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Many Hands Make Light Work: A Construction Blog

I believe that the more people who work together, the easier it is to get a job done. Related to that concept, I always believe that it's important to focus on efficient processes, safety and using the right equipment. In this blog, I plan to blend all of those ideas together. I want to create a blog for anyone who uses heavy equipment. I want to give you safety tips, facts about cutting edge technology and more. I know I don't work directly with you, but I hope that my efforts can help make your job a little lighter. I love to write, and I have always been interested in construction. This is my first blog, and thank you so much for reading. --Amy Jones

 

Many Hands Make Light Work: A Construction Blog

What to Know about Temperature and Crane Maintenance

28 January 2019
 Categories: , Blog

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If you are the business owner of a small contractor business, then you be building your heavy industrial equipment stock. One of the key pieces of equipment on your list should be a crane. In addition to knowing what type of crane would be best for your business, you also need to understand the maintenance that goes into the upkeep of the options you choose. With that in mind, here are some things to know about temperature and maintenance as it pertains to your cranes.

Humidity-Related Issues

If you are in an area with variable humidity, then you may be dealing with issues that can cause crane damage. For example, the humidity can cause a fungal buildup in the seals. This may not be an issue to you at first, but over time the fungal buildup can cause sealing problems. The seals will start to lose their durability. If the seals start to loose their sealing ability and their suction, there can be issues with durability of the entire crane. If the seals having issues are the ones located in the mechanics of the crane, you may have issues with loss of oil and lubrication used for the equipment.

Freezing Conditions

You may not think of freezing conditions as being a problem for your crane maintenance. The truth is, as temperatures drop to freezing and remain there, the durability of steel can break down. You will start to see parts of the chains and crane operations become brittle and harder to maintain. For this reason your equipment should have a form of winter sealant on all aspects of the hardware, both inside and out. This will protect it from severe damage when having a cover for the equipment is not possible.

Heavy Rain Conditions

Heavy rain can cause problems with the electrical aspects of the crane equipment if you do not have the components sealed. For example, if you will have smaller cranes in storage for a long period of time, the storage may have a cover but be open on the sides. This means that rain can still get in, causing dampness to get to the electrical wires and other components. If they are not sealed, it can cause a breakdown of the wiring or electrical blowouts. Make sure to check seals and to ensure the electrical components are covered with a seal or covering of some kind. Also check that the covering you use is waterproof, with no leaks or damage.

These are just a few of the basic things you need to know about temperature and crane maintenance. By making sure you keep these key points in mind, you can increase the longevity of your cranes. You can also add these key points to your current maintenance schedules as part of your normal routine.