Metallurgical Overhead Crane Standards

Metallurgical overhead cranes, as indispensable equipment in industrial production, play a vital role in steel smelting, heavy material handling and other fields. These cranes not only carry huge weight, but also need to maintain stability and safety in the complex and changing working environment. Therefore, it is particularly important to develop and follow a set of strict standards for metallurgical overhead cranes. These standards not only cover the design and manufacture, installation and commissioning of cranes, but also go into the daily safety management, performance evaluation and maintenance and other aspects. Through clear standard guidance, it can be ensured that metallurgical overhead cranes can minimize safety risks and safeguard the safety of personnel and equipment while improving work efficiency.

Basic Overview of Metallurgical Overhead Cranes

Definition and Usage of Metallurgical Overhead Cranes

Metallurgical overhead travelling crane, as a kind of heavy lifting equipment designed for metallurgical industry, has a strong structure and powerful functions. These cranes are mainly installed in metallurgical plants, spanning over the production line, and through their powerful lifting capacity, they can complete the handling, stacking and lifting of materials such as high-temperature molten metal, steel billets, heavy steel structures and so on. Metallurgical overhead travelling crane plays an irreplaceable role in iron and steel, non-ferrous metal smelting and processing industry, which greatly improves the production efficiency and ensures the smooth production process.

Metallurgical bridge cranes play an extremely critical role in the metallurgical industry. Its design takes full account of the special characteristics of the metallurgical environment and the high intensity of the work demand, with excellent load-bearing capacity and stability, can easily cope with a variety of complex lifting tasks. Whether it is high-temperature molten metal liquid, or large steel billets and heavy steel structures, metallurgical overhead travelling crane can accurately and efficiently complete the lifting, transportation and stacking work, to ensure the smooth progress of the production process. At the same time, metallurgical overhead cranes greatly improve the production efficiency under the premise of ensuring safe production, saving a lot of time and cost for enterprises.

Working Principle of Metallurgical Overhead Crane

The working principle of metallurgical overhead travelling crane is based on the basic principle of lifting machinery, which realizes the lateral and longitudinal movement of the crane in the plant through the motor-driven trolley and trolley running mechanism. This design not only improves the production efficiency, but also ensures the safety and accuracy of the production process. At the same time, the winch mechanism is used to drive the wire rope or chain to realize the lifting and lowering operation of materials. In the metallurgical environment, cranes also need to have special properties such as high temperature resistance and corrosion resistance to adapt to the harsh working environment. In addition, metallurgical overhead cranes are equipped with complex electrical control systems to ensure precise and safe operation. Through these design and technical support, metallurgical overhead travelling crane provides a strong guarantee for the efficient and safe production of metallurgical industry.

The working principle of metallurgical bridge cranes mainly relies on electric drive and mechanical transmission. The electric motor drives the trolley running mechanism through the reducer to move the crane transversely in the plant; similarly, the trolley running mechanism realizes the longitudinal movement, which ensures that the crane can reach the specified position precisely. The winch mechanism is driven by an electric motor to lift and lower the material by means of a wire rope or chain. This design not only improves productivity, but also ensures the safety and accuracy of the production process.

In the metallurgical environment, cranes need to have special properties such as high temperature resistance and corrosion resistance. High-temperature resistant design can ensure the normal operation of cranes in high-temperature environments, to prevent equipment damage or failure due to high temperatures; corrosion-resistant design can extend the service life of the crane, improve its reliability and stability in the use of the process. In addition, metallurgical overhead cranes are equipped with a sophisticated electrical control system to ensure precise and safe operation. The system realizes precise control of the crane through sensors, controllers and actuators, etc. Meanwhile, it is equipped with a variety of safety protection functions, such as overload protection, limit protection, etc., to ensure the safety of operators and the safety and reliability of the production process.

Manufacturing and Installation Standards

Manufacturing Standards and Requirements

The manufacture of metallurgical overhead cranes is a highly specialized and rigorous work, which must strictly follow the relevant laws and regulations promulgated by the state as well as the mainstream standard system in the industry, such as GB/T (national standard) and JB/T (machinery industry standard). These standards specify in detail the whole process of crane design, manufacture, inspection and acceptance, ensuring the safety performance, reliability and service life of the products. In the manufacturing process, the selection of materials is crucial, and must ensure the selection of high-strength, high-temperature resistant, corrosion-resistant high-quality steel to meet the needs of high-intensity operations in the metallurgical environment. At the same time, the manufacturing process requires fine, from welding, heat treatment to machining and other processes must be carried out in accordance with the standards to ensure the overall performance and safety of the metallurgical bridge crane.

