Traveling Crane Research Articles

Case Study: Demonstrative Model of Pick & Place Material Handling System for Workstations

Abstract: Semiautomatic Electric Overhead Travelling (EOT) Crane is one of the essential industrial equipment for material handling job. In recent years little attention has been paid to the optimal design of Heavy Electric Overhead Travelling Crane Bridges. Most of the crane manufacturers have standardized the single dimensioned box section for multiple spans and duties of Crane Bridges for manufacturing simplicity. Owing to the recent upward trend in the price of structural materials not to mention the demanding dimensions of heavy-duty crane box girders, utilization of modern design optimization tools is inevitable. This project demonstrates design optimization of EOT crane industrial box subjected to rolling loads. A simple and innovative procedure has been introduced to use for optimization of various parameters of the loading and travelling parameters. In this case study we have tried to develop a model of overhead pick and place semiautomatic mechanism.

Sustainable and Smart Manufacturing in Paramakudi Engineering Cluster

The Paramakudi Engineering Cluster which is an induced cluster was formed during 2018 at Small Industries Development Corporation (SIDCO) Industrial Estate, Ramanathapuram District, Tamil Nadu with 32 Micro- and Small-Enterprises has got old machineries like lathe, drilling machine, welding machine, 40 T power press. Due to the non-availability of the latest machinery, they approached the Ministry of Micro-, Small- and Medium-Enterprises (MSME), Government of India (GOI) and got grant from GOI, Government of Tamil Nadu (GOTN), then they put special purpose vehicle (SPV) contribution, got Term loan from Canara Bank and got latest machinery like shearing machine, laser cutting machine, compressor with drier, Computerised Numerical Control (CNC) press brake, Power Press, Electric Overhead Travelling (EOT) crane etc and put-up Common Facility Centre (CFC). The objective is to study the capacity utilisation (CU) of machineries and service charges (SC) collected and to study on the financial performance of enterprises on revenue generated ( Rg) and gross profit ( Pg) before and after Cluster Development Approach (CDA) in CFC. The methodology was adopted by collecting the above primary data and analysing using Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR), descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, trend analysis, regression analysis, structural equation modelling and t-test. The annual average increase in CU of machineries during various time period T from t = 1 to 4 i.e., from 2017-18 to 2021-22 (Tt) is 14.93 % [CU = 9.08 + 14.93 Tt, p = 0.23, R2 = 0.59] and an annual average decrease in service charge collected is ₹107.5 [SC = 1100–107.5 Tt, p = 0.002, R2 = 0.99]. One unit increase in CU leads to 4.4 unit decrease in service charge collected [SC = 1036.29–4.41 CU, p = 0.20, R2 = 0.63]. There is an increase in the mean value of Rg and Pg. By adopting a CDA productivity of Paramakudi Engineering Cluster is increased and also competitiveness of the enterprises in the cluster is increased to move up in the value chain. Due to CDA, MSEs in Paramakudi Engineering Cluster have adopted smart and sustainable manufacturing to reduce cost and increase profit.

An integrated TRIZ coupled safety function deployment and capital budgeting methodology for occupational safety improvement: A case of manufacturing industry

In this study, a novel scheme is proposed for occupational safety improvement by leveraging the concepts of Virtual Reality (VR), Safety Function Deployment (SFD), TRIZ (theory of inventive problem solving) and capital budgeting approach. This integrated approach helped in identifying safety interventions, which added a new dimension to the safety intervention design in the operational study at the workplace. By observing the effectiveness of the immersive safety training in identifying the accident path elements such as hazards and initiating mechanisms, a three-dimensional (3D) VR environment is created for safety training of Electric Overhead Travelling (EOT) crane operators of the studied manufacturing industry. This study is carried out in two phases based on accident path elements identified before and after safety training in the VR platform. Three House of Safety (HoSs) are used in this study to establish a relationship between tasks and hazards, hazards and initiating mechanism, and initiating mechanism and safety interventions. Priority weight of interventions in the last HoS is fed as input to the capital budgeting methodology for the selection of an optimal number of interventions for safety improvement. 0–1 multi-dimensional knapsack model is used in capital budgeting considering safety budget and cost of each intervention. We have introduced Z- number approach in capital budgeting methodology to characterize the reliability of experts’ opinion considered in this process. A 15% improvement in safety performance is observed after safety training. Further, it is observed that technology-based interventions (laser scanner, smart helmet, smart jacket, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to monitor Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), immersive safety training) are having more weightage than traditional safety interventions after safety training.

