Nuclear Plant Crane & Hoist Upgrades

Nuclear power plants demand incredibly strict safety and reliability standards; Handling sensitive and dangerous lifts is an essential part of normal daily plant operations. 

However, as nuclear plants approach a service life of 30 years or more, component upgrades, such as lifting equipment, must be carefully considered to ensure that plant safety and operational efficiency are maintained. 

American Crane offers several nuclear plant crane and hoist upgrades for plant life extension projects. Increased crane operational efficiency can reduce maintenance costs, decrease the risk of unsafe lifts, and provide overall ROI justification. 

Crane Upgrades

Upgrading provides the opportunity to incorporate some of the latest modern technology into existing cranes. With the right upgrades, existing cranes can be made safer by increasing their load carrying capacities. 

Additionally, specific upgrades can improve the precision of the crane’s controls allowing for better handling of sensitive items and more reliable operation during critical lifting procedures. As an added benefit, replacing outdated or inefficient components can also decrease downtime and reduce long-term maintenance costs. 

American Crane supplies the following upgrades: 

  • New hoist flux vector and bridge/trolley frequency drive systems with variable speed controls
  • New bridge, trolley, and hoist motors
  • Radio control systems and new cab/pendant controls
  • American Crane’s state-of-the-art hoist drive train diagnostics
  • PLC controls
  • New electrical panels
  • Replacement of power and control wiring
  • Collision avoidance systems
  • Zone boundary limit protection
  • Upgraded brakes
  • New limit switches and load cells
  • New festoon systems
  • New runway conductor bar systems

Advantages of Using American Crane Upgrades

What makes American Crane unique is our capability to shop fabricate part upgrades in-house. Our dedicated engineering team custom designs upgrades to satisfy various demanding applications while complying with industry standards and requirements. Our on-site technical team also has experience load testing several cranes for nuclear applications.

At American Crane, we pride ourselves in maintaining a 10CFR50, App. B Quality Program. To further assist our customers, we offer a full-scale Parts and Service Department staffed with qualified technicians knowledgeable in spare parts and upgrades. 

Crane Upgrade Assistance from American Crane

Crane upgrades have the potential to revitalize old cranes and restore their performance to superior levels. Regular inspections, maintenance, and careful planning are essential to the timely replacement of obsolete parts and reducing unplanned downtime and outages. 

If you would like to learn more about our different crane upgrades or receive consultation from our technical experts, contact us today.