Important Signs Your Lifting Equipment Needs A Crane Service

Having lifting equipment serviced is crucial to realising signs of damage or corrosion in the early stages of them occurring. Being proactive in the care of your equipment will help to decrease the likelihood of an accident, which will help you in avoiding injury and costly material damage on the job site. Not only are the potential risks identified through a service, but this is also a chance for safety improvements which need to be addressed. Preventive maintenance is a crucial factor for safety, and each maintenance schedule has to be custom-tailored based on the type of equipment, use, storage, and more.

Simple routine maintenance as a result of a standard service check can be as simple as lubricating and adjusting to ensure the equipment is meeting the manufacturer’s requirements. These are easy steps to improve the overall function of the moving parts, so everything is operating safely and as it should be.

In addition to this, compliance inspections are often required to make sure regulatory requirements are being reached. For an equipment owner or operator, it is crucial to understand these compliance factors. frequent internal inspections should be performed so the equipment is always current with these standards.

With that in mind here in this blog, we are going to discuss some of the crucial signs that your crane is due a service and this is something that you cannot miss under any circumstances.

Corrosion

This is arguably one of the most common signs and is one of those issues which creeps up on you until it requires serious attention. Lots of times it goes ignored because rust starts small and does not appear to affect how well equipment performs. However, and this is particularly true in wetter areas and any place near the sea, even smaller signs of rust that you can see may be a sign of many more corrosion problems you can’t see. The result? Electrical shorts compromised lifting systems, loss of mechanical strength, and cranes or hoist systems that are in danger of dropping their loads due to compromised integrity. So do not allow yourself or your team to cast a blind eye to rust; treat it as a sign that more inspection is necessary or a component needs to be replaced.

A crushed chain link

This is another frequent issue when working with chain-based hoist systems or something similar. If you carry a lot of heavy loads throughout project hours, it’s simple for chains to become crushed or broken without anyone even knowing it. This is a great reason to make regular chain inspection and maintenance a regular practice in these situations. Remember that a crushed chain is very different from a completely broken chain link and may be more difficult to spot, particularly from a distance.

Bent or cracking hooks

Hooks are normally bent, right? That’s the purpose they serve right? Right, but bent hooks are another common repair issue. A hook is created to hold load weight in a particular and precise direction; other than this, it’s a comparatively delicate component. Misapplied weight can bend a hook, which also compromises its internal integrity and may increase the chances of it breaking off in the future. Hooks need to be inspected often to make sure they have not been subtly damaged. While looking for the bends, workers should keep an eye out for telltale cracks, too.

Pad wearing

Stabilizer, outrigger, and slider pads are all pretty common when facilities include cranes or hoists. These pads are all intended to serve one purpose: take the brunt of the force and make machine movements smoother. So it needs to be no surprise that pads wear out a lot quicker than most components. Look at the pads for shining and wear that suggest you need to replace them and look out for key changes in machine noise that indicate a pad is starting to give out or at least needs to be looked at.

No one is aware of the load capacity

This point isn’t really a physical signal of needed repairs, but it is a key indicator that you may have to have some repair work in your future. Every component you use is rated for a specific load capacity, and testing is needed. If the people buying and using these components do not know what that load capacity is, they are likely using too-heavy loads that put a dangerous strain on keys. The outcome of this is very early and significant repairs.

Dry ropes and slings

Heat, cold, and constant work wreak havoc with the more flexible parts of your machinery, especially the ropes and slings. You should have a regular maintenance schedule that involves frequent oiling of these parts in order to preserve them. Sadly, not everyone does this. The result will be a dry, brittle fibre that stretches and cracks well before it should. If your rope or sling fibres are looking ancient and ragged as a mummy, then it’s probably time to buy new versions or resuscitate your old ropes as soon as possible.

Long-term abrasion

Abrasion can also creep up on work crews without them realising since it happens slowly, although the results will be dramatic when a component breaks. Check your wire, joints, and all moving parts for the tell-tale, shiny surfaces that show abrasion, certainly keep an eye on those spots.

Leaking or blistering hoses

Lots of cranes have a variety of hydraulic, pneumatic and otherwise pressurized hoses. These hoses and their fittings should be regularly inspected for the indications of leakages. Have a look at the outer hose covering for blistering or deformation, as this could be an indication of part failure or an impending failure. The pumps and motors that the hoses are linked to should also be inspected for failing performance indicators, for example, any unusual noises and vibration, low operating speed, excess heating of fluid or low pressure.

Crane and Lifting Services Ltd - Crane Inspection Services and Crane Rental

Does your crane or lifting equipment need servicing? Contact Crane and Lifting Services Ltd. We provide professional crane inspections and high-quality servicing for a wide variety of cranes. Between every six and 12 months, you must have your crane equipment inspected and tested to ensure that it is compliant in line with regulations. This will be implemented by a professional examiner and help to keep your employees safe and secure at work. If you’ve had an accident, you’ll also be required to have an examination performed on your equipment. Here at Crane and Lifting Services Ltd, we can provide you with a site survey as well as a maintenance schedule which keeps you in line with legislation.



Between every 6 and 12 months, you must have your crane equipment inspected and tested to make sure that it is compliant in line with regulations. This will be implemented by a professional examiner and help to keep your employees safe and secure at work. If you’ve had an accident, you’ll also be required to have an examination performed on your equipment. Here at Crane and Lifting Services Ltd, we can provide you with a site survey as well as a maintenance schedule which keeps you in line with legislation. To find out more about the services we offer, please visit our website or contact us today, we’d be delighted to help.