An emerging trend among large equipment design engineers is to develop customized monitoring systems that can help operators measure all crane data, including tech specs, inventory and financial information, to lower overall maintenance costs, Design News reports.
According to the news source, these systems often include as many as 12 input channels that keep tabs on several sensors, including load pins that have full-bridge strain gauges to relay the weight that the crane is holding, as well as a sensor that measures the swing of the crane in degrees.
Once the sensors are in place, they can wirelessly transmit data to a collection program where controllers can leverage it to improve maintenance costs. This can be done by establishing accurate maintenance calendars by focusing on runtime as well as overall strain the crane has endured throughout its lifetime.
“For example, if a load pin is rated for 50,000 pounds, but technical data states that the load pin has never lifted more than 30 percent of its capacity, its replacement time is much longer than if it’s consistently lifting weights near its capacity,” wrote Richard Hanbury, Applications Manager at HBM Inc.
According to one of the leading online publications for the sensors community, prematurely switching out load pins can result in higher costs in the long run, making it crucial to establish maintenance times according to their performance.
Costs can also be cut by thoroughly testing all materials before they are integrated into a finished product.