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Crane design overview: 

• Shipboard cranes of bulk carriers are usually of electro-hydraulic design.
• A crane is normally required to do three functions-namely, to hoist (or lower), to luff and to slew.
• Hoisting is the raising of the crane wire whilst the crane jib remains in constant position.
• Luffing is the raising or lowering of the crane jib.
• Slewing is the swinging round (or rotating) of the crane.
• It is common for shipboard cranes to be level Luffing. This means that if the craned is topped from
maximum to minimum radius, or vice versa, the crane hook will maintain a level path, allowing the
load to move horizontally.
• The power which enables the crane to hoist, luff and slew is provided by electric motors which drive
hydraulic pumps. The hydraulic pumps drive the hydraulic motors which drives the hoisting, Luffing
and slewing winches/drives.
• Twin cranes (also called Gemini cranes) have been fitted to some conbulk and forest product
ships.  These are two independent cranes of equal capacity mounted on a common platform. The
common platform can be rotated independently and the cranes can be slewed relative to the
platform. Each can be used by itself, with each serving adjoining holds, but when a heavy lift is
required is required the jibs are slewed parallel to one another and a lifting beam is attached
between the crane hooks. This arrangement allows the lifting of loads up to twice the safe working
load of one crane. The speeds of hoisting and luffing motions of the cranes are synchronized to
ensure smooth operation. When the cranes are operated in the twin mode the individual slewing
motions are inoperable and only platform slewing motion can be used. Operation of the platform
slewing motion causes the platform to rotate and with it the two cranes, with their jibs parallel, thus
enabling large loads to be safely slewed.
• If the shipboard cranes are intended to be used with grabs, as grabbing cranes they are likely to be
fitted with rope-operated grabs, for which the crane will be provided with two rope drums (third for
luffing of beam, also)and two wire ropes, one to hold the grab and the other to open and close it.
Alternatively, electro-hydraulic grabs which are easy to fit to existing cranes and grabs can also be
operated by remote radio control. This system replaces the simple but inefficient self-dumping grabs
which are used on a single fall of wire rope.
Crane maintenance:  The detailed maintenance required by cranes depends upon their
construction, and must be learnt from their instruction manuals, which provide detailed guidance as
to frequency of service, materials and tools to use and items to inspect. The main areas which
require attention are the following:
• Daily, when cranes are being used to work cargo: Inspect runner wires for wear or damage.
Check the rig for damage for damage and for fastenings becoming slack. Check the limits and cutout
switches. Carry out oiling and greasing as necessary. Ensure the ventilation for the crane motors is
open, to prevent overheating.
• Before arrival in port: Follow the procedures recommended by the crane manufacturers. They
should include all the inspections and listed  for regular maintenance (as below)
• Regular maintenance, (normally described in makers manual of planned maintenance system):
a) The filters of the hydraulic system must be regularly cleaned or renewed and the hydraulic oil
must be changed as required by the manufacturers or as guided by the results of Lubricating oil
tests.
b) Oil in the gearboxes to be checked and topped up to the correct level and changed at the required
intervals.
c) Suitable grease must be applied to all moving parts of the system, such as the bearings of
winches and sheaves, the turret bearings, pivot points or hinges for jib and roller slewing ring. When
crane is required to operate regularly in temperature below freezing, grease, should be low
temperature grease.
d)  Wire rope should be regreased when they are visibly dry or when ‘bald spots’ form in the grease
on the outer surface, or when corrosion exists.
e) Wire ropes must be inspected for flattening and kinking, and for broken, worn or corroded wire,
and must be condemned when more than 5 percent of the wires in any length of ten rope diameters
are damaged. For example, if the wire ripe is 24 mm and is of 6 x 37 construction, the total numbers
of wire rope is 222, of which 5 percent is 11. So, if more than 11 broken stand are found in a length
of (24 x 10) mm= 240 mm- the rope must be condemned (i.e. discarded and renewed).
f) The brakes for hoisting winch and for slewing and luffing machinery must be inspected for
contamination with oil, for damage to the adjustments, and for wear. Where necessary they must be
degreased – for example, wit trichloroethylene- or the linings must be renewed.
g) All parts of the crane must be inspected for damage and for fastenings or fittings which have
become loose, worn or fractured as a consequence of blows, vibration or working in a seaway.
Loose or damaged slewing ring securing bolts, for example, would seriously reduce the safe lifting
capacity of the crane.
h) Crane winch drums must be inspected to ensure that the wire ropes remain firmly attached to
them and the attachment must be freed when necessary and then refastened to ensure that it can
be freed when necessary. Wire must be correctly spooled on to the drums without crossing turns.
i) Deck cranes are provided with limit switches to prevent over-hoisting, over-lowering, and luffing,
slewing or travelling beyond permitted limits. When a limit switch operates the crane cannot pass the
limit, but still retains the power to move away from the limit. Limit-switches and their over-ride keys
must be tested frequently and certainly before each port visit to ensure that they work and they are
properly adjusted to operate in a correct position. The over-ride keys should be kept safely in the
care of a responsible officer.
j) The emergency cutout stops all power to all controls on the crane, by tripping the main electrical
breaker, as soon as it is activated. The brakes on the hoisting and luffing winches are  spring-
loaded, and will close tight if power is lost, holding the crane and its load fixed. The emergency
cutout can be activated by the crane operator and will operate automatically if there is a power
failure or if crane is overloaded. The emergency cutout is tested by hitting the cutout button, and by
overloading under controlled conditions when the cranes are retested.
k) High temperature trips and low oil level trips, if fitted, must also be checked regularly and
maintained in good condition.
l) The crane cab and machinery must be kept clean and light bulbs must be renewed. Cracked or
broken windows and plastic windows which have become opaque or dull must be renewed. The sun
visor is essential to prevent the driver from being dazzled and must be maintained in good condition.
m) Heaters for the crane are normally on a separate power circuit to that for driving the crane. They
should be remained switched on throughout the voyage to keep the electrical equipment for the
crane warm and dry. The correct operation of the cooling fans should be confirmed.
n) The crane maintenance programme is likely to depend upon the crane operating hours, so a
record of these should be kept.
o) Electrical maintenance should include the occasional checking of all terminal screws in the
switchgear cabinets, terminal boxes on the equipment itself, and tightening if slack.
p) Sheaves should be inspected for damage from time to time, particularly when the crane is being
used with a self dumping grab. The operation of such grabs can cause a ‘ripple’ in the wire rope fall,
which may jump out of its own sheave and finish up in the next sheave, or jammed between two
sheaves.
q)  The planned maintenance programme for a handymax bulk carrier requires, at six monthly
intervals, inspection of sheaves and the brake linings for wear down. Renewal of hoisting and luffing
wires should be when required or every 1000 working hours or two years, whichever comes first.
 
