http://www.worldcargonews.com/htm/nf20110827.468742.

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Published: July 2011

Hoist gearbox monitoring

Sweden-based bearing manufacturer SKF is piloting an on-line bearing monitoring system for container crane gearboxes at Yantian International Container Terminals (YICT) in China. It is not unknown for the main hoist gearbox to last the life of the crane, but an unexpected failure is one of the most costly and difficult-to-repair incidents that can happen in a cranes drive system. There are many diagnostic tools that terminals can use to monitor the condition of a gearbox. One is oil analysis, where oil samples are tested for particle and/or moisture content that indicate a component problem. Other technologies such as ultrasonic sensors, thermal imaging and vibration analysis can be used to identify the problem area or component with more precision, without requiring the gearbox to be dismantled....

http://www.motornostix.com/Applications/ExampleOverheadgantrycrane.aspx
Applications / Example: Overhead gantry crane Logi n

09 June 2013

Motornostix effectively monitors smelting plant overhead cranes

Overhead cranes which move ladles of molten metal present a particular challenge to the maintenance engineer. They are critical machines and are usually in continuous operation, during which the motors and gearboxes are inaccessible. The environment is dirty and very hot. Unplanned breakdowns can be very costly, and even more serious is the safety risk of a catastrophic failure. The Motornostix system has been proven to be a cost-effective and appropriate means of perfroming condition monitoring on such overhead cranes. Once installed, the system continuously takes measurements of vibration, temperature, current and other trends of the cranes' components periodically (usually every five minutes), and also takes longer data samples that can be subjected to vibration analysis at least daily, or if specified trend levels are breached. There is no need for anyone to have to climb to dangerous positions to collect data. The Motornostix system is self-contained on the crane, and keeps sending its data to the Motornostix data centre where the data is processed automatically for alarm checking, This data is monitored by Motornostix analysts and is also available to authorized users via the Internet. The system provides effective early warning of conditions that could lead to failure, information to make scheduled maintenance plans, and priority alerts to conditions that indicate safety risks (such as increased brake temperatures). A Motornostix installation on a crane would typically monitor the following components with sensors covering all critical locations and measurables: Main hoist motor and gearbox Auxiliary hoist motor and gearbox Main hoist brakes Auxiliary hoist brakes Long travel motor and gearbox Cross travel motor and gearbox

Frequently encountered failure modes in overhead cranes which the Motornostix system is able to detect: Hoist brake failure

Motor - gearbox alignment Coupling imbalance Motor/ gearbox loose foot Bearing surface wear Gear surface wear Looseness

http://www.testlab1.com/latestnews_details.asp?Id=17

Saturday, Jun. 8 2013

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Safety Alert - Crane Failure Incident Description: On June 22, 2004, a millwright was fatally injured when an overhead crane failed and dropped its load, an 85,000 lb draw die. The crane hoist drum failed to operate, leaving the load suspended some 20 feet in the air. Preliminary troubleshooting indicated a mechanical failure. The millwright removed the gearbox cover, exposing the drum gear (bull gear) and the pinion gear. He indicated to his partner that he saw a piece of metal caught between the two gears and that he thought he could pull it out. His partner saw him attempt to remove the piece of metal and at that moment the hoistdrum freewheeled, dropping the load. It is believed the millwright was struck by flying 3/4 inch cables from the drum, inflicting fatal injuries. Equipment involved in the incident: The crane involved in the incident was a top running,

double girder, center drive electric overhead traveling crane, 50 ton capacity. It was lifting a draw die weighing 42.2 tons. Investigation to Date: An independent third party was brought in to examine th crane components. Upon examining the secondary gear box, it was discovered that the pinion gear which connects to the drum (bull) gear had failed and broken into three pieces. All other power transmission components appeared to be in good condition. All cranes at the plant were inspected. Three cranes of the same design as the one involved in the incident were found to have a pinion gear with significant cracks. These cranes were immediately taken out of service. We must emphasize these fatigue cracks will not likely be discovered by conducting normal preventative maintenance checks on the gears. Special inspection methods have to be employed in order to find these flaws. Safety Reminder: This incident is a reminder to each of us to always be aware of potential energy sources, such as suspended loads and that inspections need to be performed by qualified, non-biased inspection organizations.

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