Konecranes Care Preventive Maintenance Program is a proactive approach designed to help industry and manufacturing get the most out of lifting equipment.
How long will that brand-new overhead crane continue to operate at peak performance? Five years? Ten? Thirty? According to global lifting leader Konecranes, the answer is contingent not only on how often the equipment is used, but how precisely it is operated and maintained in each of five critical phases of its lifecycle. Understanding the characteristics and opportunities offered by each phase of a crane’s life can help managers extend the life of new equipment – sometimes by decades.
Konecranes Lifecycle Care is all about having a systematic approach to maintenance, supported by world-class tools and processes,” says Jim Skowron, Konecranes regional VP sales, service. “Everything we offer is designed to improve the safety and productivity of the customer’s operation, while minimizing downtime cost.”
According to Skowron, understanding that a crane goes through predictable phases in its lifecycle gives management the opportunity to create a strategy and a plan for each era of its life. This approach is completely customizable, taking into account crane usage, the operating environment, duty classification, manufacturer’s recommendations and local regulations.
In the beginning, when equipment is new, operator training is a critical element to ensure that the equipment is used correctly. New technologies may not be intuitive to an employee who has been operating an old-style crane for years. Mastering modern crane features is a predicate to getting the maximum value from them, and preventing unnecessary damage to equipment and infrastructure.
The next phase in the lifecycle involves a schedule of compliance inspections and preventive maintenance. Konecranes MAINMAN® inspection software and reporting will help identify risks, improvement opportunities and support compliance.
Corrective maintenance and retrofits comprise the third phase. During the crane’s lifecycle, equipment wear begins to appear. In this stage of the crane’s lifespan, trained and qualified technicians address safety and productivity issues and help capitalize on improvement opportunities. When inspections reveal a safety-related fault or issue, the Konecranes inspector carries out a safety review with management before leaving the site or returning the equipment to operation.
As the crane enters the phase nearing the end of its lifecycle, consultation services help guide decision-making and uncover critical issues. Konecranes can provide a realistic cost-benefit analysis for crane replacement versus crane modernization to help managers decide what to do.
Finally, when justified by the analysis above, a range of modernization options can extend the economic service life of an aging crane, sometimes by decades.
Konecranes believes that merely keeping your cranes running is not sufficient,” says Skowron. “We must also help you achieve the highest productivity during every shift. We aim to deliver measurable improvements in safety and productivity that can be reported and reviewed, that demonstrate a return on your investment.”