General rules and specifications for installation

The installation of metallurgical bridge cranes also has strict requirements and specifications, and needs to be operated by a team with professional qualifications and rich experience. Before installation, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive survey of the site environment, according to the actual situation to determine the specific installation location of the crane, track laying method and power supply system design and other key parameters. During the installation process, it must be carried out in strict accordance with the process to ensure that the various components of the metallurgical bridge crane structure is correctly and correctly installed to the designated location, the connection part should be firm and reliable, there shall not be any loose phenomenon; the electrical system should be correctly wired in accordance with the drawings to ensure that the various functions operate normally; at the same time, it should be configured with a full range of various types of safety devices, such as limit switches, buffer, protective cover and so on, in order to ensure safety. After the installation is completed, it can not be put into use immediately, and must be strictly debugged and inspected. During the commissioning process, the running status of the crane should be fully checked, including whether the operation of the various institutions is smooth and accurate; whether the electrical control system is reliable; whether the safety devices are effective. It is also necessary to carry out a full load test to verify whether the actual load carrying capacity of the crane meets the design requirements.

Inspection and test standards

For metallurgical bridge cranes, inspection and test is an important link to ensure its safe and stable operation. After completion of manufacturing and installation, strict inspection and testing must be carried out. This includes, but is not limited to, several key aspects such as appearance inspection, dimensional measurement, function test and load test. Appearance inspection is aimed at discovering possible defects or damages in the manufacturing process, such as welds, deformation, coatings, etc.; dimensional measurement is to ensure that the geometric dimensions of the crane comply with the design requirements; functional testing covers the crane’s various functional operations, such as hoisting, descending, running, braking, etc.; and the load test, as an important link in the inspection of the crane’s performance and safety, must be carried out strictly in accordance with the standardized loads. Load test, as an important part of the inspection of crane performance and safety, must be carried out in strict accordance with the standard load for a number of lifting, running and braking tests. The strict control of these inspection and test links is of great significance for safeguarding the safety performance and service life of metallurgical overhead cranes.

Safety Standards and Requirements

International universality of safety standards

The safety standards for metallurgical overhead travelling cranes are uniform and common worldwide, and are formulated and implemented to ensure the safe and efficient operation of this type of equipment in various working environments, and to avoid accidents and damages caused by improper design or operation. International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and other institutions in this regard to develop a detailed and authoritative standards and norms, these standards are not only on the design principles of metallurgical bridge cranes, manufacturing process, installation accuracy, load capacity in the use of the process, the maintenance cycle and method of rigorous safety requirements, but also emphasizes the reliability of the equipment itself, durability and the ability to cope with various extreme working conditions.

On the basis of international standards, countries and regions will also take into account local laws and regulations and special working conditions to formulate more specific and detailed safety standards and implementation rules. These national standards and local regulations will often make more targeted provisions for the installation, transformation, maintenance, inspection and testing of metallurgical bridge cranes to ensure the interchangeability and consistency of the equipment in a particular region, while also safeguarding the safety of the operators and the normal conduct of production operations.

Configuration and requirements of safety devices

Metallurgical overhead cranes, as heavy equipment with high strength, high precision and large load carrying capacity, their safety and reliability are the basis for ensuring smooth production operations. In order to achieve this goal, these cranes are equipped with a series of advanced and comprehensive safety protection devices, which are designed and configured in strict compliance with relevant international safety standards such as ISO, IEC and specific regulatory requirements of various countries and regions.

