Today we are sharing images and information from a recent technical intervention by Criteria in the port sector carried out in the North Quay of the Port of Musel, in Gijón (Asturias, Spain).

On this occasion, a self-propelled port crane on tires and a lattice boom suffered a major breakdown. Criteria’s technical services were called in to clarify what happened and to find out the reason for the breakdown.

The accident occurred when the crane was in full operation. The crane operator noticed a significant oil leak in the gear hub, which was fractured, and that two wheels had also been damaged. The operation with this crane was stopped and the maneuver was completed with other machinery.

After several expert visits in which the damaged parts are identified and analyzed in depth, the machinery begins to be repaired and it is confirmed that the crane is in good condition, has been subjected to the maintenance indicated by the manufacturer and had passed the regulatory inspections that are applicable. It was concluded that the accident had occurred accidentally, suddenly and unexpectedly, due to an internal mechanical failure of the crane’s translation system, specifically when several of the rollers of the axle bearing of one of the pairs of wheels of this system broke and blocked the resulting fragments of its gearing.