Overhead crane installation from plan to installation

Overhead crane installation procedures starts overhead crane buying to the completion of installation, ensuring project date and control budget. Check overhead crane installation guide to get your overhead crane installed efficiently now.

Overhead Crane Installation

After you have selected the overhead crane type for your application, and a crane builder as your supplier, and the crane buying contract has signed, overhead crane installation will be on the agenda.
After having served thousands of clients with overhead crane system and overhead crane installation, Dongqi Crane is now summarize the overhead crane installation procedure from the very start to the complete for your reference. Mainly, Dongqi Crane will help you to understand the following information on overhead crane installation:

The procedures and timeline of the overhead crane installation: What happened after the signing of crane buying contract and the arrival of the crane installation in your facility to start installation all will be presented.

What the overhead crane team should know about your facility or construction site before the crane installation.

The summary on overhead crane installation is aimed to help you to install your overhead crane on within total crane product budget, and your workers safe no matter it is your first time to install overhead crane or you have done multiple overhead crane installation works.

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Preparation before overhead crane installation

Overhead crane installation should be considered at the very beginning of overhead crane buying. During that overhead crane inquiring, your overhead crane builder will also take the crane installation into the crane designing by reviewing blueprints or building floor plans to give their best crane design according to your application.

A window or time frame will be provided by the installation team to show you how they will finish the overhead crane installation. Usually, the overhead crane installation will take from 2-10 working days, or to a longer time for more complicated crane installations.

The crane installation is constructed consecutively once the preparation work is done with all the tools, installation equipment and materials ready. For breakup of the time line, it may increase your overhead crane installation expensive.

About a month out from the expected project completion date, the crane installation team will reach out to the customer or general contractor to establish contact with the necessary parties. The following items should be established:

• Introductions between the overhead crane installation team and the general contractor, or staff who will be involved during crane installation.
• Set up a time to come out and perform an analysis of the job site or facility.
• Agree on an anticipated overhead crane installation date. Be aware that the crane installation process is fluid which may result in the change of the completion date due to overhead crane production schedules and/or construction delays.
• Set up a weekly status call to determine if the crane project is still on schedule .With the help of n open line of communication, any issues or challenges can be solved to make sure the crane installation time frame.

Before overhead crane installation the installation team will visit and analyze the proposed building or crane location site to get evaluate the overall condition of your building, including building bearings, layout, and identifying potential hazards and obstacles, etc. The list of their evaluation may include:

• Evaluation of work scope
• Crane installation locating area. Identify potential hazards and obstacles.
• Conditions of existing runways or runways newly constructed.

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Evaluation of work scope

On receiving the crane purchase order contract offered by your crane builder, your overhead crane installation team will contact you and arrange to come to the job site and meet with your team. Typically, Maintenance Supervisor or Plant Manager for an installation at an existing facility, or a General Contractor at a new construction site will attend the meeting.

The overhead crane installation team will review all the signed approval drawings and your building prints to get an understanding of the space that they’ll be working in, and evaluate the crane span and length of overhead runway structure, etc.

• According, a list of equipment and materials will be prepared and brought to the installation site, which may cover: Semi-trucks, trailers, and flatbeds, Mobile installation cranes to lift the bridge and runway beams,Generators,Scissor lifts,Protection Equipment including fall protection equipment. Check Overhead Crane Installation Tools at the bottom for your reference. 
• The crane installation team need to identify the access of the building for their equipment and materials. The overhead cranes will be loaded onto flatbed trailers and hauled onto the installation site, well then the trucks, mobile cranes, and personnel need have the access to move freely in and out of the building without disruption.
• Working with the General Contractor or Production team at the facility, the installation team should be fulling aware of the timeline for the overhead crane installation, what production or construction issues may occur that could cause a delay in scheduling the overhead crane installation.

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Overhead crane installation location evaluation

Overhead crane installation location evaluation will take amount of time.For the crane installation team needs to be aware of the information on electric and gas line installation, concrete or other masonry work, plumbing, light fixtures, HVAC/duct work, and roofing work.

