According to Morris Material Handling, the UK’s leading crane and Hoist Manufacturer, the common causes of crane misuse, breakdown and inefficiency include ineffective operation by uninformed operators, plant neglect and poor maintenance practices. By implementing successful scheduled maintenance programmes, operator training and crane refurbishment and upgrading programmes, the efficiency and reliability of cranes can be significantly improved and immediate and long-term dividends will be produced through the adoption of these preventative, value enhancing and cost reducing courses of action. The programmes benefits can be summarised as follows:

Scheduled maintenance
The key to a successful maintenance programme is scheduling and execution. It is commonly recognised that unscheduled repairs are much more costly than scheduled repairs. Breakdowns can be costly, particularly those that occur out of normal working hours and require urgent repair. Downtime, out of hours service, and loss of production can be major costs, and collateral damage, and damage to long lead items should not be underestimated. The cost of breakdowns can in many cases be double the cost of repairing the equipment prior to failure. Therefore it is important to review, monitor and maintain the condition of cranes on a regular basis, and employ preventative rather than reactive maintenance.

Operator training
To achieve optimum operating performance it is essential that there is good co-ordination and co-operation between operations and maintenance managers. Utilising operator training to ensure the crane is correctly operated also helps to reduce running costs and generate income, adding bottom line profits by improving the productivity and effectiveness of the operator, reducing downtime and limiting damage.

Training employees in Maintenance skills
Improving employees’ maintenance skills often plays a big part in a successful maintenance programme. A quality preventative maintenance programme requires highly motivated and skilled maintenance personnel. The provision of precision maintenance training and the employment of the right techniques and procedures for preventative/predictive maintenance on specific equipment, is a highly valuable in developing the essential skills and motivation of maintenance staff.

Through refurbishment and modernisation an ageing crane can be rejuvenated close to a new specification. It’s performance and life span can also be improved through the incorporation of new technology. Refurbishment and modernisation can improve a crane’s safety and ensure that it complies with Health and Safety rules and regulations. These alteration and modification activities can also enhance the reliability, functionality and capacity of cranes and reduce maintenance costs. Modern controls provide smoother operation, more precise load spotting and reduced maintenance costs.

New operational activities or demands often instigate the requirement for crane refurbishment and upgrading. For example, when Aluminium producer Alcan needed their pot room cranes refurbishing and updating they called upon Morris engineers. By modernising and refurbishing eight of their cranes used to lift containers of molten metal, through the introduction of remote controls and motorised power slewing processes, Morris reduced the number of staff involved in the operation and increased safety and efficiency.

Outsourcing

Many companies have found that using outside contractors for equipment maintenance and training is more effective than in-house provision. There are numerous benefits of utilising a specialist external contractor, not least the acquisition of expert advice and service. Morris Material Handling is one such company that can act in this capacity, the key benefits of selecting Morris as a service provider include:

• Specialist advice and service from a the UK’s leading manufacturer of cranes and hoists.
• Local support from a network of independent distributors across the UK.
• Tailored solutions that meet exact operational requirements and corporate objectives and ensure maximum crane utilisation and total value for money.

Morris Material Handling supply many industry leaders with crane maintenance programmes. Two such companies that have recently selected Morris’ specialist crane service and inspection contracts are steel producer Corus and vehicle component supplier Dana Spicer. The company offers an unrivalled package within the industry combining leading edge design and the latest manufacturing techniques, complimented by a full installation and support service. Through its material handling centres, network of independent distributors and foreign agents Morris provide parts and service for all cranes, irrespective of manufacturer wordwide. The company’s service division is supported by Morris Allparts and Morris’ Swift Order Shop dedicated to the supply of engineered and assembled Morris and Non-Morris parts 24 hours a day.

Morris’ dedicated training facility, the Morris Institute, has run numerous courses in equipment maintenance, operation and efficiency and in health and safety for many of the UK’s leading businesses. British Nuclear Fuels recently chose the Morris Training institute to provide their maintenance engineers with crane maintenance tuition, following other comprehensive Morris training programmes presented to the company. Other institutions who have benefited from Morris’ comprehensive courses include English, Welsh and Scottish Railways, UK Coal, The Royal Naval Lifeboat institute and the UK’s government’s Health and Safety Executive.

In the drive to bring health and safety issues to the attention of industry and business, the Institute has worked closely with other industry bodies such as the Heath & Safety Executive, the Institute of Occupational Safety & Health, the Road Transport Industry Training Board and the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board. This full-service training organisation provides on-site, regional and international training and safety instruction in an interactive atmosphere, giving hands-on experience to both operators and maintenance personnel. The courses include ‘off the shelf’ courses or purpose designed to the customer’s precise requirements.