Jib Crane

Jib crane periodic inspection is the examination and testing, by authorised engineers, of cranes that lift loads within a limited circular area using a slewing boom seated on a vertical pillar or wall bracket. The load-bearing structure, lifting organs and brake/safety equipment are assessed. Wall-mounted, floor-mounted and bracket types are covered under the same scope.

Where Are Jib Cranes Used and What Loads Do They See?

Jib cranes are frequently preferred for moving workpieces at machine stations, at machine maintenance points, on truck loading docks and between in-plant stations. The continuous operation of the boom in the same orbit creates rotational moment and fatigue loading, especially at the boom weld seams and the boom-pillar connection. The slew ring (turntable) and bearing set wear under radial and axial forces. Key inspected components:

• Boom (arm), connection plates and weld seams
• Vertical pillar, base plate, foundation anchor bolts
• Slew mechanism (hand wheel or driven) and slew stop buffers
• Lifting appliance: chain hoist, wire rope hoist or block; hook and safety latch
• Load limiter and brake equipment

Periodic Inspection Items

• Structure examination: Boom and pillar wall thickness, surface crack search on welds, dimensional stability and dent check.
• Anchor and support: Bolt tightness, washer condition, erosion at the anchor hole; adequacy of the wall connection for wall-mounted types.
• Slew organs: Gear and bearing wear, backlash measurement, buffer and angle stop function.
• Lifting appliance and hook: Chain/rope, brake and hook verification against their own standards (as a lifting accessory logic, at least annually).
• Load and function test: Lifting-slewing function at nominal capacity; verification of brake holding in an overload scenario; static-dynamic proof tests as per standard after erection/repair and at the defined intervals.

Legislation and Standards

Inspection is made at least once a year under Law No. 6331 and the Work Equipment Regulation. The technical reference is the TS EN 14492-1 (hand-powered jib cranes) and TS EN 14492-2 (electric jib cranes) series; TS EN 13155/13157 or TS EN 60204-32 for the lifting appliance; TS EN 13001 and FEM rules for design loads. The capacity plate and the capacity-radius diagram on the boom are compared during the inspection.

Risks and Operator Recommendations

The jib crane capacity curve shows that the capacity drops as the radius increases; using the load near the boom tip causes the design moment to be exceeded. Traces of this violation (permanent boom deformation, excessive gear wear) are searched during inspection. The zone under the boom must be marked as a no-entry safety line. In outdoor jibs, water accumulation in the boom connection plate pockets accelerates corrosion fatigue; drainage and paint repair are recommended. Loosening anchor bolts indicate loss at the single point transferring the slewing moment and are treated as a critical non-compliance.

Outcome

At the end of the inspection, a signed report with measured values and the non-compliance grading is presented. Jib crane inspections are within our Periodic Inspection of Lifting and Handling Machines group. For similar duties, visit our Chain Hoist and Monorail Crane pages, or contact us for your programme.