A Review of Failure Analysis of Different Part of Electric Overhead Traveling Crane

Abstract: This review paper gives the discrimination of various failure analysis accomplish to find Crane hook, Rope, Rope Drum, Coupling, Gear and Motor Shaft failure. These are very significant parts of EOT crane used for lifting, lowering and move with the help of links or rope and highly liable component which are always subjected to failure due to amount of stress, dynamic and statistic load concentrations which can lead to its failure. To minimize the failure of different part of EOT Crane by Using safe design with appropriate manufacturing processes and obstructive mechanical maintenance techniques. Failure of any parts of crane causes the unneeded shutdown and its lead to heavy loss. The main aim of this paper is to study various component of EOT crane failure analysis and finding out root cause failure of different parts of crane. Through this paper various literature have been comprehensively compared to get Crane hook, Rope, Rope Drum, Coupling, Gear and Motor Shaft failure analysis. Keywords: Crane hook, Rope, Rope Drum, Coupling, Gear and Motor Shaft, Stress, EOT Crane, techniques, etc.

Analisis Kegagalan Permukaan Kontak Rail dan Wheel pada Overhead Travelling Crane

For the sake of the smooth process of cement production, it is necessary to maintain each component of the production. One of the tools that play an important role in the maintenance and production of cement is the Overhead Traveling Crane, which is a combination of a separate lifting mechanism with a frame to lift and move loads that can be hung freely or attached to the crane itself. The problems that arise in the Overhead Traveling Crane include the reverse direction of the motor rotation due to an error in the motor connection, the motor cannot start due to a disconnected power supply, the occurrence of bending (curving) on ​​the girder due to lifting operations that exceed the maximum capacity which can also accelerate service life. of the girder, wear on the wheel due to high workload during operation. Due to the need for very long use, periodic maintenance is needed so that it can be in normal condition for a long time. The main parts that support the overall weight of the crane are rails and wheels. This journal discusses the analysis of failures that occur due to contact between rails and wheels that occur in a cement factory. Failure analysis is done by testing the hardness of both the wheel and the rely which is considered to have failed or is no longer suitable for use. Then review the results of direct field observations with data from hardness tests and literature studies related to wheels and rails. after that it was concluded that the company considered for the procurement of rails and wheels. The conclusion obtained is that the hardness value on the rail is lower than on the wheel. Resulting in failure of the rail so that the rail must be replaced.

Multi-Gene Genetic Programming-Based Identification of a Dynamic Prediction Model of an Overhead Traveling Crane.

This paper proposes a multi-gene genetic programming (MGGP) approach to identifying the dynamic prediction model for an overhead crane. The proposed method does not rely on expert knowledge of the system and therefore does not require a compromise between accuracy and complex, time-consuming modeling of nonlinear dynamics. MGGP is a multi-objective optimization problem, and both the mean square error (MSE) over the entire prediction horizon as well as the function complexity are minimized. In order to minimize the MSE an initial estimate of the gene weights is obtained by using the least squares approach, after which the Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm is used to find the local optimum for a k-step ahead predictor. The method was tested on both a simulation model obtained from the Euler–Lagrange equation with friction and the experimental stand. The simulation and the experimental stand were trained with varying control inputs, rope lengths and payload masses. The resulting predictor model was then validated on a testing set, and the results show the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Assessing mental workload in virtual reality based EOT crane operations: A multi-measure approach