1. The lifting capacity limiter is one of the most important components, which can monitor the actual lifting capacity of the crane in real time and automatically issue warning signals or take braking measures when the preset rated weight is reached or exceeded, so as to effectively prevent mechanical failure and safety accidents caused by overloading.
2. Moment limiter is set up to prevent the crane from destabilizing or tipping over due to excessive moment during lifting, it can dynamically calculate and monitor the moment value of the crane according to the actual situation of the lifting operation to ensure that the operation process is always in a safe range.
3. The travel limiter is a device to limit the movement range of the crane and its components, including but not limited to the ascending and descending position restriction of the hook, the end point control of the trolley’s running track, and the limit position setting of the trolley along the track, etc., to ensure that the equipment does not run out of bounds, and to avoid damages caused by the collision or causing safety accidents.
4. Anti-collision device is designed for the anti-conflict design of the crane in different working conditions, including but not limited to the anti-collision between the hooks, the anti-collision design between the hooks and other parts of the equipment and the surrounding environment (e.g., buildings, other machinery and equipment, etc.), and it adopts a variety of technological means such as infrared detection, laser scanning, ultrasonic detection and other means to realize it, so as to ensure that in the lifting operation to avoid the damage of the equipment caused by the collision or the safety accidents.
5. Emergency braking device is the last safety line of defense set up to cope with the unexpected situation, once the abnormal situation occurs, the emergency braking device should be able to start immediately and make the crane stop quickly, so as to prevent the accident from expanding.
6. In addition, metallurgical overhead cranes are also equipped with various warning signs and signaling devices, such as warning lights, sound and light alarms, etc., to remind the operator and the surrounding personnel to pay attention to safety, to ensure the smooth progress of lifting operations.

The existence of these safety devices greatly improves the safety performance and service life of the metallurgical overhead travelling crane, and also puts forward higher requirements for its operators, that is, they must carry out daily maintenance and regular inspection in strict accordance with the operation manual, to ensure that all the safety devices are in good working condition, so as to maximize the guarantee of the safety and efficiency of the production operation.

Safe Operation Regulations and Precautions

The operation of metallurgical overhead cranes is a highly specialized work, which requires the operators to undergo strict training and examination, and fully understand and master the performance characteristics, operating procedures and emergency handling measures of metallurgical overhead cranes. Operators not only need to have solid professional knowledge and rich practical experience, in the operation process must also strictly abide by the following basic norms and precautions:

1. The operator must strictly abide by the regulations and requirements in the instruction manual and operation manual of the equipment, and must not operate in violation of the law or exceed the designed load range of the equipment.
2. Before starting the operation, the operator should fully check whether all parts of the equipment (including but not limited to structural components, electrical control system, hydraulic system, lubrication system, protective facilities, etc.) are intact and in normal condition, and confirm that the equipment is free from potential safety hazards before operation.
3. During the operation, we should always pay attention to the changes of the surrounding environment, including but not limited to observing the dynamics of the site personnel, the situation of material stacking, weather conditions and other factors, and adjust the operation strategy in a timely manner, so as to ensure that the operation is carried out in a safe and orderly manner.
4. For the response and handling of abnormal situations, such as the discovery of equipment abnormalities (such as increased noise, vibration, high temperature, hydraulic system abnormalities, etc.), the risk of falling materials or other potential safety hazards, you should immediately stop the operation and take the necessary contingency measures, timely troubleshooting or report to the relevant departments to deal with.
5. Operators should regularly cooperate with maintenance personnel to carry out inspection and maintenance of equipment, including calibration of safety devices, replacement of worn parts, regular refueling and replacement of lubrication system, etc., to ensure that the equipment is always in the best working condition. Meanwhile, inspection records should be true and complete, reflecting the historical maintenance situation and performance change trend of the equipment.

Rated lifting capacity and working level

The rated lifting capacity of a metallurgical overhead crane is an important indicator of its lifting capacity, which refers to the maximum weight that the crane can lift safely and effectively under normal working conditions. This parameter is affected by many factors, including crane design, manufacturing, use of the environment and the frequency of work. The working level is an important index reflecting the working condition of the metallurgical overhead crane, which is usually divided into different levels, such as A1, A2, A3 and so on. Each working level corresponds to different use environment and task requirements, so choosing the right working level is crucial to ensure the normal operation and safety of metallurgical overhead cranes.

In practical application, the rated lifting capacity and working class of metallurgical overhead travelling crane will be different according to the different production requirements and working environment. For example, for heavy-duty operation of the factory, the rated lifting capacity of the crane may need to reach dozens of tons or even hundreds of tons; while for light-duty operations, you can choose a smaller rated weight of the crane. Similarly, for the working environment is more severe occasions, such as high temperature, high humidity, dusty environment, you need to choose a higher working level of the crane to ensure its normal operation. Therefore, in the selection of metallurgical overhead cranes, you need to take into full account the production requirements and working environment and other factors, to carry out comprehensive consideration, to ensure that the performance and safety of the crane can meet the requirements.

