Company's Engineer Training

24/04/10, Saturday - All the senior engineers, a uniten ME student and me undergo a training course organised by the company itself. This lecture was conduct by our boss, Execellift CEO in the meeting room. He taught the case study of a "interesting" structure in underhung crane (a bit different from now they are manufacturing in the factory) that was being done in the beginning of his business in 1994. Most of this lecture involved mechanical theory and functional. Despite that I am an electrical power engineer student, I should know more about it in order to have collaboration with the mechanical department. The crane system is not only mechanical engineering works, but also need the electrical application to work in collusion. So we need M&E consultation.

He showed us the slides with his hand sketch of design plane that done in 1995. It is almost the same in format compare with the Auto CAD software that we use in nowadays. The only diffrent is hand sketch less of neatness. I learn a lots from the boss' training lecture and know more about the history of the company.

Case Study of Underhung Crane

Factory site's work

Today, Assistance Manager give me a check-list to make sure 8 chain hoists are ready in packaging in order that stocks can deliver to the customer's factory tomorrow. When I meet with the store-keeper, he said that he don't know any instruction from the executor about this task. So that, store-keeper and other workers have to search for stock. This task take a extreme long time because they need to lift and move 8 heavy chain hoists. Then, they will only packaging those hoists together with other component and epquipment. I have to work over the office time with them until 8 pm. Finally, they can't finish the work by this evening before knock off. I follow the instruction that need to take down the series number of each hoist and require "DO"(delivery order) from accounting department. I am unfortunely can't find those certificates of hoists too(just only 2 are found). I hope that we can done in the early morning of tomorrow.

The company gave me a safety shoe in last week.


Check List


My workplace





The lastest STAHL Logo



STAHL ST20 Elecrical Chain Hoist able to lift up 1000 kg or 1 Ton loads



Small hook with SWL (Safe Working Load) of 1 Ton.

2nd week of internship was over

Most of my time in 2nd week was spending on Customer Database rearrangement. In the early stage, I was very unsatisfied with my assistant manager gave me this task without due date, because I thought that I can't learn any new things from such database. I needed to use 6 files and 4 data in microsoft-excel to refer in order to complete thousand of customer database rearrangement. Until yesterday, I had done almost 70%. After doing this task, I found that I can recognise most of the motor type that devided by SWL (safe working load)from 100kg up to 60,000kg. I think this is the major purpose of the assistance manager. Beside that, I can knew that Excellift is a not only a SMI (Small-medium Industry) because it has expend its business to oversea, such as Dubai, Australia, China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Burnei. From the data, Gamuda-MMC JV had order a few of cranes from the Excellift to complete their SMART Tunnel Project. It had a lots of orders from the international company, for example Technip, ALSTOM, Petronas Metanol Factory, Sime Darby Engineering, Shell and many more.

The portal crane behind the senior manager of SMART Tunnel builder (source from Nasional Geograhpy video)



A- shape Portal Crane



Beside that, I also can know more product from the data, such as

Gantry Crane



Jib Cranes



U-Shaped Monorail Crane



Underhung Brige Crane

Research of Broadcast mode in the crane's control system!!

My electrical department manager asistance gives me a task to do research together with him. This LAWNII brought by the company to do research of control system in the crane operation system. It may become a OEM product of the company in the future.

The LAWNII operates by establishing a virtual connection between one computer and the crane's hoist micro-controller,SMC 21 as I discussed and shared in this blog. Then the hoist's upward and downward direction and speed can be control through the computer's key-in button.

The command mode is the operating mode that use to communicate with the microprocessor of the LAWNII. The command mode is used normally only during the initial configuration and testing. Once it is correct, the LAWNII should then be switch to transparent mode to send and receive data, either automatically or manually. If the LAWNII is programmed as a peripheral device or as in DFC (DeFault Connect) mode, it will automatically switch to the transparent mode when it is power up. Otherwise, the LAWNII will stay in the Command mode after power up.

Some of the theories I had learn in the course subject such as, C-programming and PIC Micro-processing controller in Uniten. I hope that I can finish this research with the manager assistance during my internship.

Induction Motors in crane system

Firstly, I have to study on two type of hoist operation and maintanace manual.

Chain Hoist
The reliable chain hoists can be used universally in the S.W.L. range of 125 kg to 5,000 kg.It can be used as a stationary hoist with suspension hook or eye, with rigid mounting, or with a push or electric trolley, and is particularly suitable for rugged applications in industry. The extremely short headroom available as an alternative for every type optimises the effective hook height while keeping wear on the chain to a minimum. In addition to the standard designs, off-standard versions and individual solutions for customers are available.



