Minutes of the Meeting 1997

Sea Palms Gulf and Tennis Resort

St. Simons Island Georgia, U.S.A.

April 15 - 18, 1997

Tuesday, April 15, 1997

The annual Portal Crane Users Committee Meeting was held on St. Simons Island, Georgia April 15 -18 1997. The meeting was called to order on Tuesday, April 15, 1997 by Tom Maron. Steve Welch reviewed the TAPPI/CPPA antitrust Policy. The meeting was then turned over to Ken Landry who discussed the Committee web site and led the Round Table Discussion.

The web site is in operation on the Internet. A new program is needed to expand the use of the web site. Currently, it takes a long time to enter information. With a new program, pictures of the cranes in use and their specifications could be entered. Within a few years, mailings could be eliminated by using E-Mail.

Round Table Discussion

The Round Table Discussion concerned problems encountered with the portal cranes. The discussion included mill personnel only.

Main Concerns

Hoist motor not holding (grapple falls)

• Field weakening
• Drive parameter

• Joysticks: not neutralling

Hoist brakes

• Leaking pots
• Cotter pins breaking
• Levers breaking ( stainless steel arms would be better)
• Hydraulic system undersized
• Pins poorly made should have castle nuts or washers

Gantry Wheels

• Spalding (60 RC., 70+ at spald)
• Flange wheel wear (guide wheels)

• Undersized shafts
• Long delivery (can wait as long as 3 months for a wheel)

Cable reels

• Most problems near feed point
• Marginal support on electrical units
• Premature failure of pistons, pins and seals

Buss Bars

• Out of alignment
• Dead spots due to moisture

Grapples

• Accumulators (cracks, leaking bladders)
• Cylinder cracks
• Slip ring assembly failures

Hoist Cables

• Use proper lubricant

Trolley and Bridge Rails

• Stick weld vs. Thermite welds

N.D.T.

• How often and to what extent?

Other Comments

Grapple

• If the brake slips, don't use- there's a problem. If you continue to use, you are relying on the motor to hold the load.

• If the brakes are uncovered, freezing rain will affect use.

• Piston- type accumulator works well, but more expensive than a bladder system.

Cable Reels

• Problems with cable reels when up to speed, and crossing the flipover point.

• Anticollision system and encoders add to the problems

• Inside of hydraulic tank paint flaking off, but so far has not caused any major problems

Portal crane companies are not acting quickly enough to solve the problems encountered on their machines.

We need machines that are 100% dependable, not 90-95%. When cranes work well. P.M.s are sometimes neglected because the cranes are doing well.

If heating or cooling are a issue have it built into the crane before the cab goes on.

Festoon Systems

• Good one is worth the expense and are virtually trouble-free.

Drop Cable Issues

• With a twist in the cable, the cable will fall outside or will double back.

• If the Mexican hat is too short, the cable tries to stand on end and falls outside the hat.

• Train the drop cable on new installations

If Buying a New Crane or Replacing Pins

• Get pins that are too long, it's easier to tighten the crane up next time.

Hoist Drum and Brake Drum need to be level

• If you lose a coupler, it takes 3 ½ months to get a replacement from Germany

• Coupler lasts 3-4 years. Less if the hoist drum is not level.

• The coupler goes very quickly when it goes

In the afternoon session the members split into smaller groups to discuss the main points brought up during the Round Table Discussions. Following the smaller group session, videos of portal cranes in operation at the following mills were viewed.

• Potlatch, Lewiston, Idaho

• Alberta Pacific, Boyle, Alberta

• International Paper, Augusta, Georgia

Ken Landry asked if the group would like to keep the Round Table Discussion. It was agreed that it would remain part of the upcoming meetings.

Wednesday, April 16, 1997

Tom Maron called the meeting to order and reviewed the day's events. The group was reminded to please send their E-Mail addresses to Tom Maron and Ken Landry. Steve Welch spoke once again about the CPPA and TAPPI anti-trust rules. He reminded everyone that prices of any items are not to be discussed.

