Operating Procedures and Routine Maintenance Guidelines for Automotive Crane Centre Slip Rings (Essential Handbook for Hoisting Personnel)

At the request of our crane customers, we've received feedback that after a period of use, their cranes frequently experience power cuts in the cab, intermittent throttle response, and frequent computer reboots. Occasionally everything functions normally, which is quite a headache. In 80% of such cases, the issue lies with the central slip ring. You might wonder why this happens. Don't worry, allow me to explain step by step.

Fault Analysis of Slip Ring Connectors:

1. During installation or operation, impacts may deform the slip ring housing, causing internal conductive forks to break or short-circuit, or fracturing the rocker arm plate, rendering the unit inoperable;

2. Prolonged high-load operation of the slip ring causes varying degrees of wear on the conductive forks, generating powder that degrades the slip ring's performance;

3. Moisture or dust ingress into the slip ring severely impairs signal transmission, potentially causing sparking, short circuits, or burnout of the conductive forks, rendering the assembly inoperable;

4. Uneven unit pressure distribution across conductive forks within the same slip ring leads to imbalanced current allocation. This causes overheating and sparking in individual forks, preventing normal operation of the slip ring.

Specific Methods for Addressing Slip Ring Connector Issues:

Slip rings are precision instruments. Due to their harsh operating environments, their service life is significantly reduced; therefore, regular maintenance and upkeep are essential:

1. Prevent impact: Collisions may deform the slip ring housing, causing internal conductor forks to break or short-circuit, or fracturing the rocker arm plate, thereby reducing service life. Exercise care to protect the slip ring during installation and operation.

2. Waterproofing and dustproofing: Ensure the slip ring maintains excellent sealing performance to prevent ingress of moisture, dust, grease, or other contaminants.

3. Regular cleaning: Prolonged high-load operation causes wear on the contact forks, generating powder. Accumulated dust and grease within the ring adversely affect performance. Therefore, qualified personnel with electrical expertise should periodically clean the ring using turpentine or banana water, based on the customer's usage duration, to remove accumulated dust, grease, and other contaminants;

4. Ensure uniform unit pressure across all electrical forks on the same conductive ring. Uneven current distribution may cause overheating and sparking in individual forks, disrupting normal operation. Excessive unit pressure typically accelerates fork wear, while insufficient pressure leads to unstable contact and increased risk of mechanical sparking;

5. Safety precautions: Conductive rings primarily transmit voltage or current signals; particular attention must be paid to safety measures.

To assist more crane operators in managing their equipment effectively, we shall be launching additional case studies for truck-mounted cranes, crawler cranes, and truck-mounted derrick cranes in the near future. We encourage your attention and sharing of this information. For further maintenance, parts exchange, or technical enquiries, please contact us via WhatsApp: +86 175 7001 1677. Our 24-hour service remains at your disposal. Thank you for your continued support!