Mounting Bolt Failure
Why it’s critical to perform a proper inspection on mounting bolts and pins.
Bolting failure can lead to catastrophic consequences when it comes to the structural integrity of your lifting equipment. Yet, critical pins and bolts can easily be overlooked during a safety inspection.
As described by an Industrial Inspection & Analysis (IIA) Lifting Services customer, “Our last inspection was done two years ago by another company that only did a visual inspection. Then a pin on a Snorkel ATB 60 failed, the machine arm fell 30 feet and almost killed two men. I was quite upset to find out our machine was only visually inspected.”
Bolt failure may not happen often. But when it does, it can have catastrophic consequences.
The images featured provide a walk-through of a crane accident investigation that took place a few years ago. Four of the mounting bolts (colored in red) attached to the crane sub-frame had broken sometime before the incident. When the crane attempted a 500-pound load, all of the remaining bolts sheared off. The boom then collapsed and three workers were injured, one fatally.
Ten months earlier, the crane had been inspected and certified as safe by an engineering firm. The authorities deemed that the engineering firm failed to make sure the proper inspections took place to ensure the structural integrity of the mounting bolts.
One way that IIA Lifting Services helps to prevent catastrophic bolt failure in your equipment is by using a method called ultrasonic testing. Ultrasonic testing allows the user to find internal defects by sending sound waves into the material.
Surprisingly, ultrasonic testing is not a common method of testing among lift equipment inspection companies. Inspectors employed by such firms don’t usually have the right equipment, training, or certification to perform this method of testing.
Ultrasonic testing is a standard part of IIA Lifting Services inspection program and a key component that sets us apart from the competition. IIA Lifting Services has set the standard for the highest level of quality. Safety is paramount to us. We treat your equipment like it’s ours.
