues will be provided.
Bridge Structural Analysis
Bridge girder and end-truck connections can be inspected both visually and by using a non-destructive means of testing these areas. Our Structural Analysis Inspectors are trained to identify cracks in and the yielding of materials in the areas of these connections.
During a structural analysis inspections we can also perform a squareness check of the cranes wheels and a laser check to determine that the bridge crane has the proper camber.
Damaged Runway Gear
Misaligned Wire Rope
Worn Wheel
Deteriorating Runway
Load Tests
- Before initial use, all new, extensively repaired and altered cranes should be tested by or under the direction of an appointed person to confirm the load testing of a crane.
- Test loads shall not be more than 125% of the rated load.
- The test reports shall be placed on file where readily available to appointed personnel.
Load Testing. Harriman has 16,000 lbs of portable test weights and a test weight skid that weighs 2500 lbs. we have the capability of load testing up to 7.5 Ton cranes with these static weights. We are qualified to load test cranes of all capacities using water weights and other static weight options. Additionally, we have a portable test stand that can be used in our shop or transported to your plant to load test up to 10 Ton hoists, slings, and other lifting apparatuses.
Note:
A common “Urban Legend” is that an item of unknown capacity can be load tested at 125% of the desired load and that a certificate can then be provided that states that this item is certified for the rated load. FALSE. The act of load testing an item can damage the device being tested if it was not originally designed for the proper load. Load testing should only be performed after a structure, crane, monorail, jib, lifting beam, sling, etc. is known to have been designed to properly support a load and is in good physical and mechanical shape. A full visual inspection is recommended before load testing any item and if the designed load of a device is not known, in most cases reverse engineering can be performed to calculate the strength and capacity of an item.
Oftentimes load tests will be coupled with inspections. For more information on these services, please check out our frequent and periodic crane and hoist program above.
Top running and Underhung cranes, Monorails, Electric, Pneumatic, Hand Chain and Lever Hoists are discussed in every detail.
Students will:
- Build qualification in evaluating deficiencies and spotting safety related items
- Learn to interpret:
- Federal Regulations
- National Standards
- Crane and Hoist Specifications
- Receive a 280-page workbook filled with photos, charts and references to relevant standards for every inspection item discussed.
- Obtain a Course Completion Certificate.
