Numerous hydraulic oil leaks on motors, gear boxes, lines, etc. on 160" Plate Mill's overhead cranes were causing product contamination by leaking onto plates in stock storage below.
Many of the cranes had not been cleaned since the plant opened in 1964. The result was a buildup of up to 18" of baked and packed dust, grease, oils and scrap crane parts.
A concern with crane cleaning is the water and soaps from the cleaning process creating a mess in the stock storage areas below. To prevent this, Eagle Services used plastic curtains, covered stocked product, and used vacuum equipment to control liquid and debris that are created during the cleaning process.
Debris was dislodged and broken up using pneumatic hand tools and vacuumed. Eagle Services cleaning uncovered hundreds of pounds of scrap metal, electrical parts, etc. that were lowered to ground level and disposed of appropriately.
Once the vast majority of debris and scrap was removed from the crane top, a minimal amount of water and detergent was utilized with a hot water pressure washer to clean decks, runways, and in particular, around motors, gear boxes and lines. By cleaning these areas, any leaks would be visible and noted for repair. This project had to be very carefully executed due to the large amount of electrical equipment on crane tops.
At the conclusion of this project, stock storage areas were policed and left in a cleaner condition than when the project began. This project was completed safely and with extremely high satisfaction of the department.