“Crane tracks and bridge rails are sometimes considered static installations that are not considered an important part of the crane and production functionality. This is not the case,” says Petteri Ijäs from Konecranes.
Misaligned rails and tracks cause crane travel problems and can be the root cause of chronic crane problems. These include chronic wear of the bridge wheel flange, bridge wheel and guide roller bearing failures, wheel and guide roller shaft failures, motor overheating and steering component failures. Misalignment of the rail and track web can also cause cracks in the track beams or lead to warping of the beams, which can reduce the load-carrying capacity of the track beam. Lost production or the inability to load critical loads are more expensive, and their effects are often more significant in the production chain than the cost of repairing the crane or track.
“RailQ 3D inspection can help solve this problem. The measurement can be added to the maintenance program as a primary tool to find problems in the crane tracks of process cranes before they cause unplanned downtime and production interruptions,” says Petteri Ijäs.
RailQ 3D uses the latest HDS (high-definition surveying) technology to measure critical elements of the rail system.
"These include span and grade difference, i.e. the orientation of the bridge's track rails in relation to each other, the straightness and grade deviations of each rail, the position of the track rail in relation to the track girder, the wear of the track rails and the deflection of the track girders. These measurements are carried out during the same inspection. Experts analyse the information and make data-based repair and alignment plans, while highlighting areas where critical safety problems arise," says Petteri Ijäs.
RailQ 3D measurements as part of a maintenance program allow for comparison of results with previous measurements. This allows track areas with chronic problems to be identified and long-term solutions to be assessed in terms of possible additional supports, fastening inspections and operator training.
WHAT? The RailQ 3D measurement method developed by Konecranes uses the latest HDS (high-definition surveying) technology to measure critical elements of the rail system.
WHY? Worn or misaligned rails and tracks cause crane travel problems. Lost production or the inability to load critical loads is costly, and their impact on the production chain is more significant than the cost of repairing the crane or track.