• Spares to be carried: A minimum stock of all items that could malfunction from the smallest
electrical switch or relay to a complete main hydraulic motor and pump must be carried. There is
usually a requirement of at least two spare hoisting and luffing wires to be carried by a ship with four
cranes.
 

• Annual thorough survey :

a) The annual thorough survey of a crane is carried out by a surveyor representing a statutory
authority or a classification society, and the nature and extent of the survey is described in the
classification society publications. Besides covering all the areas listed above under ‘maintenance’,
the structure of the crane will be carefully examined for strength with hammer testing and drilling of
the material when found necessary. Sheaves may be unshipped for inspection. The grease of the
slew bearing may be sent to laboratory for testing the iron particles in it to ascertain the wear of the
bearing.
b) The cranes must be retested at four or five- yearly intervals, or more often if found necessary.
 

Operation of the cranes:

a) The ship’s officers can keep the limit switches override key in their possession, thus ensuring that
the limits cannot be overridden without their knowledge. Keys to the cabinet containing the main
power breaker should be kept by the duty officer who can then be certain that the crane cannot be
restarted by an unauthorized person after it has been immobilized. It is good practice to immobilize
the cranes at the end of the working day and any time that they are maintained.
b) It may be necessary to override a limit switch to stow or unstow the crane jib, or to move it to
other exceptional positions whilst it is carrying no load. This must be done under the supervision of a
competent ship’s personnel.
c) Cranes must be driven smoothly.
d) When shore gang is employed to drive cranes they will require careful supervision from ship’s
officers to ensure that they use ship’s equipment safely and do not damage it.