What are the common faults of telescopic marine cranes?

Telescopic marine crane is an important lifting equipment used in marine ships and offshore platforms. It uses a telescopic arm structure to lift materials at different distances and angles. Its working environment is often accompanied by high humidity, high salt, strong wind and complex sea conditions, which brings challenges to the stable operation and maintenance of the equipment. In order to ensure the safe, efficient and long-term use of the equipment, it is of great significance to understand the common faults and causes of telescopic marine cranes for daily maintenance, inspection and troubleshooting. This article will systematically introduce several types of faults that are prone to occur during the use of telescopic marine cranes and their treatment ideas.

1. Hydraulic system failure

Telescopic marine cranes mostly use hydraulic drive systems to complete telescopic, lifting, slewing and other actions. The hydraulic system is its "power heart" and one of the most common sources of failure.

1.1 Hydraulic oil leakage

Hydraulic oil leakage is the most typical problem, which may occur in pipelines, joints, cylinders, valve bodies and other parts. Leakage not only causes oil waste and pollutes the environment, but also may reduce pressure and cause insufficient power. The main reasons for leakage are:

Aging or damage of oil seal

Broken pipe

Untightened joints or damaged seals

Microcracks caused by hydraulic shock

1.2 Excessive oil temperature

The increase in hydraulic oil temperature will cause the oil viscosity to decrease and the lubrication performance to deteriorate. In severe cases, it may damage the hydraulic components. Common reasons are:

Insufficient oil

Failure of cooling system

Excessive load or continuous working time

Excessive leakage inside the system

1.3 Insufficient or unstable pressure

Insufficient pressure in the hydraulic system will cause the lifting capacity to decrease, and the telescopic action will be slow or even stop. Possible reasons include:

Wear of hydraulic pump

Failure of safety valve

Air in the pipeline is not exhausted

Severe pollution or deterioration of hydraulic oil

2. Electrical system failure

Modern telescopic marine cranes are generally equipped with electronic control systems to achieve automation, remote control and safety protection functions. Common faults in the electrical system are also worth noting.

2.1 Failure of control circuit

It may be manifested as failure to start and no response to action commands. Common causes:

Abnormal power supply voltage or poor contact

Control circuit open circuit, short circuit

Control elements (such as contactors, relays) burned

2.2 Sensor failure

Telescopic marine cranes are equipped with angle sensors, limit switches, load sensors, etc. for safe and precise control. Once the sensor is damaged or inaccurate, it may cause false alarms, false stops, or even dangerous operations.

2.3 Motor failure

Motor overheating, abnormal noise, smoke, and failure to start may be caused by motor winding short circuit, bearing wear, brush wear, motor moisture, etc.

3. Mechanical structure failure

The mechanical structure of telescopic marine cranes is also prone to problems under strong winds, surges and impact forces.

3.1 Wire rope or chain breakage

Wire ropes and chains are important load-bearing components of cranes. They are prone to wear, broken strands or breaks after long-term load and corrosion. This not only affects the lifting operation, but may also cause major safety accidents.

3.2 The telescopic arm is stuck or not telescopic smoothly

The telescopic arm is prone to rust in a salt spray environment, or the telescopic movement is not smooth due to poor lubrication of the guide rail, damage to the guide wheel, internal foreign matter blocking, etc.

3.3 The slewing mechanism is stuck or shaking

When the slewing bearing or gear is severely worn, insufficiently lubricated, or impurities enter, it may cause inflexible rotation, shaking, and abnormal noise.

3.4 Structural cracks

Due to long-term high load or external force impact, cracks may appear in key parts such as the telescopic arm, base, and column. If not discovered and repaired in time, it may develop into structural damage.

4. Hidden faults caused by operation and environmental factors

The failure of telescopic marine cranes is not only a defect of the equipment itself, but also often related to operation and environmental factors.

4.1 Operational errors

Such as overloading, emergency stop, risky operation under extreme sea conditions, etc., it is easy to cause system overload, resulting in hydraulic overload, motor burnout, wire rope breakage and other problems.

4.2 Environmental Corrosion

Marine cranes are in a high-salt, high-humidity, and high-ultraviolet environment for a long time. If the protection is not in place, the corrosive damage will be aggravated, which may cause metal corrosion, oil seal aging, and electrical component short circuit.

4.3 Inadequate Maintenance

Regular inspection and maintenance are not sufficient, and problems such as poor lubrication, loose fasteners, and aging of seals accumulate, which can easily evolve into serious failures.

5. Typical Case Analysis

The following are two common actual cases to help you understand the failure performance of telescopic marine cranes more intuitively.

Case 1: Hydraulic oil temperature is too high to cause shutdown

The hydraulic system of a telescopic boom crane on a fishing boat automatically alarmed and shut down after lifting heavy objects for two hours continuously. Inspection found that the oil temperature was as high as 85℃. After investigation, it was found that the water inlet pipe of the hydraulic oil tank cooler was blocked, resulting in a decrease in cooling efficiency and the oil temperature could not be reduced in time. After cleaning the cooling water circuit, the problem was solved.

Case 2: The telescopic arm was blocked when it was extended

When a telescopic boom crane on a port ship was working, the arm was stuck after half of the arm was extended. Inspection revealed that a large amount of sea sand and rust had accumulated in the guide rails, which seriously hindered the movement of the guide wheel. After cleaning the guide rails, replacing the damaged guide wheels and relubricating them, normal operation was restored.

6. How to reduce the failure rate?

Although telescopic marine cranes are bound to fail, the failure rate can be greatly reduced through scientific management and standardized operation.

Regularly conduct comprehensive inspections and maintenance

Use hydraulic oil and grease that meet standards

Regularly replace wearing parts such as seals, wire ropes, etc.

Keep the equipment clean and dry to avoid salt spray and dirt erosion

Strictly operate according to rated load and working conditions

Operators receive professional training

As a key equipment for ships and offshore operations, the performance of telescopic marine cranes is directly related to the safety and work efficiency of ships. Common failures are mainly concentrated in hydraulic systems, electrical systems, mechanical structures, and environmental impacts. Timely discovery, correct judgment, and rapid handling of these failures are important guarantees for ensuring the safe and reliable operation of equipment. As operators and managers, we should establish a preventive maintenance awareness, regularly inspect and maintain equipment, and abide by operating procedures to reduce the possibility of failures from the source and extend the service life of equipment.

As a professional telescopic marine crane company, we are well aware of the challenges faced by equipment operating in complex marine environments. With years of industry experience and technical accumulation, we not only provide customers with telescopic marine cranes with reliable performance, solid structure and convenient operation, but also provide comprehensive technical support and maintenance services to help customers timely troubleshoot and solve common faults such as hydraulic, electrical and mechanical faults to ensure long-term efficient and safe operation of the equipment. We are always customer-oriented, continuously optimizing product design and service systems to help customers complete tasks steadily and efficiently in various offshore operations.

http://www.haoyotech.com
haoyotech