BackgroundEye-movement metrics and subjective workload measures are extensively used to determine mental workload of participants. The aim of this study was to assess Electric overhead travelling (EOT) crane operators’ mental workload variability based on eye movement metrics such as fixation frequency, fixation duration, saccade duration, saccade amplitude, and fixation/saccade ratio during EOT crane operations in virtual reality (VR) based EOT crane simulator. MethodsA 2k (k = 3) factorial experiment with factors namely, hazardous scenario, activity level, and trial was designed and conducted to demonstrate the proposed assessment approach. Throughout the experiment, we recorded the eye movements of 12 EOT crane operators of a steel industry of authors’ country. Post experiment, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration task load index (NASA-TLX) was adopted as a subjective workload measure and run time of task completion was recorded. Eye-movement metrics, subjective workload measure, run time were tested with multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), and three way repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA). ResultsAt the level of α = 0.05, the experimental factors significantly influence the means of eye movement metrics, subjective ratings and run time. There was also significant influence among their interactions. A positive correlation was also found for eye movements metrics with NASA-TLX and run time. ConclusionsEye movement metrics help in understanding the mental workload of participants unobtrusively and continuously. Analysis of subjective workload measure and run time along with eye-gaze analysis provide a deeper understanding on the pattern of mental workload.

Postural discomfort analysis of EOT crane operators

Ergonomics aims at ensuring good fit between the worker and the work station. It is an important field of research in the development process to increase safety, comfort and performance. A comfortable work station can help employees to work more efficiently and effectively by reducing the probability for Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs). This study has been carried out to evaluate the postural discomfort of Electric Overhead Travelling (EOT) crane operators in tubular products shop of a boiler manufacturing company located in southern India. The modified Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ) is used to interact with 67 crane operators, working with 24 EOT cranes of three different models in alternative shifts. The study revealed that 48(71.6%) employees suffered with some kind of MSDs. Most of them suffered with lower back pain followed by neck pain. The discomfort level is increased with age. Sixteen anthropometric dimensions are measured from all the operators. Statistical analysis is carried out using ANOVA. Frequent working postures are analysed by RULA, using Egrofellow-3 software. The obtained RULA score is 6. Suitable ergonomic chair provided for comfortable sitting and front side cabin guard height 100mm reduced to increase the visibility. After 3 months of trail run again questionnaire survey is conducted which clearly indicates that discomfort level drastically reduced and RULA score also reduced to 3.

An innovative integrated modelling of safety data using multiple correspondence analysis and fuzzy discretization techniques

In this study, we have proposed an innovative integrated methodology to handle a mix of categorical and numeric safety data. We have augmented the traditional multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) through the use of fuzzy discretization approach, t-SNE technique and fuzzy c-means clustering. The fuzzy discretization approach transforms the continuous variables to categorical variables to make them analyzable using MCA. R2-profile is adopted to obtain the best number of hidden dimensions representing the maximum categorical information. Then, t-SNE technique is used to represent the high dimensional categorical information in a 2D map to visualize the significant categorical associations. Then, fuzzy c-means clustering (FCM) is used to group the categories in different clusters based on their membership degree. To determine the optimal number of clusters, cluster validity indices are used. Davies-Bouldin (DB) Index, Dunn’s (DU) Index and Silhouette (SW) coefficients are used to determine the quality of clustering solutions. The proposed methodology is tested using electric overhead traveling (EOT) crane related near-miss incidents and found that our approach is effective. From managerial implication point of view, several safety rules are generated and subsequent safety countermeasures are proposed. Further, the results obtained through FCM is compared with K-means (KM) algorithm and unsupervised fuzzy c-means clustering (UPFCM). FCM outperforms KM and UPFCM on the basis of quality of solutions.

