Upgrading Your Existing Overhead Crane

Presented by Devon Poling

Assistant Branch Manager
Cleveland, OH & Erie, PA Facilities
&
Paul Miller
Electrical Engineering Manager
Salem, OH
Presentation Outline
• Simmers Crane Background Information
• Magnetek Product Offerings
• Electrical Control Upgrades
• Variable Frequency Drives, DC to AC Conversions, & DC Digital Drives
• Benefits of Upgrading
• Important Project Information/Considerations
• Other Types of Crane Upgrades
• Potential Future Presentation Topics
• Q&A
Simmers Crane - History
Simmers Crane Design & Services Company was founded in 1958 by
Charles Simmers, former Chief Engineer with Koppers Co. and Vice
President of Engineering with Morgan Engineering Company.

Initially providing engineering services only, Simmers became a Division of

Pollock Research and Design, Inc. in 1966 and has since expanded its'
capabilities to all areas of the material handling industry

Reading Crane & Advanced Crane Technologies are sister companies

which are also owned by Pollock Research & Design. Reading Crane is
formerly a custom crane builder now focusing on being a well rounded
service company on the East Coast. ACT focuses solely on government
projects.
Simmers Crane Locations & Capabilities
Physical branch locations primarily in the Midwest & Mid Atlantic
Regions

Our unique engineering capabilities travel nationwide and allow us

to be competitive on the most complex projects anywhere in the
U.S.

Majority of our work is with Primary Metals, Power Generation, &

Heavy Fabrication.

We are a full service crane company that provides every type of

crane service, inspections, engineering, custom & OEM parts for all
makes of cranes/hoists.
Maintenance Guild Customers
Control Upgrades – AC VFDs
AC Variable Frequency Drives & Flux Vector Drives to replace
existing AC contactor controls.
Options for Wound Rotor Motors
Replace with new Inverter Duty Motors

Remove Wound Rotor motors as first step in the upgrade process and
send out to a motor shop to have them completely reconditioned and
the slip rings shorted.

Short the slip rings in the field with the installation of copper bars or in
the motor junction box.

NOTE: Modifying the motors in the field is the least desirable method
and has the potential to create problems down the road. This option
generally only considered in an extreme budget crunch and would still
require maintaining motor brushes.
Control Upgrades – DC to AC Conversions
Replace all DC components with new AC motors, wiring, controls, etc.

DC Constant Potential Technology & DC Wound Rotor Motors will

continue to be phased out across the country which will make it
increasingly difficult to procure these components.

We’ve seen several customers in recent years move to eliminate DC

service to their facilities entirely.
Control Upgrades – DC Drives
Replace DC Constant Potential Controls with Drop in Digital DC
Drives to work with existing motors, wiring, etc.

DCCP Control for a 4 motion crane on average will have 50

individual Electro-Mechanical parts to maintain.
Why Upgrade???
VFDs provide greater reliability, enhance performance, improve
production throughput, prolong equipment life, and reduce
maintenance costs and required parts in a variety of ways.

Return on Investment will vary by application but these systems

undoubtedly pay for themselves very quickly for the reasons above.

It can be challenging to quantify ROI specifically, often customers

choose to try out one crane or one motion of a crane to prove the
technology and savings to management & purchasing.

Cranes in most heavy duty applications were designed structurally

& mechanically to last as long as possible. Electrically these cranes
are becoming unreliable but replacement of the crane may not be
feasible
Benefits….Customizable
Highly Customizable Features for Any Application

Beyond the typical controls features VFDs can be supplied with

several custom software packages that may mimic how your current
crane operates.

Optional packages for Static Stepless Simulation & Reverse

Plugging Simulation alleviate the concerns that operators won’t like
how the crane handles after the upgrade.

Inching or Micro-Speed Controls

Swift-Lift/Ultra Lift – Allows overspeeding of an empty hook in up or

down direction.
Benefits….Safety
Built in load monitoring to prevent overcapacity lifts.

Infinitely Variable Speeds allow operators to control the crane at a

speed with which they are comfortable instead of forcing all
operators to operate the crane at the same speeds.

Drive Synchro programming will prevent uneven lifts when using

multiple hoists/trolleys & even bridges.

Torque proving at start & brake check at stop. If a fault is detected

the VFD will hold the load.

Snapped Shaft & Slack Cable detection.

Benefits….Safety
Optional Sway Control Systems
Benefits….Green
Regen Packages recycle excess power generated during the
braking process by pushing it back to the grid which lowers your
overall energy consumption.

Good for the environment and the company’s budget.

Benefits….Automation Potential
Certain repetitive processes may be able to be completely
automated through the use of VFDs and position monitoring
instruments.

