Yallourn Power Station in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley has chosen global crane OEM Konecranes to conduct crane reliability surveys on their cranes.
 
Adrian Zwagerman, Field Supervisor Maintenance Support, Energy Australia, Yallourn Power Station explains that WorkCover regulations require an independent third party to be used for their crane surveys, rectification work and recertification. Konecranes already services other major coal-fired power stations in the area.
 
Konecranes’ Crane Reliability Survey (CRS) is being conducted on the power station’s cranes preceding their recertification.
 
Konecranes’ CRS is an engineering assessment designed to provide dependable information about the current condition, the continued safe use, the DWP (Design Work Period) and the future maintenance and modernisation needs of the cranes in compliance with Australian Standards.
 
Performed by a team of highly-trained and experienced Konecranes specialists using advanced technology, the CRS provides a comprehensive report outlining the condition of each crane and its current operating capacity. The report contains recommendations for the future actions needed to maximise the equipment’s use by enhancing safety, improving performance, increasing reliability and extending the life of the equipment.
 
The CRS report assists crane managers in making informed decisions on a maintenance schedule to increase crane utilisation and enhance materials handling productivity.
 
Konecranes’ team of maintenance engineers has since surveyed five cranes as priority at the power station. The cranes are used in maintenance functions as well as lifting various items of equipment such as motors, couplings and boxes.
 
Surveys will be carried out on four additional cranes in the logistics warehouse and five cranes (up to 110 tons) in the turbine gallery. Konecranes have also been asked to quote for these ongoing surveys.
 
Highlights of Konecranes’ proprietary Crane Reliability Survey (CRS): 

  • Exhaustive analysis and report available for all makes and models of overhead lifting equipment
  • Gives companies the information they need to be firmly in control of their cranes
  • Advanced diagnostic tools used to probe into the equipment and uncover problems undetectable by standard equipment inspections
  • Detailed assessment of the condition of the crane’s key components includes analysis of the electrical components, motor, rope, gears and hooks
  • Analysis of the crane’s steel structure and geometry
  • Metallurgical tests performed in situ, using diagnostic tools such as eddy current testing involving electromagnetic induction
Ivan Stancik, Business Development Officer for Konecranes said his organisation placed great value on customer feedback about service work and about crane survey work, which involved three stages.
 
The first was the engineers’ reports, covering the categories of safety, compliance and reliability. The second stage was rectification works, while the final stage was crane recertification after the safety and compliance work had been carried out.

About 30 cranes will eventually be surveyed for recertification at Yallourn Power Station.