A crane lasts longer than its controls. Spares for old contactor panels disappear, brake linings are no longer available, and a crane designed for light use may now work three shifts. Modernizing is often better than replacing, as long as the structure is sound. The first step is always an assessment.
Step 1: assess
An engineer checks the girders and welds, wheels and rails, gearboxes, couplings, drum and rope, hook, brakes, motors and electrical gear. The result tells you what can be kept, what must be replaced, and whether the structure can take the load you now want. If the structure is not sound, replacement is the honest advice.
Step 2: choose upgrades
VFD (variable frequency drive). Replaces contactor or slip-ring control. Gives smooth, variable-speed motion, controlled starts and stops and less shock to gears and brakes. We are an ABB Channel Partner and supply the drives.
Radio remote or pendant. Lets the operator stand where the load can be seen safely.
Brakes. Thruster or electromagnetic brakes, matched to the motors and the drive.
Power feed. Shrouded DSL conductor bars or cable festooning.
Capacity and duty. Many cranes can be uprated after calculation and testing. Not every crane can.
Example: 1959 crane at DVC Panchet
A double girder powerhouse crane in service since 1959 at the Panchet hydel station, Jharkhand, has two 112.5 T main hoists, two 25 T auxiliary hoists and a span of 19.8 m. BHEL appointed us for its refurbishment. We refurbished the hoist machinery, replaced wheels and gear teeth that post-bid inspection showed to be worn, modified the brakes and fitted new electrical panels and controls. We designed, fabricated and overload tested a 225 T lifting beam at 1.25 times SWL. The crane has worked continuously since May 2024, and in February 2026 it lifted the generator rotor, about 225 T with beam and slings, onto the shaft. The joint meeting with the customer recorded the operation as satisfactory.
What to reuse and what to replace
Usually reusable: bridge girders, end carriages, hoist frames in good condition. Usually replaced: control gear, brakes, wiring, conductor system, worn wheels and gear teeth, wire ropes. Judge each part by condition, not age.
Test and certify
After modernization, the crane is load tested and certified. Tests are at 100% and 125% of SWL, with Form 10 in Gujarat or the equivalent form in other states.
When to replace instead
When the structure has cracks, fatigue damage or corrosion beyond repair, when the new duty is far above the design, or when the cost of the work approaches a new crane. We say so plainly.
Frequently asked questions
- How old can a crane be and still be modernized?
- Age is not the test; condition is. The Panchet crane is from 1959.
- Will the crane stay out of service for long?
- Planned shutdown and phasing reduce the stoppage. We agree it with you.
- Do you work on cranes made by others?
- Yes, any make.
- Do you supply spares for old cranes?
- Yes; see Modernization and spare parts.