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Introduction

Electric overhead traveling crane Electric overhead

travelling crane or EOT crane is one of the most
common types of overhead crane, or called bridge
cranes, which consist of parallel runways with a
travelling bridge spanning the gap. As obvious from
the name, EOT crane is operated by electric,
generally there is an operator cabin or a control
pendant along with the EOT crane.

Application of EOT cranes

EOT crane is extensively used in the Railway

workshops, Manufacturing units, warehouses,
unloading or relocating heavy load. Generally
speaking, the EOT crane is equipped with the
mechanical means to travel in both directions and
can also raise or lower the heavy load easily. There
are broadly two types of EOT cranes, mentioned as
below-

Single girder EOT crane As the name suggest,

single girder EOT crane has one main girder, which is
easy to install and requires less maintenance. The
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most common single girder EOT cranes are as

follows:
• LD type single girder EOT crane
• LDP type single girder EOT crane and
• HD type single girder EOT crane

Double girder EOT crane • QD type hook double

bridge crane
• LH electric hoist double girder bridge crane
• NLH type double girder EOT crane

ESSENTIAL PARAMETERS FOR SPECIFING

EOT CRANES

To select correct crane envelope that will fit in the

building foot print, the user must identify and pass on
the following key information to the supplier:

1) Crane Capacity * - The rated load, the crane will

be required to lift. Rated load shall mean the
maximum load for which a crane or individual hoist is
designed and built by the manufacturer and shown
on the equipment identification plate.
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2) Lift Height - The rated lift means the distance

between the upper and lower elevations of travel of
the load block and arithmetically it is usually the
distance between the beam and the floor, minus the
height of the hoist. This dimension is critical in most
applications as it determines the height of the runway
from the floor and is dependent on the clear inside
height of the building.

3)Runway Height – The distance between the grade

level and the top of the rail.

4) Clearance- The vertical distance between the

grade level and the bottom of the crane girder.

5) Clear Span- Distance between columns across the

width of the building. Building width is defined as the
distance from outside of eave strut of one sidewall to
outside of eave strut of the opposite sidewall. Crane
Span is the horizontal center distance between the
rails of the runway on which the crane is to travel.
Typically distance is approximate to 500mm less than
the width of the building. How much span a crane
requires depends on the crane coverage width
dictated by the application. (According to the span
and the maximum load handling capacity, the crane
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steel structure is selected to be either a single or

double girder crane construction).
6) Building Height- Building height is the eave height
which usually is the distance from the bottom of the
main frame column base plate to the top outer point
of the eave strut. Eave height is the distance from the
finished floor to the top outer point of the eave strut.
There must be a safety distance between the top
edge of the crane runway rail and the first obstacle
edge in the building (for example roof beams, lights
and pipes).

7) Runway Length- The longitudinal run of the

runway rail parallel to the length of the building.

8) Hook approaches - Maximum hook approach is

the distance from the wall to the nearest possible
position of the hook. The smaller the distance is, the
better can the floor area be utilized. Always check
which crane gives optimum hook approaches and
when combined with the true lift of the hoist you can
utilize most of the available floor space. This is also
termed as side hook approach.

End Approach – This term describes the minimum

horizontal distance, parallel to the runway, between
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the outermost extremities of the crane and the

centerline of the hook.

9) Bridge, Trolley and Lift Speeds - The rate at which

the bridge or trolley travels or at which the hoist lifts is
usually specified in feet per minute or FPM. The
crane operating speeds are selected to allow safe
operation whilst using the pendant.

A Little more detail analysis is as follows :

Sheave made from Cast Steel with grooves

machined accurately for wire rope support.

Hook Block Assembly comprising of Hook, Sheave

Assembly, Side plates and rope guard. This is
supported on thrust bearing and can swivel easily.
Hook Block are supplied with Load locking finger and
mechanism to stop hook rotation.

Steel Wire Ropes with IWRC (Steel Core) as well as

Fibre Core.

