Center Pin Removal & Alignment

Intro

ALATAS was contacted by the client, who detailed an issue seen on the center pin of the crane. The center pin of the crane is the unit on which the crane is tied down and rotates.  If the center pin fails, the crane will fall from its gantry. 

BACKGROUND

It is noted that the crane, at some time, came in contact with another structure damaging its boom and other components.  The center pin was never checked at that time. Some years later during routine maintenance, the customer’s lead mechanic noticed that something was not right.  The center pin was making some noise and the tightening nut had backed off.  This caused concern and the client immediately contacted ALATAS to discuss this issue as ALATAS is known as the expert in this field.

ALATAS’ SOLUTION

ALATAS immediately mobilized a senior service engineer and a laser alignment specialist to gather data on this issue.  A data collection form was created by the in-house engineering team to ensure all required information was collected.  Once the data was collected, a complete repair procedure was drawn up and presented to the client.

JOB SCOPE

Upon receiving the repair procedure, the client issued a work order for ALATAS to attend and begin the work required. ALATAS & the client worked collectively in accomplishing this task;

• The Crane boom was positioned in the most optimal position as there was no crane rest – 73 degrees.
• The crane was secured to the lower gantry in preparation for center pin removal
• The center pin was removed from the crane
• The dimensional check was carried out and a plan for machining was conducted
• The unit was transported to a local machine shop for repairs specified by ALATAS
• The unit was received back from the machine shop
• The unit was checked to ensure all dimensions and repairs were completed following ALATAS specifications
• The unit was hoisted back up into position and secured
• All bolts were torqued following the manufacturer’s spec
• All braces and securing devices were removed
• ALATAS completed a pre-commissioning checklist to ensure all items were completed successfully and to mitigate any issues during function testing
• ALATAS completed function testing of the crane successfully
• ALATAS completed the final load testing of the crane – 125MT
• ALATAS handed the crane back over to the client in which the crane has since been returned to operation with no further issues.

Center Pin Removal & Alignment Gallery