Working speed and efficiency

The working speed of the metallurgical overhead crane is one of the important parameters to measure its efficiency. It includes hoisting speed, running speed, etc. These speed parameters directly affect the working efficiency of the crane. In order to improve productivity, metallurgical overhead cranes usually have high lifting speed and running speed. At the same time, the crane also needs to have stable running performance and good maneuverability to ensure the accuracy and safety of operation. In addition, metallurgical overhead cranes also have high efficiency. Work efficiency refers to the amount of work completed by the crane in a unit of time, which is affected by many factors, including work speed, load size, running track and so on. In order to improve the working efficiency, in addition to increasing the working speed, it can also be achieved by optimizing the load size, reducing the running track and other measures.

Other performance parameters and requirements

In addition to the rated lifting capacity, working level and working speed, metallurgical overhead cranes also need to meet the requirements of other performance parameters. Such as the crane’s working range, lifting height, track span, etc. These parameters need to be designed and adjusted according to the actual needs. For example, in the case of high workshop height or complex production process, you need to choose a higher lifting height of the metallurgical overhead travelling crane; while in the workshop space is limited or the production process is relatively simple occasions, you can choose a lower lifting height of the crane to save space and cost. In addition, the parameter of track span should also be considered, which refers to the distance between the running tracks of the metallurgical overhead cranes. The selection of this parameter needs to be determined according to the actual size of the workshop and the needs of the production process. If the workshop space is large or the production process requires a large operating range, you can choose a larger track span; on the contrary, if the space is limited or the production process does not require a high operating range, you can choose a smaller track span to save space and cost. In addition, metallurgical bridge cranes also need to have good wind resistance, seismic performance to adapt to the harsh natural environment. The selection of these performance parameters need to take into account the production requirements, the working environment and equipment costs and other factors to ensure the normal operation and production efficiency of the metallurgical overhead travelling crane.

Operating standards and practices

Professional Training and Requirements for Operators

Professional training is essential for operators of metallurgical overhead cranes. This training is designed to ensure that the operator understands and is proficient in the performance characteristics, operating procedures and safety guidelines of the bridge crane, so that he or she can operate the equipment efficiently and avoid potential safety risks when carrying out actual operations. The training usually covers both theoretical knowledge and practical operation, with the theoretical part involving basic knowledge of equipment structure principles, control systems, etc.; and the practical operation including drills under various complex working conditions.

Through a strict assessment mechanism, we ensure that the operators have qualified skills and safety awareness before they are allowed to officially start operation. In addition, in order to keep up with the pace of technological change, operators need to receive regular retraining and assessment to keep their knowledge and skills up-to-date and adapt to new work requirements and technological development.

Inspection and preparation before operation

Before each operation of the metallurgical bridge crane, the operator must carry out a comprehensive and detailed inspection. This includes, but is not limited to: integrity check of the metal structure of the crane, to confirm that the parts are firmly and reliably connected, especially welding, bolts and other connections whether cracks or loose phenomenon; in-depth inspection of the electrical system, observe the control system and various types of indicators and instruments are working properly, wire and cable are not damaged and exposed, to avoid electrical failures or short circuits; test the validity of the safety devices such as limit switches, buffers, fall arresters and other devices, to ensure that the safety of the crane is maintained. Test the effectiveness of safety devices, such as limit switches, buffers, fall arresters, etc., to ensure that they can play a protective role in case of emergency; carefully examine the surrounding environment to make sure that no people, vehicles or other obstacles are close to the hazardous area, and assess whether the site conditions meet the requirements for safe operation. Only after confirming that all the above items comply with the safety standards and operating procedures, the operator can proceed with the subsequent crane operation process.

Norms and requirements during operation

During the actual operation of a metallurgical overhead crane, operators must strictly follow the established operating procedures and safety norms. This means that they must precisely control the crane’s movements, including but not limited to lifting, running and braking, to ensure that these movements are carried out in accordance with the preset procedures and strengths, so as to avoid damage to the equipment or safety accidents due to misoperation. At the same time, they also need to remain alert to the surrounding environment at all times, paying close attention to any factors that may affect the safety of the operation, such as changes in light, wind influence, etc., and flexibly adjusting the operating strategy to adapt to different working conditions.

