When the screws come loose…

What happens when the screws come loose?

It depends on what is actually holding them together, but when it comes to screws that connect the crane bridge to the end carriages, anyone can imagine the tragic consequences that loose screws can cause. During a regular inspection on a 10t/20m single girder overhead crane, we discovered loose screws connecting the crane bridge to the end carriages. This involved all 16 pieces of screws. The causes of this phenomenon are not easy to define, they are probably technical reasons related to the design of the screw connection, compliance with the assembly procedure and, last but not least, the way the crane is used. In any case, we replaced the screws with new ones in accordance with the technical documentation and tightened them to the prescribed torque. And us, together with the crane operator, were pleased that the system of regular inspections of lifting equipment makes sense and can detect fatal defects with potentially tragic consequences.