Adequate usage improves machine efficiency

Maintenance, operating procedures and crisp coordination should be integral to operations at work site.

When a design of a building grows much taller than before, the growing height of building creates challenges of vertical delivery in efficiency, safety and cost. To overcome these challenges, researchers and engineers are implementing latest technologies and management plans to get advance vertical transportation supply. However, the expanding number of skyscraper building projects worldwide has commenced latest challenges in vertical conveyance.

Bypassing of several aspects
The regulations for safety in tower crane are comprehensive but the problem faced is enforcing them in the job site. Many a times there is a tendency to bypass the safety aspects and even workmen not using safety belt, jacket, shoes, etc. Shortcut for maintenance, bypassing maintenance, bypassing the limit switches should be avoided and this should be part of the work culture at site. All responsible equipment manufacturers give an instruction manual besides the orientation training at the time of commissioning. When the operator carries out an operation bypassing the standard operating procedures, it can lead to accidents at the site. These accidents could be detrimental for the human being or sometimes damage the machine itself.

V.G. Sakthikumar, Managing Director, Schwing Stetter India Pvt Ltd says, “Tower crane operation requires proper coordination between the operator and the signal man to ensure, the job is done correctly and safely. When there is a misunderstanding or lack of coordination especially when the operator is not able to see the lifted item. This can lead to an accident at site. Accidents also happen when the maintenance works are not done as per the schedule or even someone forgetting to insert the pins before releasing the jack.”

Safe Load Indicators (SLI) with digital screen are very important in tower cranes in operator cabin but it is not viable in smaller capacity machines because of costing and competition. In place of SLI, Schwing uses load indicators which gets inputs from Limit switches in all motions & give signal to operator for safe operation.

Pricing and high quality
According to Krishna Kumar, Divisional Head – Tower cranes, Liebherr India Pvt Ltd, in India customers need quality, Liebherr is known very well as premium quality supplier of tower cranes worldwide. Finding the balancing on pricing and high quality is always a challenging task.

Inadequate use of machine
In tower cranes, challenges occur simply because the machine is not being operated correctly. Mayank Pundir, Country Head – Tower Cranes, Action Construction Equipment Ltd says, “If you don’t calibrate your machine correctly, you might assume you have problems when in reality you just aren’t using the machine the right way.”

Major challenge faced while using tower cranes are as below:
• Lack of skilled workers: There is a big problem facing the construction industry; not enough skilled workers to fulfil the growing demand.
• Lack of communication: When things go wrong on a project, it is almost always due to a communication breakdown along the way.
• Bad electrical connections: Because machinery in today’s age is so reliant on electricity and computers, a bad connection can often be the reason one’s machine is sidelined. One should make sure to regularly clean dust and dirt near connectors.
• Machine is not maintained: If the greasing or lubricating of the machine is not done properly, one may run into issues. One should make it a habit to do a daily inspection of the machine to ensure he/she doesn’t have downtime while out in the field.
• Overworking the machine: While it’s tempting to work machine at maximum capacity at all times, it can lead to system failures. If one strains the drives, he/she is more vulnerable to breakdowns.

Efficiency and reliability
“Our machines are efficient, reliable and ensure safety with features like Safe Load Indicators (SLI), anemometer, etc., along with various limit switches helps the operator to work within the stipulated range of working area and avoid accidents related to misuse of the machine,” says Sakthikumar.

Liebherr works in close relation with its customers by sitting together and discussing with customers through TCS (Tower crane solutions department) to make an efficient, economical and safe proposals on execution of projects, this service is free of charge. In this way, customers get a solution for fast and timely execution, cost-effective and safely working out of the project.

Action Construction Equipment’s R&D team works on implementing new technologies and safety features in tower cranes e.g. Safe Load Indicators (SLI) which provides additional safety apart from other regular safety systems. The company’s tower cranes have anemometers to check the wind speed while working on skyscrapers, dynamic braking system is used to avoid free fall of loads during hoisting brake failure.

Mayank says, “We offer Anti-Collision Device for buildings where two or more tower cranes are working in proximity of each other.”

Dynamic machines
To deal with various high-rise projects Schwing – XCMG has complete range of tower cranes such as hammer head tower crane (5 to 25 tonnes), flat top tower crane (5 – 63 tonnes), luffing jib tower crane (6 – 125 tonnes). Out of which the latest offerings are XGT6515-10 / XGT6515L-10 / XGT7020-12 / XGT8039-25.

Liebherr serves residential, industry and large projects construction with flexible fast erecting cranes and high performance top slewing models. Liebherr caters with high-quality tower cranes of all systems and size classes; these include fast self-erecting cranes, top slewing cranes, luffing jib cranes and special cranes.

Finding the balancing on pricing and high quality is always a challenging task.
Krishna Kumar, Divisional Head – Tower cranes, Liebherr India Pvt Ltd

If you don’t calibrate your machine correctly, you might assume you have problems when in reality you just aren’t using the machine the right way.
Mayank Pundir, Country Head – Tower Cranes, Action Construction Equipment Limited

Tower crane operation requires proper coordination between the operator and the signal man to ensure, the job is done correctly and safely.
V.G. Sakthikumar, Managing Director, Schwing Stetter India Pvt Ltd

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