Crane Twenty-Year Inspection and Lifting Equipment Remaining Life Calculation
Twenty-Year Inspection and Residual Life Calculation for Lifting Equipment
The twenty-year inspection activity for overhead cranes and the residual life calculation of lifting equipment includes the services listed below:
a) Survey and analysis activities:
a. Analysis of the site where the equipment is installed;
b. Analysis of the equipment’s state of preservation;
c. Technical assessment of wear conditions through no-load functional tests;
d. Execution of non-destructive testing on components using VT, UT, and PT methods.
Visual Testing (VT method): this method is carried out under specific distance and angle conditions, generally within approximately 60 cm and with a viewing angle not exceeding 30°. Inspection quality may be improved using lenses and/or mirrors. Lighting conditions, provided through suitable lamps, must range between 150 and 600 lux.
These inspections are used to verify alignments, shapes, and dimensions of machine components, systems, manufactured structures, surface conditions, and more.
Ultrasonic Testing (UT method): this method involves introducing high-frequency sound waves into the material using specialized equipment in order to detect surface or internal defects, measure material thickness, and determine the distance and size of discontinuities.
Penetrant Testing (PT method): this inspection method uses the ability of specific liquids to penetrate surface defects such as cracks or cavities through capillary action rather than gravity. Low surface tension and high wettability allow these liquids to penetrate even extremely fine discontinuities.
This method is generally performed according to the following stages:
- Preliminary cleaning of the surface
- Application of the penetrant
- Removal of excess penetrant
- Drying
- Application of the developer
- Inspection
e. Recommendations regarding any necessary restoration or repair interventions.
b) Estimation of previous machine usage:
a. Collection of data regarding the past use of the equipment through analysis of previous production activities carried out together with the customer company;
b. Evaluation of the equipment’s useful life according to the technical standards applied during construction and conversion to current FEM regulations.
c) Preparation of technical documentation:
a. Preparation of a report for each piece of equipment regarding its state of preservation;
b. Preparation of a report for each piece of equipment certifying the estimated future safe operating life of the equipment.