When automation first grew more widespread, the crane and overhead handling systems category was slow to adopt out of safety concerns. With time and more advances, however, that perspective has changed. Today, manufacturers are increasingly embracing automated tools for enhanced overhead crane safety.

“With the technologies that are out there now, you’re much more apt to desire automation, and even require some form of automation. That’s because when you automate a process or machinery, you can also add safeties in,” said Dan Beilfuss, general manager for Magnetek. The company is a member of the Crane Manufacturers Association of America.

Molly Wood, vice president of CMAA and engineering manager at Ace Industries, agreed. She noted that automation is part of an ongoing, decades-long effort focused on improving overhead crane safety. Doing so ultimately makes overhead handling equipment operation safer for workers.

“The ability to get the worker further away from the load has been something that our industry has always been very interested in,” Wood said. “We want to know—how can our operator safely operate the crane and how can they have a clear line of sight? This industry as a whole has always been heavily interested in making very safe environments in the facilities where we put cranes.”

Automated Tools Create Safety Checks and Balances

For crane users, automation can bring systemic, ingrained checks and balances that do not rely on the operator. That is, the operator no longer must remember to consider the following:

• Am I safe to make this next move?
• Am I clear of all obstructions?
• Do I have a clear path?

“If you get that built into the sensors and technology in the crane, the crane can do that for you. That ultimately results in a safer operation, which makes it safer for the facility and the people that work in the facility,” Beilfuss said.

Overhead Crane Safety Improved by Preventive Maintenance

Automation is not just about the operation of equipment—it’s also about the status of the equipment. New sophisticated technology tools have strengthened preventive maintenance and improve overhead crane safety. These systems alert workers to potential issues before they occur. This is a key contributor to improved safety.

“By adding technology to the crane and putting some level of automation in place, you can actually program a safety algorithm. Or, you can program a set of safety steps that an operator or a maintenance crew could run before the start of a shift or every so many days. This furher ensures the health of your system,” Beilfuss said.

Wood said preventive maintenance helps prevent very costly downtime in facilities, and it also makes for safer maintenance because the user can better control the conditions for repairs.

“By predicting ahead of time the items that you need to replace in your inspections, you can replace something that is starting to get worn out before it becomes an actual problem—so you get to replace it on your terms,” Wood said. “It’s not reactive. You are choosing when and what to replace, and that allows you to control the situation. It allows you to do it on a third shift, or it allows you to do it on a weekend during a scheduled maintenance. It doesn’t happen in the middle of production when you’re trying to get a critical item out.”

Automated Tools Will Continue to Evolve

Beilfuss believes that more major safety gains are on the horizon. He said a key area for continued evolution is in collision avoidance.

“How can we make the cranes smarter to be able to move effectively while minimizing operator error? And how do we put different technologies in place that allows for a safer operating system that doesn’t rely so much on the operator to be the one in control of the safety?” he said.

“I think there’s a world of opportunity ahead—things that I can’t even begin to describe,” Beilfuss said. “Consider AI and how that potentially comes into play to help improve overhead crane safety, performance, operation, and analytics. There’s a lot of exciting possibilities yet to come.”

Wood agreed that what’s next in overhead crane safety will come from technologies “we can’t even necessarily predict.” She pointed to a reduction in parts and in things that can go wrong and require repair. Two key areas of potential progress include eliminating wires and reducing worker exposure to high voltage.

Looking at the future, Wood said overhead crane safety is the top priority for CMAA. That’s why the association develops design specifications. Engineers from the most reputable crane companies and crane component suppliers in North America develop these standards.

Subcommittees are hard at work updating those now, she said, and the next round of specifications will be released in 2025. When considering design specifications, Wood said each of the subcommittees is constantly asking “does this make the crane safer?”

“It gives a level of assurance to users. If I’m meeting the specifications written within CMAA then I’m going to have the best interests for my facility and the safety of my workers,” Beilfuss said.

A recent article in MHI Solutions magazine offers additional insights into technologies that enhance overhead crane safety. Read it here. To learn more about CMAA, visit mhi.org/cmaa.