Overhead Travelling Crane Construction Deflection Measurements with Telematic Approach

Abstract Transport has always been a fundamental impulse for the development of civilization. Issues related to the regularity of operation of technical systems, in the last decade have become important issues being considered from both the point of view, as well as economics. Today the major threat in the operational reliability constitutes intensification of the machine and equipment use leading to excessive degradation. In automated manufacturing processes where the material handling operations are realized by the cranes, the safety as both devices and operating people constitute important factor. The main purpose of the article was focused on the set of issues including the material handling devices (MHD) reliability shaping problem especially presents work in progress towards development the MHD condition assessment system with using telematic approach. In the article author, special care was enclosed to MHD devices with strength human factor interaction and relatively large construction, so the overhead travelling crane was chose. The object of the statement constitutes an attempt of collecting the knowledge concerning a possibility of use modern measurement systems to monitoring crane bridge deflection. All tests and considerations were conducted on the double girder overhead travelling crane with hosting capability 1000 kg and bridge span 8000 mm.

Challenges and Safety in Erection and Commissioning of 280/85 Tons Single Failure Proof EOT Crane at PFBR

The Electric overhead traveling (EOT) crane installed in Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR), Reactor Containment Building (RCB) is the largest capacity EOT crane installed in any nuclear power plants in India with some unique features of its own. It has been built with a single failure proof concept which is one of the prime requirements of a nuclear facility as per the standards of NUREG/IS. It is a double bridge girder type; the girder used in this crane is a single structure having a length of 34.8m without any joints as designed by IGCAR/BHAVINI (first of its kind). The span of the EOT crane is 33.4m and installed at a height of 42m from the ground level with the lifting height of 42.5m. This crane was manufactured by an Indian company M/s. UNIQUE CRANE, NASIK. Two hooks (280 tons / 85 tons) are connected in the same trolley sharing the Long Travel (LT). Load testing of the complete crane was done at factory before transporting it to PFBR site. The components of the crane were assembled in PFBR site. The erection methodology adopted was distinct w. r. t the site condition, as the components which were handled were very heavy, available space for installation was restricted and the head room was also very less. This erection has been completed successfully and very safely without any notable incidents. This activity is a biggest achievement / milestone in the nuclear industry in India. Later the EOT crane was commissioned, load tested with 350 tons load (negligible deflection) and being operated successfully without any incidents so far. This was achieved by accurate erection procedure, stringent Quality Assurance Plan (QAP), Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) and Safe Operation Procedure (SOP). Many challenges were faced during manufacturing, testing, erection and load testing at site. This paper deliberates those challenges.

Training Simulator for Acquiring Operational Skill to Operate Overhead Traveling Crane while Suppressing Load Sway

The present study addressed an advanced system that was designed to teach the skills needed to operate an electric overhead traveling crane. In the operation of an overhead traveling crane, to ensure the safe and efficient transport of a load, an operator must be able to suppress the sway of that load. However, considerable training is needed to master this skill. Furthermore, the beginners may cause accidents by operating the crane incorrectly. Therefore, in the present study, we devised a training system in which an operator can safely and efficiently master the operation of an electric overhead traveling crane while suppressing the load sway. In this approach, the operational conditions in which the load sway is suppressed can be derived theoretically. The operational conditions are displayed by the crane simulator as visual instructions in a virtual working environment. The efficacy of the proposed skill training approach with the crane simulator was verified through experiments whereby novices used the crane simulator to perform the task of transporting a load while suppressing load sway.