In answer to a question about the purchase of the additional software, Ken Landry reported that there is enough money in the kitty to pay for the software. No additional cost to the group would be involved. The group voted to purchase the software. In addition to the pictures of the cranes and their specifications, a contact person for the crane will be included on the web site. Within the

next few months there will be a new address for the Portal Crane User's web site. You will be able to use the old address to get to the new address.

Vendor Presentations

John H. Parkes

Mine Cable Services Corporation

Edmonton, Alberta Canada

1. Cable used is primarily SHD-GC.

2. There are 3 major ways to repair cable damage

--- Heat shrink system

--- Using a mold

--- Vulcanizing

3. With the heat shrink system, the splice is no longer the same size as the rest of the cable. Cheap and quick

4. When using a mold, join the conductors together, rework, then mold around it. Jackets can come loose.

5. Vulcanizing is a system that tries to repair the cable so that it is as much like the original as possible.

--- Insulation replaced

--- Increase in splice diameter is very small

--- Splices of wires in cable not all done in the same place

--- Vulcanizing forms a chemical bond between the old and the new

--- Gets back to the strength of the original cable and is as flexible

6. A slide presentation was given on how to the vulcanizing process is done.

7. Mine Cable Service will repair cable on and off the site. They will also train people to repair cables.

John Loftin

Mack Grapple

1. Mack pioneered the electro-hydraulic grapple.

2. Accumulators keep the system charged at all times.

3. When the system gets hot, it's going to give way.

4. What is safe? 2000 psi 1800 psi

5. If you are losing squeeze, there's something wrong in the cylinders or something's been modified ( either an purpose or accidentally).

6. If welding on a tyne, you can expect some crystallizing and, probably, cracking.

Gary Otto and Chuck Stoneman

P&H Cranes

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

P & H publishes the newsletter Portal Crane Systems Update. You do not have to own a P & H crane to get on the mailing list.

Safety Tips

1. Tracks can be very unsafe if not maintained properly. They need to be kept clean of pitch, grease, and oil.

• Wheels are often over-greased and grease gets on the track.

• Let cement bricks pumice the tracks

• Spray the tracks clean.

• If you see a lot of black marks on the wheels, it's tar or pitch.

2. Watch how the wheels are tracking.

• They should wander over the track,. not just an inch or so.

• Make sure you have a level surface on your wheels.

3. Check your motors.

• Put your hand on the motors.

• Some may be too hot, some too cold.

4. Check bottom pin connectors.

5. Check electrical cables for damage.

6. Check Grapple

• Check oil level.

• Check pressure it's running at (know what it should be )

7. Check top of crane.

• Link pins connections.

• Hoist brake ( check for glazing )

• Hoist cable condition.

• Final limit ( check at least every 3 months ).

8. Check cab, festoon, and storm brakes.

NEW ITEMS

1. Dynamic storm brake ( P&H in conjunction with Hillmar )

• The brake can also act as a jack for maintenance

2. Redesigned the crane

• Trolley drive access platform

• Cross-link assembly

• No festoon system

3. Redesigned the cab.

• Has side access

• Stairs go up to roof level of the cab

• Has built in shelf

• Operators chair lays down.

4. Escape-Rite (TM) Controlled Descent Device

• P&H furnishes a full body harness

• Lowers at about 3 ½ ft per second

Paul Ford

Kone Wood Cranes

Andritz Kone Wood, Inc.

Atlanta, Georgia

NEW DESIGNS AND IMPROVEMENTS

1. Gantry wheel side guide rollers

• Absorbs forces as a result of wheel/rail misalignment.

• Pretensioning to allow general operation, but also allows retracting during stress spikes.

2. Diagnostic message display with remote diagnostics.

• Maintenance can pre-evaluate problems.

• Maintenance can dispatch proper personnel with the right tools and materials.

3. Elimination of festooning systems.

4. Side wheels were just patented and will be installed soon on their next crane.

After the vendor presentations, the main concerns from the Round Table Discussions were communicated to the vendors. The vendors will take the concerns to their companies and work on finding the answers.

COMMENTS REGARDING SOME OF THE PROBLEMS FROM THE ROUND TABLES

1. Stick weld vs. Thermite weld

• Thermite is a better weld and takes more time to do.

