Mid-Ship Crane Installation & Commissioning | MI Solutions

Pedestal Foundation Fabrication

The pedestal foundation is the structural heart of any crane installation. MI Solutions’ fabrication team produced the crane pedestal to class-approved drawings, ensuring all plate thicknesses, weld preparation profiles, and material specifications met the survey requirements applicable to the vessel’s class society.

Material traceability was maintained throughout fabrication. All structural steel used in the pedestal was certified to the required grade, with mill certificates retained for class records. The pedestal was dimensionally verified against the approved drawings prior to onboard fitment.

Boom Rest Fabrication

The boom rest structure was fabricated and positioned to suit the crane’s stowed configuration and the vessel’s deck layout. MI Solutions designed and fabricated the boom rest to ensure it correctly supports the crane boom in the transit condition, preventing fatigue loading during vessel operation at sea.

Fitment of the boom rest was coordinated with the overall structural modification programme to ensure correct alignment with the final crane assembly position.

Onboard Structural Modifications

Integrating a crane into an existing vessel structure requires controlled structural modifications to the deck and surrounding framing. MI Solutions’ structural team carried out all modifications in compliance with the class-approved drawings, including stiffener additions, deck plating reinforcement, and framing modifications necessary to transfer crane loads safely into the vessel’s hull structure.

All cutting, fitting, and welding operations were carried out by certified welders. Weld procedures were qualified to the applicable standard and approved by the attending surveyor prior to commencement of structural welding. The in-house machine shop capabilities at MI Solutions supported precision fitment where required.

Complete Crane Assembly

With the pedestal foundation and structural modifications completed and surveyed, MI Solutions’ mechanical team carried out the complete crane assembly. This encompassed the slewing ring installation, boom assembly, hydraulic or electrical drive system integration, control system connection, and all ancillary equipment fitment.

Assembly was carried out to the crane manufacturer’s technical documentation and OEM torque specifications. All fasteners were tensioned and secured to the correct specification. The crane’s lubrication system was charged and all grease points confirmed prior to functional testing.

Wire Rope Installation

Wire rope installation was carried out by MI Solutions’ rigging team in accordance with the crane manufacturer’s reeving diagram and rope specification requirements. The correct rope construction, diameter, and breaking load were verified against the crane’s design documentation prior to installation.

All wire rope end terminations — including sockets, wedge ends, and drum connections — were made up to the correct specification. The reeving sequence was confirmed complete and the rope was pre-tensioned before commencement of functional testing.

NDT Inspection of Welded Joints

Non-destructive testing was carried out on all structural welded joints in accordance with the class-approved inspection plan. MI Solutions coordinated the NDT programme using qualified NDT technicians, with test methods including magnetic particle inspection (MPI) and ultrasonic testing (UT) as required by the applicable class society rules.

All NDT reports were reviewed by the attending surveyor prior to survey acceptance of the structural work. Where any indication was identified, the weld was repaired and re-tested before proceeding to the next phase.

Functional Testing & Load Testing

With all assembly, rigging, and NDT phases completed and accepted, MI Solutions conducted a full programme of functional testing followed by class-witnessed load testing.

Functional testing confirmed correct operation of all crane motions — hoisting, luffing, and slewing — as well as overload protection devices, limit switches, emergency stops, and safety interlocks. All control functions were tested in both normal operating and emergency modes.

Load testing was conducted to the class society requirements, typically a proof load of 110% of the Safe Working Load (SWL). The test was attended and witnessed by the class surveyor, with all load test results recorded in the official survey documentation. On satisfactory completion, the crane was accepted by class and entered into the vessel’s lifting appliance register.