Using Weigh Systems to Make Cranes Smarter and Safer
/ News
Recently, Morgan Engineering has been developing a number of groundbreaking new products and features that help keep crane operators safe while improving production and efficiency. And one key data point has helped make it all possible — weight.
Now admittedly, incorporating weigh systems into cranes and industrial machinery is not a new idea. It’s something manufacturers have been doing for decades.
In fact, Morgan’s first development in weigh systems came in 1987, when we improved the accuracy of our scales by using a load cell with a flexure plate shear beam system. This allowed a strain gauge to measure weight at a single point of contact — giving operators a more accurate reading.
But in the years that followed, our weigh systems did just that. They weighed loads.
Knowing how much weight a crane or machine is picking up can be very helpful. But soon, we started to think about weigh systems differently. And that thought process unlocked tons of potential.
As Morgan began developing its automation and crane management products, we began to consider how weight could be used as a data point. Soon, we realized that knowing the weight of a load could be used to:
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- Warn operators if a load exceeds the crane’s capacity.
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- Assist in the prevention of tip loading, by identifying when a load isn’t evenly distributed.
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- Predict when a steel ladle needs replaced, by tracking refractory liner wear over time with our CEPHAS ladle tracking software.
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- Notify operators when a crane is loaded.
- Track crane use and downtime to help identify efficiencies.
These are just a few examples. But as you can see, when incorporated with location and position data, weight measurements can be a powerful tool to help our customers improve efficiencies and remain OSHA compliant.
For this reason, we now recommend that every new Morgan crane is delivered with a weigh system. And we’ll also retrofit our system to fit nearly any other make or model.
If you’re looking for a small way to make a big difference in your operations, a weigh system may be the solution.
