The Importance of Inspecting Equipment

[Guest]

Here's a story that should demonstrate the importance of carefully inspecting machinery, especially the vintage kind. About 40 years ago I bought a new small 15 ton mechanical crane. I noticed that the yoke attaching the support cables filled with rain water. I drilled a drain hole in the yoke. That crane was sold about 20 years ago when I switched to hydraulics. Last month I bought an identical crane for a special job. I asked my foreman to inspect and lube it, replace anything that was needed, and string new cable. The next day my foreman called me to the shop to see something he said I wouldn't believe. The yoke on this crane had been filled with rainwater for 40 years. The exposed center 5" section of the 1 1/2" diameter x 8" steel pin had rusted away to the size of a pencil lead. Rust was the only thing stopping that pin from falling out and dropping 15 tons.

[JeffNemes 1]

Ouch! Now that would have hurt! That's really amazing that someone wasn't killed. It's a good thing though that it finally "fell" into good hands.