• Stick weld is temporary and will continue to pound out.

• It's better to take a bad stick weld out and put in a Thermite weld.

• No matter what weld you use, it's not going to be as strong as the rail.

• Stick weld metal is softer.

2. It was suggested that the crane companies put out a plan of the most critical points to check structurally on a crane.

• The most critical points can vary on different cranes.

• Need to take many things into consideration, i.e. kinds, age, etc.

• Cranes would have to be evaluated individually.

NEW BUSINESS

The program for the 1998 meeting as decided. Jude Frignon of Gantrex Rail Systems offered to provide an actual demonstration on the thermite weld. Gantrex will also present information about their bumpers. A.B.B. will be asked to give a presentation on their drives and troubleshooting. Both P&H and Kone Wood cranes will give presentations about trouble shooting their drives. Instead of videos of the wood yards and the cranes in operation, next year the videos will be on maintenance and upgrading existing cranes.

The 1998 meeting will be in Edmonton, Alberta in mid-April to mid-May. A more definite date to be set later. New officers were elected.

• Chairperson --Ken Landry, Weyerhaeuser, Prince Albert Saskatchewan

• Co-Chairperson --Jim Fonner, Weyerhaeuser, Sutton, West Virginia.

• Treasurer -- Tom Maron, Union Camp, Eastover, South Carolina

• Secretary -- Kelly Anton, Alberta Pacific, Boyle Alberta

The videos viewed were:

1. Langboard, Quitman, Georgia

2. Millar Western, Whitecourt, Alberta.

April 17, 1997

Risto A. Toukola

Cavotec Inc.

Statesville, North Carolina

1. Drive train effect combined with other effects to cable tension required.

Reeling in full reel:

• 0.7 1.0

• Cable --> Gear Box --> Clutch

w x 1 x 0.7 x 1.0 = 0.7

Reeling out an empty reel:

• 1.5 1.0

• Cable --> Gear Box --> Clutch

w x 3 x 1.45 x 1.0 = 4.35

• 4.35

• 0.7 = 6.2

• Add safety 1.3 =8.00

• Add inertia req. 2.1 =17.0

• Add bad clutch 1.2 =34.0

• 675 lbs

• 34 = 20 lbs. Max. w

2. Cable tension

Based on 24,000 psi strength for soft and annealed copper, the recommended max. line pole for 1 awg 3 conductor cable is 675 lbs. This value is 14% of the breaking strength.

3. Bend radius

• H.V. Cables > 1000v

• Bend radius > 12 x Cable O.D.

4. Cable guide needs to be installed straight to prevent the rolling of the cable.

Tim Harding

Challenger Surveys and Services Ltd.

Calgary, Alberta

1. G.P.S. (Global Positioning System )

• Has 24- hour coverage with all- weather operation.

• Continuous real-time
• Unlimited users

• Relative centimeter accuracy is possible.

2. There are 5 uses of G.P.S.

• Location
• Navigation
• Tracking
• Timing
• Mapping ( This is the biggest use. Approximately 70% use for this purpose )

3. Used for crane anti collision systems.

4. Computer can give speed of crane, distance between cranes, distance traveled, and other data. Generates data statistics daily, monthly, and yearly.

5. With orientation sensor placement, can tell where and how much skew there is. Does not correct skew.

6. Wide area augmentation system ( in the near future ).

• No base stations.
• Centimeter accuracies are expected.

After the vendor presentations, those attending were reminded to bring maintenance videos next year. Other suggestions for next year followed.

• Have vendors forward information about their presentations topics and an outline. The committee can decide if this is the information they want covered. Those attending can prepare questions in advance.

• It was suggested that a cable distributor attend in order to talk about hoist cables.

• The vendors attending requested that the questions/problems from the Round Table Discussions be given to them as soon as possible so that they can get answers more quickly for those attending.

• Is there anything new in lighting systems?

• There was also a request for a presentation on trolley and gantry wheel alignments.

April 18, 1997

The Kone Wood crane at Langboard, Inc., Quitman, Georgia was toured.

"Thanks" from the 1997 committee to all who participated in the 1997 conference.

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