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Rail Q Runway Survey

A unique crane rail survey not offered by other crane service providers. 

State-Of-The-Art Runway Survey

Cranes should travel or track along their runway rails with a minimum of skew and without binding. Improper tracking leads to premature wheel and rail wear, resulting in costly repairs and down-time as well as inefficient and sub-optimal crane operation.

There are many reasons why a crane does not travel correctly on the runway:

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  • rail may be misaligned or worn
  • clips may be missing
  • pads may be worn 
  • runway structure itself may be uneven, bent, or twisted due to column settlement due to overloads or impacts during the service life 
  • improper original installation.

These reasons are normally investigated by performing a traditional runway survey; however, these surveys may result in days of costly down-time.

RailQ is an advanced laser survey technique that utilizes a proprietary remotely controlled robot trolley, Roborail, which runs along the rail collecting and feeding information to a total station laser tachymeter. The information is processed by our proprietary analysis and visualization software producing interactive reports that help visualize the problem areas. Konecranes structural engineers also review the data and provide professional recommendations and solutions.


Saves Time, Increases Safety, Improves Reliability

RailQ literally reduces the time it takes to perform a runway survey from days to hours, saving precious down-time.  RailQ is performed by an automated robot, which increases accuracy and effectiveness.  The automated robot is also safer since there is no need for a person to walk the runway positioning targets. RailQ produces accurate and repeatable data that can be easily interpreted and visualized through our interactive tools.
There are times when the tracking problems are not caused by the runway/rail but rather by the crane itself or perhaps a combination of both. Along with any runway survey, Konecranes recommends performing a geometric survey of the crane. Konecranes verifies the crane for “squareness,” meaning the end trucks must be parallel to each other and perpendicular to the bridge girder for the crane to track properly. In addition, the geometry of the girder and end trucks themselves are verified as is the alignment of the wheels within the end trucks. The crane geometric survey utilizes similar techniques and tools as the RailQ Runway Survey and boasts similar benefits and advantages.
No matter what the survey results and recommendations are, Konecranes can provide the appropriate solution including:
 

  • structural repairs and up-grades
  • mechanical repairs and replacement parts and components
  • engineered comprehensive solutions that may include anti-skew control technology 
  • engineered prescription wheels that specifically address tracking/wheel wear issues

Video

Rail Q Video