This apprentice will learn inspection, maintenance and repairs to overhead traveling cranes, industrial doors and automated storage machines, as well as experiencing loose lifting equipment inspections.
- Visual structural evaluations: Inspecting crane runways, bridge girders, end trucks, and industrial door tracks for alignment, wear, or stress fractures
- Safety device testing: Verifying the functionality of limit switches, emergency stop buttons, anti-collision sensors, and door auto-reverse safety edges
- Load-bearing component checks: Examining wire ropes, hooks, sheaves, chains, and hoist drums for fraying, deformation, or excessive wear
- Regulatory documentation: Logging all inspection findings to maintain compliance with statutory occupational health and safety standards e.g., LOLER/PUWER
- System lubrication: Applying specified grease and lubricants to crane gears, bearings, wire ropes, industrial door hinges, rollers, and drive chains
- Mechanical adjustments: Tensioning door springs (counterbalance systems), adjusting brake air gaps on hoist mechanisms, and aligning tracks
- Fluid and filter management: Checking hydraulic fluid levels on automated doors and gear oil levels in crane hoist and travel gearboxes
- Fastener torquing: Inspecting and tightening critical structural bolts, rail clips, and mounting brackets subject to operational vibration
- Electrical fault isolation: Using multi meters and drawing to trace faults in variable frequency invertor drives (VFDs), pendant controls, radio remotes, and door automation control panels
- Component replacement: Swapping out worn brake pads, damaged contactors, frayed cables, broken door slats, and faulty limit switches
- Drive system overhauls: Repairing or replacing malfunctioning electric motors, gearboxes, and hydraulic door operators
- Post-repair verification: Conducting functional un-loaded and rated load tests to certify equipment is safe to return to service