How to avoid issues with fitting TPMS on Rubber Tired Gantry Cranes

When fitting a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) to rubber tired gantry cranes, several technical issues can arise. Evidently they all need addressing by a reliable, experienced TPMS provider. Here are some examples:

Wireless Connectivity in Rubber Tired Gantry Cranes

Gantry cranes straddle the containers that they are lifting, with a set of wheels on either side of the container. These metal containers can easily block radio transmission from one side to another. For this reason it may be necessary for some systems to include additional repeaters to amplify the signal sufficiently to get to the main controllers.

The metallic structure of a gantry crane itself can also cause interference and obstruct the wireless signals. This interference may result in poor signal quality, dropped readings, or limited range. These scenarios affect the reliability of the TPMS.

The TMS^® system, with its market leading sensitivity and multiple individual receiver channels, in most cases works without any of these additional repeaters. This improves overall reliability, by minimising hardware and connections.

With details of the proposed crane layout and dimensions, TMS^® will be able to advise on optimum antenna positioning to ensure reliable data transmission and reception.

Sensor Placement

Mounting the TPMS sensors on rubber tires can be tricky due to the dynamic nature of crane movement. You must securely attach the sensors to the tires and position them correctly to provide accurate and consistent readings. However, the constant vibrations, jolts, and rapid changes in tire position during crane operations, can lead to sensor detachment or misalignment. This can result in inaccurate tire pressure readings.

We designed the TMS^® sensor for optimum size and output transmission strength. It is ruggedised to withstand harsh environments, including coastal regions. These features of the TMS^® Sensors simplify installation and ensure correct alignment and secure fixation. TMS^® sensors also come with the T-piece to aid installation where needed. The T-piece design comes from a leading OTR valve expert. It is the lowest profile T-fitting on the market.

Power Supply in Rubber Tired Gantry Cranes

TPMS requires a power source to operate. Installing the necessary power supply infrastructure on a rubber tired gantry crane can be challenging. It may involve running cables and ensuring proper voltage compatibility. In addition, it is important to protect the power supply components from environmental factors like dust, moisture, and vibrations. Also, it’s very easy to accidently connect the supply the wrong way round, so reverse polarity protection is essential. Battery voltage levels vary on different plant so supply voltage must be compatible.

All these features on the TMS^® product come with a voltage range covering both 12 and 24VDC systems, which improves flexibility.

Environmental Conditions

Rubber tired gantry cranes often operate in harsh environments, such as ports or construction sites. These environments expose the TPMS components to dust, debris, extreme temperatures, and moisture. Such conditions can adversely affect the performance and longevity of the TPMS. This can lead to sensor malfunctions, false alerts, missed alerts or premature system failure.

The TMS^® sensor design is specific to extreme environments and is fully ruggedised. TMS^® have been successfully supplying customers with operations in harsh environments like ports, mines, quarries, construction sites for decades.

Maintenance and Calibration

After considerations on the reliability of the system, users should also be mindful of the operational aspects of using the TPMS.

Some TPMS require regular maintenance and calibration to ensure accurate and reliable readings. However, accessing the sensors and monitoring system on a gantry crane may be challenging due to their elevated position. Specialised equipment or personnel are often required. Regular maintenance may involve checking batteries, recalibrating sensors, or updating software. All of which can be time consuming and require crane downtime.

It’s important that the TPMS readings received are accurate and remain accurate. Given that, as part of the production process we calibrate the TMS^® system to national standards over the full operating range. The calibration allows for any drift over the systems lifetime. The system needs no further calibration during its operational life. In addition the TMS^® Sensors are maintenance-free by design. Because of this they can withstand all the rigours of vibration, temperature cycling and the harsh coastal weather.

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