TRUCONNECT Remote Service for overhead cranes

Condition, usage and operating data for efficient maintenance planning

TRUCONNECT user guideTRUCONNECT is a suite of remote service products and applications to support maintenance operations and drive improvements in safety and productivity.

TRUCONNECT Remote Monitoring is an essential product for incorporating predictive maintenance elements as part of a maintenance program. Remote Monitoring provides valuable usage and operating data that can be used along with inspection and maintenance information for a comprehensive view of equipment maintenance needs and performance. 

Analyzing and identifying anomalies, patterns and trends in TRUCONNECT data helps us make informed, component-specific predictions, and prioritize recommendations and actions. 

 

TRUCONNECT Remote Monitoring

TRUCONNECT SummaryTRUCONNECT Remote Monitoring collects condition, usage and operating data from control systems and sensors on a crane and provides alerts of certain anomalies. Remote Monitoring data is used in maintenance planning and in predicting possible component or equipment failure.

Collected data varies depending on the make and model of your crane, but typically covers condition and expected service life of critical components, running time, lifted loads, motor starts, work cycles and emergency stops. Additional TRUCONNECT options allow certain cranes to be equipped with hoisting brake and/or inverter monitoring.

TRUCONNECT data is accessible on the yourKONECRANES customer portal and includes: Safety-related occurrences, such as brake service life, over-temperatures, attempted overloads and emergency stops; Pareto analysis of critical alerts and faults; Operating statistics, such as load spectrum, monitoring of hoist jogging, overloads, emergency stops, work cycles and running hours; Estimates of remaining Design Working Period (DWP) of selected components, such as the hoist, hoist brake, contactors and trolley (SMARTON).

TRUCONNECT Remote Monitoring with alerts based on the equipment/application is required in order to effectively implement predictive maintenance. Remote Monitoring data combined with inspection and maintenance data provided by the maintenance program gives a comprehensive view of equipment maintenance needs and performance.

Safety alerts are delivered automatically by email or text message to notify designated contact personnel of selected safety risk events.

Benefits of Remote Monitoring

  • Supports predictive maintenance ­
  • Maintenance actions can be planned based on estimated component condition i.e. estimated remaining life
  • Provides knowledge of the remaining design working period (DWP) and remaining service life of selected components such as hoist, brakes, structures and contactors
  • Provides asset usage and operating information that is used to assess crane condition and safety
  • Notifies you of brake service life, hoist overloads, emergency-stops and over-temperature occurrences through text or email alerts, allowing for prompt response

Availability

TRUCONNECT Remote Monitoring can be delivered with new Konecranes equipment such as CXT and SMARTON cranes, waste to energy cranes and select engineered cranes, to sites where mobile network coverage is available.

The remote service hardware can be retrofitted on some existing cranes with:

  • A9 Modem retrofit if the crane is equipped with ControlPro
  • DemagModem retrofit for Demag hoists and cranes equipped with Safecontrol
  • TRUCONNECT retrofit for non-Konecranes brand hoists
  • Controlpro retrofit kit if there is no existing ControlPro and modem
  • Brake monitoring retrofit if the crane is equipped with electromagnetic disc brake
  • Continuous rope monitoring retrofit

Data security

Konecranes digital services have been awarded ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification for information security management. The ISO/IEC 27001 certificate demonstrates a commitment to proactively manage the information security of Konecranes digital services and ensure compliance with legal and customer requirements. The certification applies to the development and delivery of the yourKONECRANES.com customer portal, CheckApp for Daily Inspections and the Slings and Accessories Inspection app and the TRUCONNECT suite of remote service products.

Get connected to your entire fleet
Add TRUCONNECT to an existing crane with a retrofit

TRUCONNECT Remote Monitoring hardware can be retrofitted on existing cranes including Konecranes equipment, non-Konecranes brand hoists and Demag hoists and cranes equipped with SafeControl. These retrofits can help give you a comprehensive fleet view of all your assets.

​In addition to a condition monitoring unit and modem, component-specific sensors for the brake and rope can be retrofitted to provide more specific insights on the condition of these critical load-bearing components.​

 

Contact us to learn how you can take advantage of TRUCONNECT

TRUCONNECT Brake Monitoring

TRUCONNECT Brake MonitoringThe hoist brake is one of the most critical wearing components in a crane. The brake is looked at during inspections, but with heavily used cranes, the service lifetime of brake wearing parts may end sooner than expected. Additional inspections also require crane shutdown and provide only a snapshot of the current condition of the brake.

