In today's competitive landscape, businesses are striving to increase productivity all the time, which has led to a rise in demand for crane equipment. As new use cases arise, it's become more important than ever to keep cranes and employees safe from hazardous overload situations that can lead to severe accidents and injuries.
Why Are Overloads Dangerous?
Lifts that are heavier than the designated crane capacity present several problems. They aren't just in violation of safety codes and regulations but can also damage the crane's equipment and put your workers at risk of accidents. Especially if your cranes are older and don't have modern safety features, an overload can be an imminent threat for your business operations, equipment, and workforce.
These days, most modern cranes come with overload protective devices, such as a crane load monitor, crane anemometer, crane RCI indicator, and more, to prevent cranes from lifting loads that exceed their capacity. Â
How do Overload Protective Devices Operate?
Regardless of the type of crane you're using, overload protective systems work by reading the existing load and showing it as a safe working load percentage bar, as shown in the above image. If the load exceeds the preset capacity percentage (usually up to 125 percent), the device temporarily restrains the lift to prevent the crane from further raising the load.
Overload protective devices like the i4500 LMI utilize pressure transducers (a device that measures and converts applied pressure into accurate electronic signals) to monitor the load on the boom lift cylinder and a cable reel to watch the boom's length and angle. Pressure transducers are the most accurate load monitoring indicators installed on the life cylinder to prevent inaccurate movements.
Assess Your Crane
While overload protection devices are standard in cranes today, it's imperative to assess your cranes to verify if they are built-in with load monitoring systems because many cranes (especially older models) may not have them. The expert technicians at Crane Warning Systems Atlanta can help you identify whether your hoist has overload protection. They can also recommend crane safety systems that best suit your crane type.
If you're looking for high-end crane safety equipment, you can find the best products at Crane Warning Systems Atlanta. We are a pioneer in the crane safety business, serving companies across the US for about 20 years, with cutting-edge crane safety systems by RaycoWylie. We have crane LMI systems (i4300 and i4500 LMI-RCI), crane anemometer (Wind Speed Indicator), links and shackles, and more for enhanced crane load monitoring and protection against equipment damage and workforce accidents.
Please view our complete product catalog here and get a free quote online!