Topic: Crane Knowledge: Crane Anti-swinging Systems

During overhead crane operation, swing-and-sway will be produced to the loads lifted, due to the overhead crane and hoist staring, speeding up, and braking, which is called pendulum effect. When the overhead crane reaches the desired place, the lifted loads swings and sways, making the unloading impossible at the moment, lengthening the working cycle, and eventually lowering the production capability. In order to lower the swings and sways, the following anti-swinging system is recommended for your reference.

overhead crane uses rigid guide pillar anti-sway system

Overhead crane uses rigid guide pillar anti-swing system.

Overhead crane anti-swing and anti-swing automatic positioning control system
Every overhead crane has the problem of load swing, and the problem of machine damping is a big topic that has been studied for decades, even hundreds of years.
During the operation of the overhead crane, the load will appear an annoying swing phenomenon because of the acceleration and deceleration of the trolley. This kind of load swing phenomenon limits the improvement of overhead crane working efficiency. The rocking of the load also causes hidden danger to the load itself, the surrounding goods, and the personal safety of the field operators. Load swing is the inherent phenomenon of overhead crane moving materials. Since the invention of overhead cranes, preventing and eliminating the swaying of overhead crane loads has always been a major technical problem that people are eager to solve. The progress of modern electrical control technology, especially the progress of the application of advanced programmable controller and variable frequency speed control technology, provides a historical opportunity to solve the problem of overhead crane load swing.

Benefits of installing anti-swing control systems
a. It can greatly improve the production efficiency of overhead crane use, improve the safety of overhead crane use, and reduce the risk of damage to cargo and injury to personnel.
b. It’s possible to make a high degree of automation of various production processes requiring overhead crane equipment.
c. Reduce the point operation of the overhead crane and prolong the service life of the overhead crane.
d. Improve the safe running Speed of Overhead crane and further improve the production efficiency.
e. Easy to master and operate, reduce the training time for the operation staff, reduce the labor intensity of the operation staff
Anti-swing control scheme of overhead crane
a. Close loop control: Measuring load swing angle, complex feedback control, high price.
Anti-swing system for overhead crane

b. Open loop control: Only need to control the speed of the overhead crane and trolley, simple and effective, low price.
Overhead crane anti-swing system

Overhead crane with anti swing control function can be widely used in various industrial fields, including mechanical manufacturing workshop, assembly workshop, garbage disposal plant, steel plant, power plant, shipbuilding plant, construction site, railway, container terminal, paper industry and metallurgical industry.

Based on the realization of electric anti-swing control, the electric anti-swing automatic positioning control technology is further developed, which can transform the overhead crane into a lifting robot and make the overhead crane like a robot. The load is accurately and periodically transported to any designated position at a specified point along the specified line, and during and after arrival at the specified position, the load does not produce any sway, thus overcoming all necessary for the automation of the material handling height, it is also a major technical difficulty. The successful development and wide application of overhead crane electrical anti-swing control technology will change people cognition of overhead crane load swing problem all the time. It will be an important milestone in the history of technology progress in material handling field.

Manual anti-sway system
The manual anti-sway methodology is mainly relied on the operation of overhead crane operator. When the trolley reaches the desired place, the overhead crane operator immediately conduct the operation reversely which make the lifting devices moving reversely to reduce the impact of the swings caused by braking.
Advantages: Reduce swing immediately, improving overhead crane working efficiency.
Disadvantages: Server impact will be produced to the electric components, and lower the working life, therefore, it is not recommended for long term use.

Rigid guide pillar anti-sway system
The use of rigid guide pillar instead of steel wire rope is the most effect way to prevent swings and sways, which can improve the overhead crane performance effectively.
Advantages: Effective to reduce swing, improving overhead crane working efficiency.
Disadvantages: Rigid guide pillar is designed completely, and the overhead crane weight will be increased due to the weight of rigid guide pillar, the lifting height will be reduced.

Hydraulic cylinder-driven anti-sway system
The hydraulic cylinder-driven anti-sway methodology is used to control and reduce the impact of the swings and sways produced which cannot prevent the happening of the swings and sways. The system is usually used in the shore crane, with complicated structures and high required to maintenance.

Hydraulic cylinder driven crane anti-swing system
1. Spreader, 2. Anti-sway hydraulic cylinder, 3. Movable pulley, 4. Fixed pulley,
5. Anti-sway steel wire rope, 6. Lifting steel wire rope, 7. Trolley frame
8. Fixed pulley, 9. Anti-sway drum 10. Lifting drum
11. The chain transmission device, 12. Hydraulic pump station

Wire rope anti-sway system
The wire rope anti-sway is usually used in the shore crane, ant the following picture will show you how the wire rope is used to reduce the swings and sways.

crane wire rope anti-swing system

Wire rope ani-sway system for cranes.

If you have any doubts, please feel free to contact us, more Frequently Asked Question on Overhead Crane is for your reference. Please leave your message below, if you have questions on overhead crane or want to buy overhead crane.

Crane Knowledge: Crane Anti-swinging Systems