Custom-Engineered Bridge Cranes

What do you do with a 1943 vintage, 70-ton overhead crane, when it becomes so obsolete you can no longer maintain it—but you can't afford to replace it? A major Hawaii-based electrical utility company called Crane Tech and its service partner to design and retrofit a modern variable speed drive hoist and travel mechanism and new, wireless radio control system. This meant savings for the customer—well over $178,000.

Crane Modernization

A major electro-mechanical contractor was contemplating spending $75,000 to replace its 25-year-old overhead crane due to chronic breakdowns impacting productivity. Crane Tech custom-fabricated a new hoist and trolley to fit the existing beam configuration, outfitted it with smooth operating variable speed drives, and retrofitted a pendant-free radio control system—for half of what a new system would cost and with virtually no down-time while making the change-out.
In the words of the customer: “The Crane Tech solution saved us money and the smooth operation of the hoist has virtually eliminated damage to the loads and greatly improved operator safety.”

Overhead Crane Alignment

The U.S. Navy was experiencing unreliable operation of several overhead cranes in its Building 67 complex due to poor alignment of the rail system. Using state-of-the-art laser alignment technology and associated computer software, Crane Tech aligned over 2,600 feet of crane rail on six separate runways with crane capacities from five to 60 tons. All alignments met the demanding military and CMAA standards of no more than 0.25-inch variance per 20 ft.

Crane Installation and Operator Training

Crane Tech assisted in the installation, and provided ongoing warranty support over several years, for four new 60-ton portal cranes for Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. Standing seven stories tall and traveling on railroad tracks, these enormous $28M cranes are equipped with state-of-the-art electronic controls and redundant safety systems for handling nuclear materials.