Double-Girder Bridge Crane for Rail Transit Rolling Stock Maintenance Base

Visão Geral do Projeto

In May 2017, a major rail transit vehicle maintenance base in China completed a comprehensive upgrade of its workshop lifting equipment, introducing a large number of Weihua double-girder bridge cranes specifically designed for rail transit vehicles. This established a safe and reliable core lifting system for the disassembly, maintenance, and assembly of electric locomotives and urban rail vehicles.

Project Information

• Project Implementation Date: May 2017
• Application Scenario: Specialized rail transit rolling stock maintenance base
• Equipment: European-standard bridge cranes specifically designed for rail rolling stock maintenance
• Applications: Lifting and maintenance of mainline electric locomotives, freight locomotives, urban rail transit trains, and high-speed trains

Project Site Overview

This rail vehicle maintenance base serves as a core support facility for regional railway operations and maintenance. It primarily handles rail vehicle storage, full-vehicle inspections, fault repairs, and major overhauls, functioning as critical infrastructure to ensure the stable and normal operation of mainline railways and urban rail transit systems. Core workshop processes require high-capacity lifting equipment to perform operations such as the complete lifting of locomotive bodies weighing tens of metric tons, overhead maintenance, separation of the body from the bogies, and post-maintenance re-assembly.

Requisitos do cliente

The crane must be designed and manufactured in accordance with European lifting standards, while simultaneously supporting synchronized lifting of entire vehicles and coordinated handling by dual trolleys. It must also meet four key performance criteria: safety, precision, quiet operation, and lightweight design.

Our Solution

To address the unique lifting requirements for entire rail locomotives, Weihua introduced a comprehensive solution featuring double-girder overhead cranes specifically designed for rail vehicle maintenance. The workshop is equipped with multiple red “Weihua Crane” double-girder bridge cranes, each featuring a combination of two 32-metric-ton hoist trolleys and specialized balancing lifting gear. This configuration enables simultaneous lifting at both ends of the locomotive, with a total lifting capacity of 64 metric tons, fully covering the weight requirements of all types of electric locomotives.

Parameter Item	Detailed Specification
Product Model	European Standard Double Girder Bridge Crane (Special for Rail Vehicle Maintenance)
Rated Lifting Capacity of Single Trolley	32 tons
Max Total Lifting Capacity of Two Synchronous Trolleys	64 tons
Applicable Vehicle Dead Weight Range	20t ~ 62t (Covering Metro, Passenger Train & Mainline Electric Locomotive)
Design Standard	European Crane Manufacturing Standard
Control Mode	Full Frequency Conversion Stepless Speed Control
Core Technology	Intelligent Load Anti-Swing Suppression System
Structural Process	Integral CNC Precision Machining for Main Girder & End Girder, High Installation Accuracy
Product Features	Lightweight Body, Low Operating Noise, Integrated & Attractive Appearance
Modo de Operação	Independent Lifting by Single Trolley, Synchronous Coordinated Lifting by Double Trolleys

Technical Features

Full Variable-Frequency Control System
The hoisting, main girder, and trolley travel mechanisms are all equipped with variable-frequency drives. Acceleration and deceleration during lifting and travel are linear and smooth, with no sudden impacts during starts and stops, thereby maximizing the cushioning of lifting forces and protecting the locomotive’s precision components and paint finish.

Exclusive Anti-Sway Lifting Technology
Built-in anti-sway algorithms and mechanical buffer structures significantly reduce load sway during locomotive lifting operations. The locomotive remains stable and sway-free during overhead maintenance, allowing workers to safely perform undercarriage flaw detection, wiring inspections, and bogie disassembly and assembly beneath the locomotive.

Integrally Machined Structural Components
Core load-bearing components—such as the main girder, end beams, and connecting supports—are machined as a single integrated unit. With extremely tight dimensional tolerances, on-site installation achieves high alignment precision, significantly shortening the equipment commissioning cycle and enabling rapid commissioning and operation.

Lightweight, Low-Noise Overall Design
The optimized cross-sectional structure of the main girder reduces the equipment’s dead weight. Equipped with silent gear reducers and noise-reducing wire rope assemblies, the entire machine operates with low noise levels; The standardized European-style red exterior aligns with the visual standards of modern smart maintenance facilities.

On-Site Operation Plan

Two double-girder bridge cranes are arranged in parallel in the workshop. Two 32-metric-ton hoist trolleys, equipped with balanced slings, secure the lifting points at the front and rear of the locomotive, respectively. Through synchronized lifting, the entire 55–62-metric-ton electric locomotive is fully suspended off the ground to complete undercarriage maintenance; After maintenance is complete, the locomotive is precisely positioned and lowered to ensure seamless assembly between the car body and the bogies, making it suitable for maintenance and repair of all types of rail vehicles, including the Shaoshan series locomotives, urban rail and subway trains, and freight trains.

Especificações do Equipamento

Design Standards: The entire unit complies with European standards for lifting equipment manufacturing
Control Mode: Full variable-frequency stepless speed control
Core Technology: Integrated intelligent load anti-sway suppression system
Structural Process: Main girders and end beams are precision-machined as a single unit via CNC, ensuring high-precision installation
Product Features: Lightweight body, low-noise operation, and an aesthetically integrated appearance
Operating Modes: Supports independent lifting by a single trolley and synchronized, coordinated lifting of entire vehicles by two trolleys

Project Outcomes

Since its delivery and commissioning in May 2017, the double-girder bridge crane has maintained continuous, high-frequency, and stable operation within the workshop, performing round-the-clock lifting and maintenance tasks for mainline electric locomotives and urban rail and subway vehicles. The bridge crane, bearing the bright red “Weihua Crane” logo, spans the factory floor, serving as the core lifting equipment at the rail vehicle maintenance base and setting a benchmark for European-standard crane installations in similar rail transit maintenance workshops across China.