Crane anti-overturning system: A safe and intelligent guard for high-altitude operations

Crane overturning accidents have always been one of the deadliest safety threats in the industry on construction sites, ports and wind power construction sites. According to statistics, in 2022, there will be a total of 37 major lifting machinery accidents across the country, of which capsizing accidents accounted for as high as 43%, causing direct economic losses of more than hundreds of millions of yuan. As the key technical equipment to meet this challenge, the crane anti-overturning system has become the core link of multiple safety guarantees from national standards to industry practices. Through intelligent perception, real-time analysis and automatic intervention, this system has built a digital security line of defense for lifting equipment.

The working principle and core technology of crane anti-overturning system

The core of a modern anti-overturning system is like installing an ”intelligent balance brain” on a crane. Through a network of sensors distributed in key parts of the crane, the system collects more than 15 safety parameters in real time, including outrigger pressure, level, wind speed, torque percentage, etc. This data is transmitted to the central processing unit through the Internet of Things technology, and analyzed by a specially developed security algorithm at the millisecond level. When dangerous working conditions are detected, the system will activate a three-level response mechanism: first, sound and light warnings are issued to remind the operator, then the range of dangerous actions is automatically limited, and finally the dangerous operation is directly cut off in case of emergency. Taking the WTF series anti-overturning system developed by Micro technology as an example, it adopts military-grade MEMS inclination sensor, with a level monitoring accuracy of 0.1 degrees, and a torque protection response time of no more than 0.2 seconds, which far exceeds the requirements of national standards.

Characteristics of anti-overturning systems of different types of cranes

The anti-overturning systems of different lifting equipment have their own focus. Tower cranes mainly rely on the dual protection of tilt monitoring and torque restriction of the tower body, paying special attention to the risks caused by foundation settlement; truck cranes focus on the pressure balance of the outriggers and the level of the whole machine, because most truck crane overturning accidents are caused by unstable support of the outriggers; gantry cranes due to the complex operating space,Anti-collision and regional restriction functions need to be increased; and wind power installation cranes need to specifically consider the impact of mountain terrain and sudden wind and weather. Records of a wind power project of a central enterprise show that the anti-overturning system installed by it successfully warned of the risk of overturning caused by mountain wind gusts 17 times in one year, avoiding possible major accidents.

Precautions for installation and daily maintenance

The installation quality of the anti-overturning system is directly related to the protection effect. Before installation, the equipment structure must be evaluated by a professional organization to determine the optimal placement of the sensor. The level sensor is usually installed in the position of the slewing bearing, which needs to avoid vibration sources and high temperature areas in particular; when the outrigger pressure sensor is installed, it is necessary to ensure that the force surface is in flat contact. System debugging requires precise calibration on the calibration platform, and it is recommended to perform professional calibration every six months. Daily maintenance requires the establishment of a ”daily inspection-weekly check-monthly review" system: the operator checks daily whether the display device is normal; the safety officer tests the effectiveness of the early warning function every week; and the equipment department checks the integrity of the data records every month. Statistics from a port group show that the system false positives rate of equipment that adheres to standardized maintenance has decreased by 80%, and the reliability has improved significantly.

National compulsory standards and regulatory requirements

The "Technical Regulations for the Safety of Lifting Machinery" (TSG 51-2023) issued by the State Administration for Market Supervision and Administration clearly stipulates that mobile cranes with a rated lifting weight greater than 50 tons and all tower cranes must be equipped with anti-overturning safety protection systems. The system must include three basic functions of level monitoring, torque limiting and wind speed alarm, and the data recording device should be able to continuously store operating data for at least 30 days. In addition, the national standard GB/T 3811-2008 "Crane Design Specifications" also specifies the system performance indicators in detail: the level alarm error is not greater than 0.5 degrees, and the torque protection error does not exceed 5%. The newly revised specifications in 2023 have added system self-diagnosis and remote monitoring requirements, reflecting the new direction of industry development.

Common faults and emergency treatment methods

Common faults are mainly concentrated in three major areas: sensor drift, signal transmission interruption, and power fluctuation. The zero drift of the level sensor is the most common problem, which can be solved by recalibrating the standard level platform; signal interference is mostly caused by improper wiring, and shielded cables and separate pipes should be used for laying; power fluctuations need to be equipped with online UPS power supply. When the system issues an alarm, the operator should immediately stop the dangerous operation, but should not blindly turn off the system power-an accident occurred on a construction site last year due to the operator mistakenly turning off the alarm system. It is recommended to establish a clear emergency response process: first stop the operation→ then analyze the cause of the alarm→after eliminating hidden dangers→reset the system according to regulations. The system should also be equipped with an emergency protection unit independent of the main system to ensure that basic protection can still be provided in the event of a failure of the main system.

It is recommended to choose a brand/model with a high price ratio

There are three key dimensions to consider when choosing an anti-overturning system: technical performance, adaptability, and service support. In terms of technology, the focus is on sensor accuracy (level of at least 0.1°), protection level (IP67 or above) and certification qualifications (special equipment manufacturing license); adaptability should be checked whether to support your equipment model and interface protocol; service support depends on whether to provide localized technical support and regular calibration services. International brands such as Liebherr in Germany and Crane Pro in the United States have excellent performance but higher prices; domestic brands such as Weite WTF series and Sany SYMC have better price ratios and are more adapted to domestic working conditions. It is recommended to avoid choosing products from unqualified small factories. False positives have occurred frequently due to the installation of cheap systems in a logistics park, which seriously affects operational efficiency.

Reliability guarantee in extreme weather

The most dangerous working conditions of lifting operations often occur under extreme weather conditions. Modern anti-overturning systems ensure reliability in harsh environments through multiple designs: the sensor adopts a wide temperature design (-40℃～+85℃) to ensure the ability to work normally in high-cold and high-temperature environments; the electrical system is equipped with lightning protection and overvoltage protection modules; software algorithms increase wind load compensation algorithms to distinguish continuousThe different effects of wind and sudden gusts of wind. It is particularly important that the system should establish a hierarchical early warning mechanism-level 6 wind prompts attention, level 7 wind limits the operating range, and level 8 wind automatically stops the operation. In an offshore wind power project in Bohai Bay, the anti-overturning system successfully withstood the test of Typhoon ”Meihua” and automatically cut off the operating authority when the wind speed reached the shutdown threshold, avoiding possible equipment losses.

With the development of intelligent sensing technology and 5G communication, a new generation of anti-overturning systems is developing in the direction of predictive protection. Through big data analysis of equipment historical operation data, the system can predict potential risks and give early warning, truly realizing the leap from ”passive protection” to ”active prevention”. Choosing a reliable anti-overturning system is not only a compliance requirement, but also an important guarantee for personnel safety, equipment protection and return on investment. It is recommended that equipment users consult professional institutions when purchasing, choose the most suitable system configuration according to specific working conditions, and establish a perfect use and maintenance system so that safety technology can truly play the role of escort.