Cranes, lifts, and generally all lifting equipment, either for lifting loads or people are subject to a dynamic load that may stress the structure above its limits and lead to structural failure. Unfortunately, structural failure in this equipment is catastrophic and may lead to serious consequences.
It is very important to detect these structural issues on time in order to avoid economic loss or people being injured. However, the detection of structural issues is not always easy as not all parts of a crane are easy to access. An optimal solution is the use of acoustic emission: sensors are placed on the structure and this allows to detect emerging or growing cracks. These cracks are located and then evaluated.
Additionally, the sensors might be placed to perform a continuous monitoring of the integrity of the structure.