The Chain Drive Motor
- Two hoisting speed (slow and fast) by inter-changing 2 phase out of 3 phase power supply.
- can design in single speed



Wire rope Hoist

The adaptable wire rope hoists and winches are available as a modular system and designed for an S.W.L. range of 500 kg to 160,000 kg. A compact, sturdy construction is concealed behind the attractive design of STAHL CraneSystems' wire rope hoists. They are extremely reliable, extremely powerful and have above-average service life. The particularly smooth, precise starting and braking characteristics are common to all.



the Rope Drive Motor
- Two hoisting speed (slow and fast) by inter-changing 2 phase
- or sigle speed (slow)



Cross Travel Motor is attached to the hoist

Crane technology has been fully equipped with double girder or single girder (monorail)overhead travelling (horizontal) cranes. The cranes are easily accessible from integrated maintenance catwalks.

Company's factory crane system double girder runway for 12 tons



Long Travel Motors (vertical)
Need futher study in choosing a suitable motor type for vertical travelling and depend on its distance.

Wow.. Microprocessor system in STAHL Crane

My manager gives me a new study on SLE system which is a microprocessor controller in STAHL crane system. The usage of this Micro-controller are:-

1. Check error signal
- Sensor error
- Overload
- Overtemperature
- Control error
- System error
- Device faulty
(need to trouble shoot possible cause and remedy)

2. Warning signal
- Evaluation unit crane test mode
- Out of the permissible cut-off range
- Sensor current too low

3. Setting cut-off point when overload occur

4. Motor management

SLE 21



SLE Load sensor using combination of electrical sensor and mechanical switch



SLE setting Switch S1, S2, S3, S4




Microprocessor system board inside the SLE






The circuit design of SLE



Next day,

I have study more futher advance of micro-controller which is SMC, a programmable control, evalution and switching devices for single or dual-speed motors. The micro- comtroller can be optimally adapted to the application of controlling a hoist motor, and provides the basis for safe working, long service life and documentaion of the actual use of the hoist. The SMC funtion as:-

1. Automatic Load control (ALC)
2. Temperature Control
3. Slack rope cut-off
4. Load spectrum monitoring
5. Save and culculate oprating data

SMC21


After the study, the manager ask me to do DEMO by myself.





Connecting the SMC with power supply to the Transformer 240/110 V



Then, connect the SMC to the computer device. (Before this, need to install STAHL crane test Software).


Do the Demo by reading the instruction in the document file.



Do setting (Use an Example from the instrution) on the SMC by using STAHL software





After finish all the settings, I try to lift up and down to get signal during the Demo.




Show result of overload in crane system




Finally, I fail to do demo that show no any signal. Haiz...

The starting in Excellift Company

A New Start of Internship on 1st-3rd DAY

1st day - In the early morning, a UNITEN mechanical engineering student and me, a electrical engineering student met our site engineering manager,Eric and he took us to look around the office and factory environment. Then, we had been introducing ourselves to all colleagues that need to work together in the future. After that, a senior mechanical engineer gave us a few set of manual about the introduction, opration and mantainace and British Standard specification (BSS) of the crane system. The most important part for me to know and study is BSS for power driven overhead travelling cranes, semi-goliath and goliath cranes for general use. For those electrical section, the specification of BSS electrical installation of crane that cover:-

1. Earthing
2. Power Distribution
3. Control equipment
4. Resistor ratings
5. Motors for crane motion drives
6. Brake system
7. Power supplies for auxiliary
8. Heaters
9. Radio interference
10. Cable and conductors
11. Fault current protection

I had study some of these specifications in my course's subject of Electrical Installation and IEE wiring regulations.

The pictures below show the type of the crane I had read and learn in 1st day,

(STAHL crane system is Excellift principal product and long time business partner)

1. Single Girder/ monorail Crane (2 Type):
-Suspension
-Top Running



2. Double Girder Top Running Crane





3. Hoist type



4. Crane Components



5. Explosion proof advantage



2nd day- I follow a senior mechanical engineer go to the warehouse's testing room to meet a customer, TECHNIP Company. TECHNIP sends an engineer to here to investigate and make a survey on the hoist product that it had buy. This purpose is to make sure these 10 hoists that can lift 3 ton loads and make sure that allow overload by +10%.
After my lunch with the customer, I meet my electrical department manager to get a new study on elctrical circuit design. It is very difficult for me to understand even though that is only 1 type (but in 8 pages) because it is more complicated than the circuit that I had study in Uniten.

3rd day- I require explaination on the crane operation circuit from my manager. Then a senior ask me go to OLD KLANG ROAD to collect two "steel plates" that is rushing for use in factory.