Decision support system for safety improvement: An approach using multiple correspondence analysis, t-SNE algorithm and K-means clustering

An attempt has been made to develop a decision support system (DSS) for safety improvement using a multi-step knowledge discovery process involving multiple correspondence analysis (MCA), t-SNE algorithm and K-means clustering. MCA is used for dimension reduction and perceptual mapping from categorical data. Usually, the first two dimensions are used for perceptual mapping if these two dimensions explain a significant percentage of variance. Otherwise, the traditional method of two dimensional mapping, leads to loss of important categorical information involved with other dimensions. Considering the above, a novel R2-profile approach, as an alternate to inertia based approach, is adopted to obtain the desired number of dimensions to be retained without loss of significant amount of information. t-SNE technique reduces the high dimensional data into two dimensional (2D) map, which provides the associations amongst different categories. K-means clustering grouped the 2D categories in homogenous clusters as per the similarities of the categories. A novel kernel category based chi-square distance method is proposed to identify sub-clusters within a cluster which subsequently provides useful rules for safety improvement. The methodology also provides a logical approach of dimension reduction in a form called ‘funnel diagram’. Finally, the DSS is applied to analysing near miss incidents occurred in electric overhead traveling (EOT) crane operations in a steel plant. Several safety rules are identified and safety interventions are proposed.

Cable-Based Robotic Crane (CBRC): Design and Implementation of Overhead Traveling Cranes Based on Variable Radius Drums

In this paper, we present a new family of overhead traveling cranes based on variable radius drums (VRDs), called cable-based robotic cranes (CBRCs). A VRD is characterized by the variation of the spool radius along its profile. This kind of device is used, in this context, for the development of a cable-robot, which can support and move a load through a planar working area with just two degrees of freedom. First we present the kinematic analysis and the synthesis of the geometry of a VRD profile. Then, the schema of a bidimensional horizontal moving mechanism, based on the VRD theory, and an experimental prototype of a three-dimensional CBRC are presented. The features of this wire-based overhead crane and an analysis of cables tensions are discussed. Finally, the performance of this mechanism is evaluated, demonstrating a deviation between the end-effector and the nominal planar surface of less than $1 \%$ throughout the whole working area.

Application of the Combined Vibration Analysis Method of the Overhead Traveling Crane to Prevent Negative Impact on the Structure and Personnel

The subject of the study is the application of the combined method of vibration analysis for the study of dynamic phenomena in the elements of the overhead traveling crane structure that affect both the durability and reliability of structural elements and the health and efficiency of maintenance personnel. Research methodology - simulation of cargo lifting dynamics using Matlab Simulink and SolidWorks software, using combined calculations in which the system response generated from the solved system of differential equations in Matlab Simulink was used to excite the crane support structure during the FEM simulation in SolidWorks. The goal is to identify the vulnerabilities in the construction of overhead traveling cranes, by examining the dynamic phenomena in the structure and the effect of vibration on the safety of the crane's operation, on health, and the capacity of the operating personnel. Conclusion of the study. The proposed method allows more accurately and less costly to predict the response of the crane structure to various dynamic effects, particularly lifting and lowering the load. The presented models of FEM and rigid masses can become the basis for studies based on an integrated approach that integrates the dynamic model with the CE model. The influence of the action of various vibration frequencies on the machinist's body of the overhead traveling crane is analyzed.

Order of Transfer Trajectory Using Touch Interface in Overhead Traveling Crane and Transfer Trajectory Planning with Load Sway Suppression Based on Ordered Trajectory

Order of Transfer Trajectory Using Touch Interface in Overhead Traveling Crane and Transfer Trajectory Planning with Load Sway Suppression Based on Ordered Trajectory

Development of Safety and Efficiency Training System for Operation with Suppressing Load Vibration in Overhead Traveling Crane

Development of Safety and Efficiency Training System for Operation with Suppressing Load Vibration in Overhead Traveling Crane

固有振動数成分除去法による天井走行クレーンの制振

固有振動数成分除去法による天井走行クレーンの制振

天井クレーンにおける搬送物の障害物回避と荷振れ抑制を考慮した軌道計画および初期軌道設計による軌道計画の高速化

天井クレーンにおける搬送物の障害物回避と荷振れ抑制を考慮した軌道計画および初期軌道設計による軌道計画の高速化

Vibration Control of Overhead Traveling Crane by the Eliminating Method of the Natural Frequency Component

Vibration Control of Overhead Traveling Crane by the Eliminating Method of the Natural Frequency Component