Rope Drums are made from seamless pipe or MS

rolled plates. Rope drums are with or without flanges.
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Butt welded joints in rope drum shell made from MS

plates are tested radiographically. Rope drums are
thermally stress relieved when made from MS plates.
Left hand and right hand grooves are machined on
rope drum for proper support to wire rope.
Connection between hoist gearbox and rope drum
are made through splined joint, flexible in built geared
joint or Barrel coupling/ Malmedie coupling. Rope
drums are supported at non drive end in drum
pedestal that houses antifriction ball/ spherical roller
bearing

Rope Band & Guide are made from Cast Iron.

Hoist Gearboxes – Two, Three and Four Stage

gearboxes are used for Crane Hoisting application.
The gearbox casing is made from MS fabricated
plates. The casing is thermally stress relieved after
welding. The casing is accurately machined on
horizontal boring machine. The helical gears and
pinions are made from rolled/ forged steel of En9/
En19/ Cast Steel material as per design requirement.
Gears and pinions are oil quenched and tempered to
achieve toughness as well as surface harness. Gear
train are machined hob cut.
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Case hardened gear teeth are generally used. Shafts

are supported on antifriction ball and roller bearings.
Oil seal seat on shaft are have ground finish. Gears
and pinions are Splash lubricated.
CT Gearbox – Two and Three Stage Gearboxes are
used for Crane CT and LT motion. The construction
of CT gearbox is similar to hoist gearbox except that
these are provided with inverted T split in housing.
The Output shaft can project on both side if so
required. For Three stage vertical gearbox forced
lubrication arrangement is provided through pump
and hoses. Other gearboxes are splash lubricated.

Brake Drums and couplings with brake drums –

Brake drums are made from rolled bar or cast steel.
The brake drums are fully machined to eliminate
vibration. Brake drums are dynamically balanced
after machining. The drum surface is treated to
achieve high hardness for longer life.

Wheels and Wheel Assembly – Wheels are

supported in L type bearing blocks. Wheels are made
from forged steel/ cast steel and machined
accurately. Wheels are suitably heat treated to
achieve hardness of 250 – 300 BHN with volume
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hardening or 450 – 500 BHN with Induction

hardening. Tram wheels with either non ferrous bush
bearing or antifriction bearing and open gear
attached are also used oftenly.

Compact Enclosed Festoon Cable System – made

from enclosed GI track the compact festoon cable
system is lightweight and no need to be supported
against girder diaphragms. The system is ideally
suited for flatform cables are single core cables. The
compact nature of cable trolley means better hook
approach and the system can be placed at crane
girder level. The system is of modular design and can
be assembled very easily.

Shrouded Bus Bar – Insulated bus bars are from 60

Amperes to 1250 Amps rating. These are modular in
construction and compact in size. Spring loaded
current collectors are supplied that ensure positive
contact with current transmitting surface. Conductors
are available in GI, Aluminium, Copper and Stainless
steel material. Bus bars with expansion joint, hospital
bay and suitable for curved track are used.
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Other spare parts - Electro Hydraulic Thrustor

Brakes, Brake Shoe and Lining, AC and DC Brakes,
Brake Hub & Rotor, Brake Coil, Brake Armature, Pin
Bush Couplings, Geared Couplings, Slip Ring
Motors, Sq Cage Motors, Induction motors, dual
speed motors, foot and flange mounted motors,
Pendent Push button station.
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EOT crane maintenance

Introduction

An E.O.T. crane stands for Electric Overhead

Travelling crane. this is used for handling & moving a
maximum specified weight of the components called
capacity of the crane within a specified area. the
crane can be operated manually or by electric power.
Electrically operated crane can be divided into
different sections as follows:-
(a) Bridge girders
(b) End carriages
(c) Hoisting trolley also known as crab,
(d) Long travel machinery,
(e) Driver’s cabin/Floor operation.

