Steel Work Design and Analysis of a Mobile Floor Crane
Okolie Paul Chukwulozie *
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, P.M.B. 5025 Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria
Obika Echezona Nnaemeka
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, P.M.B. 5025 Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria
Azaka Onyemazuwa Andrew
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, P.M.B. 5025 Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria
Sinebe Jude Ebieladoh
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, P.M.B. 5025 Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The transportation of heavy machine parts and equipment within and outside the workshop has been a source of concern and needs urgent attention because of the hazard it exhibits. This negative effect on the health of engineers, led to the invention of the floor jib crane but research shows that contemporary designs of floor jib crane fail over time when these static load is left on it for a prolonged period of time. This project is centered on the design and fabrication of a mobile floor crane equipped with a facility to lock the load at any level as a special feature, to tackle the issue of failure due to static load. The mobile crane is designed to bear a maximum load of about 1000 kg, with a counter weight of 2.6 KN which gave the crane a 3.034 factor of safety. The materials employed are; sheet metals, angular iron, bolts, nuts, metal rollers etc. The fabrication processes involved drawing, marking out, cutting, filling, welding and assembling. For permanent joints, the arc welding process was employed. As indicated earlier, the mobile floor crane gains its significance in the transportation of heavy machine parts within and outside the workshop. It can also be used to load and unload machine parts on trucks.
Keywords: Floor crane, factor of safety, steel, fabrication