P U B L I C I D A D E

ABRIR
FECHAR

P U B L I C I D A D E

ABRIR
FECHAR
Voltar

Obsolescence is being revised

Controlled by a standard issued in 1984, manufacturers are preparing themselves to stay near the technology and safety parameters used in more advanced markets

A quite specific area of the crane industry, the market of overhead travelling cranes has versatility as its main feature, since they are used in countless operations, from mining to automotive industry, passing by paper areas.

More than that, overhead travelling cranes are virtually in all plants of the world—in higher or lower proportion—always considering safety as an important factor. Although the modern models have most of their controls automated, the human factor is still a constant concern. Not only due to operators’ physical integrity but also due to the correct selection of the equipment, that depends, after all, from people who do not always know the technical parameters needed to specify the correct equipment for each application. “Overhead cranes are like Legos: we assemble them with serial components, but each configuration is unique, customized for a determined customer”, explains Samuel Caparrotti, sales manager from Demag.

Safety rules for overhead crane operators, however, are quite known. Consolidated in the Regulating Standard (NR) no 11, published originally in 1978 by the Ministry of Work and Employment, they rule the “operation of elevators, cranes, industrial transports and transporting machines” that is framed in several activities such as transport, movement, storage and materials handling.

Since overhead cranes are transport machines, they obviously demand specific cares with their components, including frequent inspections of steel ropes, ropes, chains, pulleys and hooks, in addition to loose parts that may cause serious accidents. “Therefore, the maintenance in overhead cranes—with corrective repairs and preventive maintenance—is indispensable to ensure their resistance, safety and conservation in perfect working conditions”, says the NR-11.

REPAGING

In turn, the NBR-8400 “establishes the basic guidelines for the calculation of structural elements and mechanical components of load lifting and handling equipment, independently of its level of complexity or application”. In other words, the standard determines the demands of each operation and the resistance conditions of the several components of the equipment related to the solicitations considered. There are just these rules that, according to Caparrotti, are being currently reviewed. “The standard is more than 20 years old and is quite obsolete for this reason”, says him. “But the new version will probably be available in the second half of 2017.”

According to the expert, the concept remains the same. Main changes are related to the quantity of operations considered, that currently goes from M1 to M5 and will go from M1 to M8 in the new version. “Summing up, the new version brings a more accurate way of calculation, with more modern parameters”, comments Caparrotti.