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A question of classification
01 Jan 2007
Crane classification is increasingly important in the market, but what does it mean? A crane must be a high-performance machine,with high lifting capacities, but what use is a powerful crane if it ends up on the scrap heap after a few years?
When a crane is in constant use, often handling very different loads ranging from containers to grabs filled with material, the service life of the crane is particularly important, and is closely linked with its classification – that is, an analysis of the mechanical components and construction, design and its overall structure.
The range of loads handled by a crane can be classified according to FEM 1.001 Design Rules, and a crane can be designed according to eight appliance groups as per FEM (with the designations A1 to A8).The higher the appliance group, the greater the wall thicknesses of the steel sheets and tubes used, and the more robust the crane. The higher the appliance group, or classification, the longer the service life of the crane when subjected to the same loading spectrum. For example, a crane classified in appliance group A8 is designed for more than 4m work cycles, whereas a crane in appliance group A6 with the same loading has reached the end of its service life after 500,000 cycles, so acquiring a crane with the right FEM classification is essential.