The overhead crane installation team will also identify obstacles, such as, equipment or machinery blocks their way so that their trucks and equipment can get onto the grounds of the facility, set up a staging area, and have free and clear ground access to the crane location site.

During  site visit, the overhead crane installation team will make sure all the sub-contractors fulling understand the timeline, and what other work might be going on around them during the install. The timetable for the crane installation covers the following:

• Electric and gas line installation
• Concrete or other masonry work being performed
• Overhead light fixtures
• Duct work / roofing work
• Plumbing

For a crane going into an existing building structure, they’ll rope off or mark the installation area will be marked or even roped off, such as, spraying or marking load ratings on the floor and structural supports, etc.

The crane installation team also makes note of any obstacles they may need to maneuver around and takes pictures of the building layout to share with their team so that they can develop a feasible plan. Obstacles needs to be noted:

• Identifying the type of flooring (concrete, dirt, etc.) and also understanding the load requirements for bringing in heavy-duty equipment and trucks
• Identifying load requirements for structural support beams for existing runways
• What equipment or machinery will be operational during the installation process and what employees, if any, will be working near or around the area?

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Potential hazards evaluation

The overhead crane installation team will identify any and all potential hazards and get the required specialized protection (PPE) for their team, specialized permits, and other special considerations to guarantee the safety during crane installation.

The types of hazards should be identified before the installation of an overhead crane. Installation:

• Energy Sources – overhead electrical or gas lines, power/conductor bars, lighting fixtures, etc.
• Traffic Sources –manlifts forklifts, semis and trucks, personal vehicles, walking paths, pedestrian foot traffic, etc.
• Environment – presence of excessive heat, hot metals, chemicals, etc.
• Working at heights – anything over 4 feet, ladders, and scaffolding requires proper fall protection
• Hazardous Energy – identify any equipment requiring lock-out/tag-out per OSHA 1910.147
• Any additional hazards identified by the customer or installation team.

Evaluate runway system of overhead crane

Crane runway system evaluation will be done by the installation team for the sake of crane installation planning. Both the newly installed runway and the existing runway should be evaluated beforehand.

Existing runway system evaluation

• Verify the span measurement per the approval drawing.
• Inspect the runway beams and electrification system to make sure that everything is in proper alignment for operation problems and crane components premature wear may be resulted by misalignment.

New runway system evaluation

• Review all approval drawings and specifications,
• Verify measurements and support loading ratings,
• Identify any process lines, machinery, or other items that may interfere with installation.
• Verify pull power from the building and all electrical work

Commit to crane installation date

There are lots of moving pieces and parts: all need to be coordinated for an overhead crane installation.

• All the involving staffs should be informed of the crane installation schedule, such as, trucks and drivers, mechanical installer and assemblers, riggers, crane operators, and electrical and crane technicians, etc.
• Once the schedule of installation is agreed, everything begins moving full speed ahead in order to coordinate the logistics, transportation, and timing of workers, material, and equipment.

On agreement or contract with the installation team, it will specify that if any type of delay occurs within that 7-30 day cancellation window, you will incur significant charges related to paying employee wages, and rental of equipment. Therefore, Constant communication with the crane installation team and immediate handling of the issues or concerns that could installation time frame is very important.

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Overhead crane load testing

After crane erection and installation, the overhead crane need to be load-tested to make sure the operation in order. The load tests includes two operational tests, and a rated load test performed prior to initial use:

• Testing of the hoist operation up and down; bridge travel; trolley travel; limit switches and braking and safety devices.
• Testing of the trip setting of the hoist limit switches to make sure the actuating mechanism of the limit switch is functioning properly.
• Load test the crane at no more than 125% of the rated load and keep test reports on file where readily accessible.

Overhead crane load testing in coil plant 

All in all, this is the main installation procedures of overhead crane. If you have any crane installation services or have any problem, please feel free to leave a message below to get your overhead crane installed efficiently. 

Overhead Crane Installation Tools - Dongqi Crane

overhead-crane-installation-tools-dongqi-crane.pdf (1003.72 KB)