Eliminating manual operation increases productivity & safety while

extending the useful life of every component on the crane
 AC Regen Energy Savings Calculator
Average Lift Time 2 Minutes
Lifts per Hour 12 Regen Savings
Operational Hours per Day 24
40000
Operational Days per Year 350
35000
Average Load per Lift 80% % capacity
Total Hoist HP 500 HP 30000 0.6
Total Bridge HP 100 HP 25000
0.7
Total Trolley HP 30 HP 20000
0.8
Energy Cost $0.052 USD/kWh 15000
0.9
10000
Energy Savings $10,753 USD/Year 5000 1
0 Bas
Resistor Maintenance Time 0 Hr/Year 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
Labor Rate $0 $/hr Hours

Maintenance Savings $0 USD/Year Average Load per Lift

60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Total Savings $10,753 USD/Year 8 $3,687 $4,301 $4,916 $5,530 $6,145
Hours 12 $5,530 $6,452 $7,374 $8,295 $9,217
16 $7,374 $8,603 $9,831 $11,060 $12,289
24 $11,060 $12,904 $14,747 $16,591 $18,434
Benefits….Reduced Maintenance
Brakes become essentially become parking brakes as the drives do
all slowing of the load. This change greatly reduces the need to
change shoes or brake wheels.

Eddy Current brakes are usually replaced entirely by either simply

uncoupling from the shaft or replaced with a jackshaft.

VFD Controls require fewer spares to be kept in house, simplifying

the warehousing of parts.
Benefits….Reduced Maintenance
With the smoother starting and stopping of the mechanical systems on
the crane, the entire drivetrain’s useful life is extended significantly.
Benefits….Simplified Maintenance
Fault Logs on the drive record any specific faulty codes that may
occur during use. The provided manual will give further information
on what specific codes mean with recommendations on potential
sources of the fault code.

Customer service is a phone call away and can provide additional

support to field personnel.

Optional Impulse Link Software allows maintenance personnel to

remotely program the drives, monitor fault codes, see current drive
status, and troubleshoot issues the crane may be experiencing.
Important Considerations
Cost – Initial Start up costs can be significant and vary widely
depending on the motor sizes and the specific custom features
required.

Project Lead Times – Vary from 8-16 Weeks after onsite data
collection.

Downtime of the Crane – Complete control upgrades on average

take around 10 shifts to complete (5 days around the clock)

The most common issues we experience relate to encoders &

encoder cable. Mill duty encoders & heavy duty individually shielded
encoder cable are recommended.

Power continuity is critical. Tandem collectors always recommended

Important Considerations
Will the entire crane or individual motions be upgraded one by one.
Downtime & budget concerns may force the work to be done per
motion.

The available space around the motors may impact decisions

regarding replacing or reusing motors. It is common to require
custom motor bases when wound rotor motors are replaced with
inverter duty motors.

Hydraulic brakes using foot pedals must be accounted for or they

can fight the drives and cause faults.

Ambient conditions must be monitored as drives are rated for

service up to 140 Degrees Fahrenheit. Air conditioned panels are
available.
Testimonials
Bruce Koehnen – Universal Steel – AC Upgrade
• “In 18 months since our control change we have had zero
downtime. Our operators are asking for several other cranes to
be upgraded”

Larry Nowicki – General Motors – Multiple AC Upgrades from Static

• “The VFD control upgrades have significantly reduced downtime
associated with electrical issues. The entire operating
experience is also much smoother and more precise”

Mark Bloom – Osborne Engineering – DC to AC Conversion

• “Complaints from our operators of drifting loads have significantly
reduced. We’ve noticed any work on the VFDs we do need to do
can be performed by a significantly wider group of individuals.”
Other Common Upgrades….
Capacity Upgrades – Cranes or Runways
• Can often be increased in rated lifting capacity with minor
structural or mechanical changes to accommodate changes
in the production process.

Radio Control Upgrades - AC & DC Options available

• Perform same task with fewer people.
• No climbing ladders or stairs to access the crane.
• No chance of being stranded on the runway.

Brake Upgrades - AC Thruster Brakes for AC Cranes

• Eliminates DC rectifier circuit.
• Adjustable torque settings to dial in traverse motions
• Many custom features like Auto-Adjust, High Temp, etc.
• Smoother overall operation
DC “Clapper” Brakes vs AC Thruster Brakes
Other Simmers Crane Capabilities & Potential Future Topics
• Reverse Engineering of Complete Assemblies or Individual
Components
Other Simmers Crane Capabilities & Potential Future Topics
• Kit Cranes , Built-up Cranes, & Pre-Engineered Crane Systems
• Re-Spanning & Relocating Used Cranes – Including Soaking Pit
or Stiffleg Cranes & Tongs
Other Simmers Crane Capabilities & Potential Future Topics
• Rail Installations – Flash Butt Welded Splices,
Thermite Welded Splices, Mechanical Splices, etc.
• Runway Surveys/Crane Wheel Surveys
• Runway Structure Designs/Installations
• Bid Specification Writing for Complex Projects
• Assigned Services Contracts
• Outage Coverage
• Custom Below the Hook Lifting Fixtures & Ladle Hooks
• Jib Cranes, Hoists, OEM Parts, etc.
 Questions????

Feel free to call or email me any time.

dpoling@simmerscrane.com or 216-339-3776