During operation, operators should always remain calm and focused to avoid inattention due to emotional fluctuations or fatigue. They need to pay close attention to the crane’s operating status and instrumentation displays, such as load indicators, position sensors, etc., as well as discover and deal with any abnormalities or potential failures in a timely manner. Only in this way can the safe and efficient operation of metallurgical overhead cranes be ensured.

Safety measures at the termination of work

When the day’s work is over, the operator needs to carry out a comprehensive inspection and maintenance work on the metallurgical overhead travelling crane. Firstly, cutting off the power supply and shutting off the air source are essential steps to ensure that the equipment is in a safe condition. Secondly, locking the operator console and related equipment is also one of the necessary measures, which can prevent unauthorized personnel from improper operation.

After completing the above tasks, the crane needs to be thoroughly cleaned. Cleaning can not only keep the appearance of the equipment neat and tidy, but also find and solve some potential problems and hidden dangers. For example, cleaning the equipment on the debris and oil and other dirt can prevent equipment corrosion and wear; check the bottom of the equipment and running track whether there is debris or oil accumulation can also be avoided operation obstacles and accidents.

Before leaving the job site, it is also important to reconfirm that the surroundings are safe and secure. This includes checking that there are no hidden dangers in the work area that could cause safety accidents, such as leftovers and debris, and confirming that fire escapes, emergency exits and other key locations are unobstructed. Only after everything has been confirmed can you leave the work site with peace of mind.

Maintenance and Safety Management

Maintenance cycle and content

The maintenance cycle of metallurgical overhead travelling crane should be set according to the frequency of equipment use, working environment and equipment status, and strictly follow the relevant industry standards and norms. Daily maintenance is usually carried out on a daily basis by the operator, mainly including cleaning and dust removal, lubrication and maintenance, daily inspection and other basic work, to ensure that all parts of the equipment are in good operating condition. Level 1 and Level 2 maintenance is a regular in-depth maintenance, generally in accordance with the monthly or quarterly or even annual plan, involving more comprehensive and in-depth, including but not limited to the replacement of severely worn parts, adjustment and calibration of various types of mechanisms, inspection and maintenance of electrical control systems and other key parts. Through such a set of complete and reasonable maintenance system, the efficient and stable operation of metallurgical bridge cranes can be strongly guaranteed, effectively preventing the performance degradation and potential failures of the equipment due to long-term use, so as to ensure the safety and efficiency of production operations.

Key points of safety inspection and maintenance

In the safety inspection and maintenance work, we need to focus on the key parts of the metallurgical bridge crane and wearing parts. Such as steel wire rope, pulley block, brake, electrical system and so on. For these key parts and wearing parts, regular wear and tear inspection needs to be carried out to ensure that their performance and safety are continuously guaranteed. In addition, regular inspections of the crane’s safety protection devices, such as guards and guardrails, etc., are also required. In the maintenance process, it is necessary to strictly comply with the safety operating procedures to ensure the safety and effectiveness of maintenance work. At the same time, it is necessary to prevent accidents caused by improper maintenance.

Establishment and management of maintenance files

In order to have a comprehensive understanding of the operating condition and history of metallurgical bridge cranes, a perfect maintenance file system must be established. The file should record in detail the time, content, personnel, results and other information of each maintenance, so that the maintenance of the equipment can be accessed and tracked at any time. Through such file management, potential problems can be found and solved in time to prevent equipment failure. At the same time, through the regular organization and analysis of the file, the regularity of equipment operation and common problems can be found, providing reference and guidance for the subsequent maintenance work.

Safety management measures under severe weather

In the face of bad weather conditions, such as high winds, heavy rain, thunder and lightning and other extreme weather conditions, the safety management measures of metallurgical bridge cranes must be strictly implemented. First, real-time attention should be paid to the weather forecast and warning information released by the meteorological department so that countermeasures can be taken at the first time. Secondly, the use of cranes should be stopped in time when necessary, and ensure the personal safety of the operators. In addition, the crane should also be targeted reinforcement treatment, such as tightening the rail, doors and windows closed and other protective measures to minimize the impact of bad weather on the crane. Through the above series of exhaustive safety management measures, can effectively guarantee the safe operation of metallurgical overhead cranes in bad weather conditions, reduce the risk of equipment damage, and ensure the safety of personnel and equipment.