Before maintenance of the crane, it is important that

some guidance is available to erect the crane to
avoid accident & smooth running of the crane

ERECTION OF CRANE:-

The crane should be erected on an un-occupied floor

where no industrial or construction work is to be
carried out during erection. The size of the floor must
ensure free & convenient handling of the crane
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during the erection period i.e. setting the crane in

erecting position on the floor, turning the suspended
crane etc. the most convenient place for erecting the
crane is the space between the columns provided
there are no horizontal bracings connecting the roof
trusses. the roof trusses used for lifting the crane
should be checked for stresses during erection with a
dynamic factor of 1.2. Besides testing the rope &
trusses for strength, they should be tested for stability
under horizontal forces acting at right angle to the
truss plane. The winches employed for lifting the
crane should be equipped with ratched stops. The
wire rope employed for erection must have tags
indicating wire breaking forces & should be free of
defects, fractures, kinks etc.

The minimum safer factor should be three.

When hoisting the crane or its parts the following

conditions should be kept in mind.

• The angle of inclination of the slings should not be

less than 45º.

• To prevent rupture of the rope due to sharp edges of

lifted materials, wooden or metal lining should be
used.
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• The number of clamps to be used for fastening the

rope should be sufficient.

We should also ensure that the axes of the winch

drum should be exactly at right angle to rope
direction.

LIFTING THE CRANE:-

Depending on the weight of the crane, the strength of

the rope, trusses, the crane can be lifted by one
winch or two or four winches. if the weight of the
crane is not very high the crane structure can be
assembled at the floor & the complete crane can be
lifted. in case the crane is very heavy we may lift
different portions of the crane in sequence as
follows:-

1. End carriages complete with L.T. wheels fitted in

position.

2. Main girders.
3. Hoisting trolley or crab.
4. Driver’s cabin & other electrical components.
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To simplify the positioning of the different

components the crane should be match marked at
every joint. Every joint should be bolted only by
means of machine bolts. For the safety of the people
engaged in erection work, the following safety rules
should be observed:-

1. When lifting the crane structure the dangerous

zone of assembly must be protected with flags
barriers etc. & no un-authorised person should be
admitted in the area.

2. Do not lift the crane if the erection area is badly

illuminated.

3. Although the lifted structures should not be allowed

to suspend for a long time but in case of exception
we must see that:-

• The safety factors of the ropes & cross girders

should be twice than the normal working.

• The last line of rope running off the blocked should

be clamped near the block.
• In case the load is lifted by means of hand winch,
remove the handles, apply & secure the brakes.
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• Post workers to ensure security.

4. It is strictly forbidden to stand or walk under the

crane when the crane is being lifted.

5. The scaffolds must comply with the safety rules.

the fitter working on top, must handle the parts &
tools carefully so as to prevent them to fall down.

The erection supervisor must ensure that all the

components are assembled in accordance to the sub
assembly drawings. After the crane has been fully
erected, we must do the electrical connection exactly
as per its wiring diagram. Before we actually do the
load test we must run all the motions in idle condition.
During idle running of different motions we should
particularly observe the following:-

(a) Eccentric running of moving parts.

(b) Alignment of shafts.

(c) Fouling of moving components.

(d) Any un-usual noise.

(e) Presence of lubricant at desired surfaces.

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After the idle running of different motions &

satisfactory performance of motors, limit switches,
brakes & controllers we may go ahead with load
testing of the crane in accordance to relevant Indian
standards. If the contract for erection &
commissioning of the crane is not given to the
manufacturer of the crane, it will be desirable to seek
their supervision during Erection & commissioning.
This will ascertain the alignments of components &
thus longer life of the crane.

OPERATION:- MECHANICAL:-

Before operation, check all parts are lubricated

properly as per lubricating chart. electrical wiring is to
be completed as per wiring diagram. During initial
test it should be checked that bridge, crab & other
components mounted on crab are clear of roof beam
& walls. All motors are connected properly & that the
limit switches cut off the supply to motors in proper
direction. In case the limit switches don’t cut off the
supply in the proper direction make the necessary
changes in wiring. The crane should be run light for a
little while before loading the same & it should be
checked that all the limit switches work satisfactorily.
Commence lifting the load in stages, starting with not
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more than 5% of the safe working load & then

increasing this gradually in succeeding trails, till you
have reached the full load. During this we must
ensure that any part of the crane does not show any
sign of giving way while going through all motions of
hoisting, traverse & travel. Finally, test the crane with
25% overload before the same is put into operation.

