Skew Control

Prevent Wear on Wheels and Improve Safety with Anti-Skew

Skew occurs in a crane system when the bridge fails to remain strictly perpendicular to the runway. Skew causes uneven and accelerated wear to the wheels and rails. This can result in differing diameters of drive wheels which in turn, can cause the crane to skew even more. Skew inhibits the smooth operation of a bridge crane, and makes it more difficult to position the crane accurately in both manual and automatic operation.

Skew is measured by various types of sensors installed on the bridge. The PLC controls the bridge axis drives in both manual and automatic mode. While in motion, the PLC will monitor and control skew by varying the speed command to the bridge motors such that perpendicularity is maintained. Skew will be monitored and corrected in real-time, and excessive skew will trigger an alarm, stopping the crane.