TRUCONNECT Brake Monitoring uses a condition monitoring device to collect the status of brake air gap, mechanical and electrical faults from the electromagnetic disc brakes.

Brake Monitoring data—made available on yourKONECRANES—provides visibility into current brake air gap condition, estimates remaining service life and provides safety alerts via email. Brake Monitoring measures opening current and friction material wear. As the air gap of the brake increases, the value decreases toward 0%. If the value is under 5%, there is very probable risk that the brake will not open. If the brake does not open, you can be faced with sudden brake failure that can result in load drop and severe danger to everyone in the vicinity of the crane.

Brake Monitoring information is used in predictive maintenance and can also be used for brake maintenance planning.

Benefits of Brake Monitoring

  • Provides visibility to brake condition between normal inspecti​on visits
  • Helps minimize the risk of load drop with the detection of brake faults
  • Helps you avoid unnecessary brake disassembly for inspection
  • Enables predictive brake maintenance
  • Assists in further optimization of maintenance activities to reduce unplanned downtime and to improve equipment safety, productivity and lifecycle value​

Availability

TRUCONNECT Brake Monitoring comes standard in new PLC-controlled SMARTON cranes. 

Brake monitoring can also be added as a retrofit to CXTs, selected S-series hoists, and UNITON and SMARTON hoist brakes if equipped with electromagnetic disk brakes. 

A retrofit is also available for selected engineered cranes to sites where mobile network coverage is available.

TRUCONNECT Wire Rope Monitoring

Wire Rope Monitoring on yourKONECRANESThe wire rope is one of the fastest wearing load-bearing component on a crane. During a typical inspection of a wire rope, only the outer wires and strands can be visually inspected. Magnetic NDT measurements can be performed to analyze the condition of the internal wires, but this requires crane shutdown and a specialist to perform the inspection.

TRUCONNECT Wire Rope Monitoring provides a continuous view of rope condition through the use of sensors installed on the wire rope. It reveals both visible exterior defects as well as internal defects that are not detectable with a visual inspection.

An indication of defects on different parts of the rope helps you identify which parts of the wire rope have started to wear out and may need further attention.

Wire rope replacement limits are based on the ISO4309:2017 Standard (Annex C) and extensive test data and other statistical data from Konecranes.

Trend displays give you an aggregated view of rope condition over time. This information helps estimate the remaining wire rope lifetime and can aid in maintenance planning.

 

Read the expert article: Wire Rope Monitoring gives customers a lift in efficiency, production line safety

Benefits of Wire Rope Monitoring

  • Know the condition of your wire ropes in an instant and at any time
  • Helps you discover defects that are not visible in periodic inspections
  • Assists in reducing the risk of load drop and other safety risks related to wire ropes
  • No shutdown needed to inspect rope condition
  • Offers potential to optimize rope change intervals – plan ahead to have the wire rope replaced during a planned shutdown
  • Less expensive than regular NDT tests
  • Rope safety can be monitored remotely without interrupting crane operations

Availability

TRUCONNECT Wire Rope Monitoring can be preinstalled with a new Konecranes engineered cranes. 

Wire Rope Monitoring is available as a retrofit for SMARTON cranes.

Location needs 3G or 4G mobile network coverage.

TRUCONNECT Remote Support

TRUCONNECT Remote Support provides 24/7 access to a global network of crane experts and specialists, offering problem solving and troubleshooting to help reduce unplanned downtime. In controlled circumstances, two-way communication with the machines and their operators can be established in order to expedite corrective action. Remote Support is ideally suited for extremely remote locations.

Benefits of Remote Support

  • Short lead time to begin troubleshooting helps minimize downtime
  • Troubleshooting for problems that require high-level technical expertise
  • Quick response support for even extremely remote locations
  • Support 24/7 from one easy point of contact, available by phone
  • Helps identify the need for corrective on-site maintenance actions and spare parts which may eliminate unnecessary site visit

Availability

Select Programmable Logic Controlled (PLC) engineered industrial or standard cranes if the crane is equipped with Smart electrics, CMS (Engineered cranes), or MUI (Waste-to-Energy) in select regions.