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8 Important Points For Inspection and

Maintenance of Ship’s Engine Room Crane

By Anish | In: Marine Technology | Last Updated on March 23, 2017

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Whether it’s overhauling of main engine/ machinery or shifting of heavy parts, the engine room crane is
regularly used for “heavy-duty” jobs, which are usually beyond the physical capabilities of the engine
room crew.

Th engine room personnel are qualified to operate the crane in a safe manner but as a machinery, the
crane is subjected to breakdowns if proper maintenance and care is not taken. The scenario can be
worse if the crane fails in the middle of lifting the load or while carrying out important machinery
overhauling.

As a responsible officer on ship, the engineers using the crane must do regular inspection and
scheduled maintenance to ensure the crane works safely without giving up at all times.

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The engine room crane has a Safe Working Load (SWL) limit, which should never be crossed at all
times. The crane manual is the best source to understand when and what inspections or maintenances
are required.

In our previous article on engine room crane, we discussed the safety features provided for operating
engine room crane. In this article, we have mentioned eight important points on general maintenance
and inspection requirements that must be carried out in an engine room crane:

1. “Not To Forget” Daily Checks : Prior carrying out any operation using engine room crane, a brief
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Check the lubrication

Check the noise level by operating the crane without load
Check the heat generation
Check all the limits and trips are working properly
Check the contact areas of electrical equipment
Check the brake operation
Check condition of clamp in the hook

2. Follow Proper Planned Maintenance: The planned maintenance of crane should be followed
properly and the following inspections should be done as per the working hours prescribed by the
makers:

Overhauling of motor
Greasing of wires
Renewal of wire ropes
Annual survey
Load test

3. Ensure Adequate Lubrication: In an engine room crane system, two lubricants are used:

Grease: Wire ropes, rollers, plain bearings are applied with grease for smooth working.
Reduction gear for hoisting and sewing are not applied with grease. Check the greasing of these
parts and replenish the grease every 2000 working hrs. or as prescribed by the makers. Ensure
not to excessively apply the grease on moving parts as it may cause overheating at the time of
rotation, which can have adverse affects.
Oil: Lube oil is used for lubrication of ball bearing and roller bearing of hoisting and slewing
gears. Check the oil level regularly and replenish once the level is below the mark. The condition

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4. Check Minimum Requirements Of Wire Ropes: The wire rope of a crane is the main operational
part of the system, which is responsible to lift and move the load from one part of the engine room to
another part. Following maintenance to be performed on wire rope:

Wind the wire rope in correct way to prevent kink of the rope
Lubricate the wire rope at regular interval to reduce internal friction and to prevent corrosion
Before greasing the rope, clean it with a cloth to remove duct and foreign matter

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Requirements for the renewal of wire rope:

When diameter of rope is reduced by 7%

When the number of visible wire fracture is 15 over length of 6 times the wire rope diameter
When the number of visible wire fracture is 30 over length of 60 times the wire rope diameter
When a kink caused at some part of the rope does not restore to its original shape
When the rope is reduced in length
When the rope is twisted out of shape
When the rope is deemed unusable because of rust or corrosion

5. Inspect The Gears: Gears are used to hoist or slewing the crane to manoeuvre the load at the
desired location. Following inspection and maintenance are carried on the gear assembly:

Drain the gear case oil if the condition is not good and after cleaning the case, replenish it with
fresh lube oil
Keep a check on the gear case noise while the crane is in operation
Measure the thickness of the gear teeth and if has decreased by 20-25% , renew it with new one
Inspect the gear for damage of teeths and renew it with new one if the damage is more

6. Check Condition Of Sheave: Sheaves are used to carry the wire ropes from gearing chamber to the
hook of the crane. Numbers of sheaves are installed in the assembly for the wire to move smoothly for

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Inspect the groove which is in contact with the wire for wear down
Check all the sheaves for freedom of rotation
Check the trueness of sheaves. It may bend if the load is lifted obliquely
Check for cracks and broken circumference on the face of the sheave
Check the bearings provided in the sheave assembly
Check the bolt and the pin holding the sheave in place are in good condition
Check each sheave to insure rope groove is smooth and free from burrs, or other surface defects

7. Carry Out Hook Maintenance: The hook assembly is such made that while the load is ON, it can
rotate 360 degree to adjust the position of the load and it comprises of bearings and drums. Following
maintenance and checks needs to carried out:

Lubrication of bearing to be done regularly

If the partial wear of the part to be suspended with rope is not much worn, use grinder to make it
an even surface
Never repair any crack by welding
Make sure the dowel pin holding the hook is in position. Measure the pin diameter and replace if
its worn out
Ensure safety latch spring is in working condition to avoid jumping of load
If rotation lock is provided, check its operation
Check the material for brittleness, cracking and hardness during annual survey
If the part used for rigging the rope has worn out, check its shape (concave) and repair or
replace as per the condition
Check throat opening of the hook and if the throat opening exceeds 15% of the original opening,
or if the hook is twisted more than 10 degrees, replace the same

8.Check The Brake: The engine room crane is equipped with electromagnetic brake with fail-safe
arrangement. This is the most important safety arrangement provided in the crane. Following
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Measure the distance between magnet and armature. It should be approx. 0.5mm around the
circumference(refer manual for exact value)
If the gap is more or less than the recommended value, adjust the braking power nut to reach
the required gap
If any overhauling is carried out, supply the current tot the magnetic coil only to confirm that
running shaft is operating without any resistance
The electromagnetic brake is operated by the brake lining. Check for the moisture on the surface
of the lining to avoid slippage
Check for signs of overheating and mechanical damages
Check the tension of spring which carries the brake during overhauling of the brake assembly

The engine room crane is an assembly of various important parts, which need equal attention as any
other machinery in the engine room. While the engineers and engine crew are responsible for operating
the crane, it is the core responsibility of engineer officers to ensure no breakdown of crane occurs by
following correct operating procedures and maintenance schedule.

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