Rail system and crane runway: maintenance and inspection
A rail system has barely any moving parts and is therefore the most commonly overlooked – until a fixing in the roof structure works loose. Have only the units hanging from the runway inspected and you leave uninspected the component everything else hangs from.
- Rule
- DGUV rule 52 (cranes)
- Interval
- at least annually
- Makes
- any make
The installation does not hang from the rail, it hangs from its fixings.
Which rule applies – and at what interval
A crane runway is part of a crane and therefore falls under DGUV rule 52, with inspection by a competent person at least once a year and an entry in the crane logbook. That applies to light aluminium runways too, which in daily use feel more like an accessory. The units hanging from it are assessed separately under DGUV rule 54. Both belong in the same visit.
- Rule
- DGUV rule 52 (cranes)
- Minimum interval
- at least annually
- Inspector
- competent person
What we look at on this unit
| Component | Finding | Discard limit |
|---|---|---|
| Running surfaces | Wear grooves, scoring, abrasion, local deformation | manufacturer data on remaining section |
| Rail joints | Offset, gap, loose splice plates | any offset that can be felt |
| Suspensions | Hanger rods, clamps, bolting into the structure | any loose or deformed hanger |
| Connection to structure | Trusses, connecting steelwork, corrosion, cracks | any crack, any settlement |
| End stops | Presence, seating, damping | missing or loose stop |
| Trolleys | Rollers, tracking, free running, flats | rollers with flats or play |
| Power supply | Conductor rail, festoon cable, chafing points | exposed conductor, torn guide |
The limits come from the applicable rules. Where manufacturer data exists for the specific unit, it prevails.
What actually gets done
Top down
We start at the connection into the roof structure and work downwards. That is the reverse of how problems are noticed in operation – what gets reported is always that the trolley binds, never that a hanger rod has worked loose. Which is exactly why it comes first with us.
Joints under load
An offset at a rail joint is barely noticeable unloaded and obvious under load. We travel over every joint with a load attached and check the splice plates for tightness.
Travel the whole runway
Free running is checked over the full length, not in the middle. Stiff sections are almost always where the daily work happens – which is also where wear is greatest.
End stops and power supply
Missing or loose end stops are a common finding and quickly put right. On conductor rails we check the cover and the collectors, on festoon systems the guide for chafing.
When the task has changed
Extend the runway
An additional bay or a second bridge opens up more area. First comes the question of what the roof structure will take – which we answer with a calculation, not a glance.
From steel to aluminium
An aluminium runway runs more easily and can be moved by hand where a steel one demands effort. Where capacity allows, the change is the most noticeable ergonomic gain in the whole installation.
Add a second unit
An existing runway often carries a further unit – considerably cheaper than a second installation. We check whether capacity, stops and clearances allow it.
What we offer for it
Lifting Equipment Maintenance
Planned maintenance of chain hoists, wire rope hoists, balancers and manipulators – any make.
Lifting Equipment Inspection
Recurring inspection under German BetrSichV and DGUV rules – chain hoists, rope hoists, balancers, manipulators and jib cranes.
Repair & Overhaul
Repair of lifting equipment and manipulators of any make – from a brake change to a full overhaul.
Upgrades & Modification
Adapting existing lifting equipment to a new task – gripper, control, reach, capacity.
Questions on maintenance and inspection
Does a light aluminium runway really have to be inspected?
Yes. The construction does not change the obligation: a crane runway falls under DGUV rule 52 whether it is steel or aluminium. Precisely because aluminium runways feel light, they are the ones most often passed over.
Is it enough to have the units on the runway inspected?
No. Units and runway are two objects of inspection under two rules. Inspect only the unit and the component it hangs from stays uninspected – and that is exactly where the serious findings sit.
We do not know who built the runway. Is that a problem?
No, on older installations that is the normal case. Where documentation is missing we survey the installation, derive the scope from its design and the applicable rules, and record what it is based on. That is a sounder basis than a logbook nobody has seen for years.
Let’s talk about your equipment.
Tell us which units you have – including ones from different manufacturers. We will come back with a proposal for scope and interval.