ELECTRICAL:-

Before pressing ‘ON’ Push button of main contactor,

see that all drum controllers or master controllers are
in off position. there are 4, 6, 8 steps in drum
controller depending on HP. of motor. on the 1st step
full resistance of resistance box is inserted &
smoothly all resistance is cut off by the controller.
Whenever motor gets supply, brake is released, thus
allowing motor to accelerate smoothly. Whenever
motor supply is cut off, Thrustor brake applies brake
& brings the motor to stand-still. Whenever load
reaches extreme position, limit switch cuts off the
supply to that motor in that particular direction & load
can’t be moved further in that direction. the operator
can move the load in backward direction by moving
the drum controller in reverse direction, or pressing
the related push button.
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SAFE HOISTING PRACTICES:-

Hand operated & electric hoist & trolleys of different

types are deigned with the safety of the operating
personnel first in mind. your own safety & that of your
fellow workers will be assured when overhead
materials handling equipment is used as
recommended by the manufacturer. Disregarding
such recommendations endangers life & property.
Following are the basic rules worthy of your careful
consideration & attention.

1. Do not load beyond the rated capacity- the

immediate danger is the possible failure of some load
carrying parts. Overloading might also start a defect
which could lead to some future failure even at less
than rated capacity.

2. Do not use any overhead materials handling

equipment for handling personnel.

3. Conduct a periodic visual inspection for signs of

damage or wear. Particular attention should be paid
to the cable or chain & hook. If the cable or chain
show signs of wear or damage or hook is distorted or
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opened call it to the attention of the safety engineers

before loading the hoist.

4. Do not use hoisting cables or chains as a

substitute for slings, use slings only. cable or chain
slings should be of proper size & type for load
handling - never use slings showing physical damage
of any degree.

5. Whenever the hoist is lowered in such a manner

as to take the load off the wire ropes, the operator
should determine, before again making a lift, if the
wire rope is properly reaved on the drum.

6. Stand clear of all loads- If you must travel a load

over the heads of other personnel, give ample
warning of your intention before you move.

7. Always “inch” the hoist into the load. Running into

the load at full hoist imposes excessive overloads on
the hoist & could result in failure of part & / or
supporting structure. This is particularly true with the
high hoisting speeds.

8. Limit switches are for emergency use only &

should not be tripped during normal operation. if it is
necessary to travel to the limit, use extreme caution &
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approach the limit in slow speed or by “inching”. do

not leave hook block in contact with limit switch at the
end of the operation. a phase reversal with the block
in this position will properly result in damage to the
hoist if the down button or control rope is operated.

9. Be sure the hoist raises & lowers properly when

the corresponding push buttons on control ropes are
operated- a reversal of direction indicates a phase
reversal in the current conductor, the reversal of the
rope on the drum or an interchange of wires on the
push button- any of which would cause the limit
switch to be inoperative. do not under any
circumstances operate the equipment until the
trouble has been found & corrected.

10. centre the hoist over the load before lifting- do not
side pull or end pull.

11.Know the hand signals for hoisting, cross travel &

crane travel if working with cab operated hoists or
cranes. Operators should accept the signals of only
those persons authorised to give them.

12. Do not leave the load suspended in the air

unattended.
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13. Do not jog controls unnecessarily. hoist motors

are generally high torque, high slip types. each start
causes an inrush of current greater than the running
current and lead to over-heating & heat failure,
burnout, if continued to excess.

SAFETY IN DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION OF E.O.T.

CRANES ( ELECTRICALS):- BUILT IN SAFETY
FEATURES-

ELECTRICALS:-

• Emergency switches at corners to stop the crane in

case of emergency. Provisions can be made to warn
operator through indicating lamp.

• Reversing contactors are inter-locked electrically to

avoid short circuit.

