Dead counterweights on cranes must be installed in dedicated counterweight guide rails. They must connect to the rails and counterweight frame with dedicated fasteners. The installation must meet balance matching, safety clearance, and derailment prevention requirements. Do not place them in non-dedicated rail areas.
Dedicated guide rail installation
A dead counterweight rides on its own dedicated counterweight guide rails. The rails must connect to the crane structure, such as the bridge, gantry, or tower, by welding or high-strength bolts. Do not mount them on hoist mechanism rails, cable drag chain tracks, or other non-dedicated tracks.
Rail layout must be fully separated from the travel path of the lifting attachment and load. This prevents collision or interference between the counterweight and the attachment or load during operation.
Fixing and anti-shift rules
Counterweight blocks must be loaded into the counterweight frame in the designed order. Retaining plates, wedge locking blocks, or high-strength bolts secure the blocks to the frame. This prevents lateral or longitudinal movement during operation. Hansheng Automation can machine custom counterweight frames, retaining plates, wedge blocks, guide shoes, and buffer mounting parts from customer drawings, in single pieces or small batches.
Guide shoes must be installed on both sides of the counterweight frame. The clearance between the guide shoes and the dedicated rails must meet design requirements. End stops must be installed at the rail ends to prevent the guide shoes from leaving the rails and the counterweight from falling.
Fastener specifications and tightening torque must meet the equipment drawings and GB/T 3811-2021 Crane Design Rules. Do not use fasteners with insufficient strength or corrosion damage.
Safety clearance and balance parameters
The minimum safety clearance between the dead counterweight and the hoistway wall, machine room floor, or adjacent steel structure must meet GB 6067.1-2020 Safety Rules for Lifting Appliances Part 1: General. The horizontal clearance should not be less than 20 mm, and the vertical clearance should not be less than 50 mm. Check the specific design parameters for the crane type.
The total weight of the dead counterweight must match the design value. Weight deviation must not exceed ±5%. This keeps the overall balance coefficient within design requirements and avoids hoist overload, load slipping, or crane overturning.
Buffer devices, such as polyurethane buffers or spring buffers, must be installed at the top and bottom of the dead counterweight. They work with the matching limit stops to reduce impact on the machine room or ground structure.
Installation acceptance and daily maintenance
After installation, run the complete crane through no-load trial operation and static load tests. Check that the counterweight runs without jamming or abnormal noise and that all fixings remain tight.
During regular maintenance, inspect guide shoe wear, bolt torque, and counterweight block fixing. Correct any abnormality before further use. Do not operate with a known fault.
Hansheng Automation also provides precision parts machining for other industries. Our drawing-based service covers yacht hardware, RC car structural parts, printing machinery components, textile equipment parts, medical device parts, and automated assembly line fixtures. We handle single pieces and small batches, and our scope is precision machined parts.
