Choosing a pipe-laying crane

What are pipe-laying cranes? This is the name of specialized construction equipment, as the name suggests, for laying large diameter pipes and long distances.

Most pipelayers are mounted on the basis of a tractor and refer to tractor machinery.

Since the pipelines are of immense length and are constructed most often from settlements, the pipe-laying crane must meet special requirements.

• It should be very easy to maintain. Pipelayers often work far from populated areas where complex repairs are not possible.
• The pipe-laying crane must be distinguished by high cross-country capacity: these machines rarely work on asphalt. Their element is a rugged terrain.

To ensure reliable and uninterrupted operation of the unit, when selecting it, you need to consider the most important characteristics, namely:

• Pressure (mean), which the pipe-laying crane exerts on the ground;
• ground clearance;
• Traction parameters.

What can a tractor-type hoisting-and-conveying unit?

• Raise the fixing hook and boom.
• Change the level of lifting the hook and the distance of its departure as necessary.
• Vary the length of the boom.
• Perform all these operations simultaneously.

The pipe-laying crane can be mounted not only on the tractor base. When laying pipelines , self-propelled pipelaying installations assembled on the basis of cars are often used.

The Russian workers are familiar with such models as the Kato crane (Japan), the Liebherr (Germany) crane-pipe-laying crane.

Kato cranes are popular because their telescopic arrows can be pulled out for 50 meters, and the lifting capacity often reaches 20-160 tons. If, on the arrow of Kato, attach additional jibs, then the height of the climb immediately increases to almost a hundred meters. Liebherr pipe crane is even more powerful.

In difficult conditions, pipe -laying cranes assembled on the basis of all-terrain vehicles can be used to mount pipelines .

When purchasing a pipe-laying crane, the future owner must take into account the documentation accompanying the unit. In it, in addition to technical parameters, it is indicated:

• Recommended frequency of maintenance, repair frequency.
• Ways to repair damaged structures and parts of the unit.
• Methods and rules for adjusting the braking system.
• The list of the most quickly wearing parts.
• Safety measures during operation, repair and maintenance.
• Warranty period of operation.

It should be noted that any crane pipe-laying machine, including self-propelled, must be equipped with a towing device (in case of a malfunction), its running gear with an additional parking brake.

It must be remembered that any kind of pipe-laying crane must necessarily have a load-limiting device. This device prevents the machine from tipping over and is triggered automatically if the load exceeds the permissible parameters. The limiter is configured in accordance with the actual parameters, and the violation of its adjustment is prohibited: it threatens an emergency situation.