• Bell/Warning horn are provided for signalling crane

operation & to warn people at floor level.
• Display of sign board like danger board, instruction
regarding the opening of panel doors for safety of
maintenance personnel/operator.
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• Use of master controllers to enable operation of

crane at lower control voltage there by avoiding
danger of line voltage to operators.

• Adequate earthling of all electrical components.

• Interlocking of master controllers, starter

contractors, overload relays, over hoist limit switches
with main circuit breakers/ contactors to avoid
accidental starting of various motions of crane.

• Provision of anti-drop circuit in case of hoist motion

for preventing, drifting of load.

• Provision of plugging circuit for cross & long travels

to avoid jerking & smooth Stopping of travel motion.

• Selection of motor brakes, switch gears.

• Equipping the cabin with adequate lighting &

provision of fan & exhaust fan as needed.

• Design of the cabin worked out taking into

consideration of ergonomical aspects like sufficient
head room, suitable chair & placement of control
equipments like master controllers P.B. Stations
within easy reach of operator.
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• Provision of door switches in case of cross

contactors being angle iron/copper contactors &
wherever considered necessary as safety measures.

OPERATION SAFETY FEATURES:-

• In individual motion panels, provision is made for

protecting motors against short circuit. this is
achieved either by providing H R C fuses or MCB or
MCCB.

• Every motor is protected against O/L relays by

providing thermal or magne. O/L relays.

• Single phase preventors are provided in selective

cases where supply conditions & operational safety
demands for.

• Under voltage protection. Main incoming circuit

breaker/contactor is provided with under voltage
protection.
• Limit switches are provided for excess movement in
respective direction. This avoids toppling, hitting,
damage to other machineries. • Selection of motors,
brake, clutches & other switch gear & control gear
equipments done carefully taking into account
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repeated reversals. higher inertia loads & frequent

starting & stopping suitable safety factors are
considered for selection.

CALCULATIONS:-

ELECTRICAL :-

To determine the relationship between rotor weight,

MVA rating & speed. The rotor weight was
proportional to the output & inversely proportional to
the square root of the speed. However, a wide
variation in rotor weight was found, which could only
be explained by variations in unit design & method of
rating.

The formula is given by:

This equation is used to determine the weight of a

generator rotor for units with standard inertia &
speeds in excess of 90 rev/min. Data obtained for
units with slower speeds indicated a wide variation in
rotor weight .when plotted in the same manner, &
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therefore it was not possible to derive a formula for

large slow speed units. The study had to be confined
to relatively small rotors with ratings below about
100MVA.since large rotors are connected to major
power networks where added inertia is not a
requirement. It is only on small & isolated systems
where extra inertia is required for stability. Standard
inertia forgenerator rotors can be determined from
the following equation.

So as to allow for the effect of extra inertia on rotor

weight. Equation was expanded to include a
coefficient as follows:-

In the case of an overhauling load when using an

adjustable frequency control & a squirrel cage motor,
the speed of the motor & load is directly a function of
the applied frequency to the motor. By changing the
applied frequency to the motor, the synchronous
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speed of the motor changes in accordance with the

following equation:

Synchronous speed = 120*f/ P

F: frequency applied
P:no of poles

MECHANICAL:-

TORQUE: The horsepower equation may be used to

determine the maximum continuous full-load torque a
motor can produce.

The equation is: T= HP×5250 / N Where, HP= Power

in horse power.

N= Speed in r.p.m
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CONCLUSION:

Efficiency and safety are two critical aspects of

industrial operations that can significantly impact
productivity and employee well-being. In today's
competitive business landscape, companies strive to
streamline their processes and maximize output while
ensuring the safety of their workers. This is where EOT
cranes come into play. By automating and optimizing
material handling tasks, these cranes help businesses
achieve higher levels of efficiency, reduce downtime,
and improve overall productivity. Simultaneously, they
enhance workplace safety by minimizing the risk of
accidents and injuries associated with manual lifting
and carrying heavy loads. With their ability to handle
substantial weights with precision, EOT cranes ensure
efficient and safe operations, contributing to the
success of industrial businesses.