Load lifting machines are critical to countless businesses. That's why companies invest heavily in mobile cranes, tower cranes, vehicle loading cranes, and gantry cranes. These crane systems can easily carry loads weighing up to thousands of pounds. But, all the heavy-lifting comes at small costs. As gantry cranes are used more frequently, they start losing their efficiency. Small wear and tears to the cranes' components may cause them to malfunction. A high-quality aluminum gantry crane can easily last for multiple decades. But only if the operators inspect, test, maintain, and repair these cranes on a regular basis. This guide provides basic information on how and when to inspect, test, maintain and repair your aluminum gantries.

Before operating an aluminum gantry crane, conducting pre-operational checks is very important. A competent professional should inspect these machines and maintain logbooks to record the conditions of the cranes. Before operating these cranes, conduct inspections as per the manufacturer's instructions. These inspections are vital for ensuring that the cranes have not deteriorated due to corrosion or overuse. Routine pre-operation inspections should be conducted every week. Inspectors should review crane functions and make sure all emergency and safety switches work effectively. The interlocks on the cranes should also be lubricated and checked for efficiency before each operation. If inspectors detect leaks or dents after their visual inspections, they should halt all operations and arrange for repair work.

In addition to weekly inspections in accordance with the crane manufacturer's instructions, crane operators must also perform annual inspections. Annual inspections don't need to be as detailed as regular pre-operation inspections. Instead, annual inspections should be focused on discovering possible signs of corrosion, wear and tear. Make sure that the crane's limiting and indicating devices are calibrated accurately. Also, look for signs of structural damage on the crane's components. For example, if some crane components show signs of cracking, they need to be sent for repair instantly. Operators should never use an aluminum gantry crane that's not inspected, as doing so may jeopardize their workplace safety.

Operators must maintain a separate inspection log for every aluminum gantry crane in their collection. These logbooks should record all significant events concerning the cranes. They include - descriptions of replaced crane parts, dates of all maintenance checks, and the names of the professionals carrying out the inspection. Also, record all checks, adjustments, and part replacements made to the cranes. Specify the details of each crane component that has been inspected or repaired. Note all signs of wear, cracking, corrosion, etc., in the logbooks. Compliment these details by adding photographs of damaged crane parts to the logbook.