Eliminating jobsite hazards is the best way to ensure your workers go home safely at the end of their shifts.
Be it properly tagged and inspected equipment, being in line with industry standards or using proper communication signals, there are many things to consider as a lift director, crane operator or rigger.
One thing that can get overlooked is how to avoid overloading your cranes when making a lift. However, Crosby | Straightpoint has a dynamometer to ensure you know how much you’re lifting and prevent crane overloading.
Using a product like the Crosby | Straightpoint BlueLink Dynamometer will help you know the weight of your lifts. Also, it could be the difference between experiencing a lift failure, injury or death, and having your workers stay safe on the jobsite.
In this article, we’ll look at the following:
- What is a Crosby | Straightpoint BlueLink Dynamometer?
- How do you read the results from the Crosby | Straightpoint BlueLink Dynamometer?
- What are the key specifications of a Crosby | Straightpoint BlueLink Dynamometer?
- What separates the BlueLink Dynamometer from other Crosby | Straightpoint Load Cells?
- What are the limitations of the Crosby | Straightpoint BlueLink Dynamometer?
What Is a Crosby | Straightpoint Load Cell?
Using a load cell or dynamometer is all about knowing how much you’re going to pick up.
The load cell will indicate how much weight you have on your hook. Strain gauge technology measures the microscopic strain on the body of the load cell. Then, the results are converted into a pound, kilogram, kilonewton, or metric ton reading based on your needs.
What Is the BlueLink Bluetooth Dynamometer?
Crosby | Straightpoint has customers who have said, ‘Hey, I’m working with an auto crane on the side of a truck. It has a one-ton capacity. I don’t need to be 200’ away. I just need something that’s going to be reliable, and lightweight, where I can put it in use and see the results on my phone using an app.”
Enter the BlueLink Bluetooth Dynamometer.
The BlueLink Bluetooth Dynamometer has a 6½-ton capacity. It’s a Bluetooth-only device meant to be used with Crosby | Straightpoint’s HHP app, which is free on Android and iOS platforms and the customer can monitor the loads on their phones.
Also, the app has a record and log feature for when you need to record a particular measurement for later referral. Once logged into the app, it will allow you the convenience of exporting the details of the logged measurement(s) either to your mobile device or send it to a particular email address in a spreadsheet format.
How Do You Read the Results from the BlueLink Dynamometer?
Crosby | Straightpoint designed the BlueLink Bluetooth Dynamometer to connect to up to eight devices simultaneously.
Let’s say you want to monitor the load while the crane operator is executing a lift. The operator doesn’t have to pass off the phone or wireless handheld device because the app allows you to monitor the load.
As a double-check, if there’s a project engineer who wants to monitor the lift as well, all three can check the progress of the lift through the app without having to share and risk losing wireless display devices.
The app allows for teamwork and project specialization with one person executing the lift and focusing on the load. That person is watching the crane, watching the operation of the lift and controlling it.
By having a second person monitor the load cell, they will give an audio cue to the operator to keep executing the lift or to stop because the crane is overloaded.
For a solo working environment, the HHP app has an audible alarm that’s programmable, so the operator learns when the load is nearing the crane’s capacity to help avoid overload events.
What Are the Key Specifications of the BlueLink Dynamometer?
The following specifications are among the most important when researching the BlueLink Dynamometer:
- Range
- Weight
- Capacity
- Battery type / life
- Display type
- Operating temperature
- Accuracy
- Protection
Range
The wireless range signal can reach up to 100 m or 328’.
Weight
The BlueLink Dynamometer comes in one model and weighs 3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg).
Capacity
The BlueLink Dynamometer comes in one model, and its capacity is 14,300 lbs. (6.5 metric tons).
Battery Type / Life
The BlueLink requires 4 AA batteries, and they can operate the unit for up to 500 hours.
Display Type
Because it is a Bluetooth device, the BlueLink sends results to your smartphone.
Operating Temperature
The BlueLink Dynamometer can operate between 14°F and 122°F (-10°C to +50°C).
Accuracy
This dynamometer has an accuracy of +/- 0.2% of full scale.
Protection
The BlueLink is IP67 rated. It is dust tight and watertight against immersion between 15 cm and 1 m for 30 minutes.
What is the Difference Between the Radiolink Plus and BlueLink?
The biggest differences between the BlueLink Dynamometer and Crosby | Straightpoint’s Radiolink Plus Load Cell are:
- Range
- Accuracy
- Capacity
Range
A link-style load cell, the Radiolink Plus is 0.1% +/- tolerance of capacity. The wireless signal range of the Radiolink Plus is up to 1,000 m or 3,280’, which is 10 times the frequency strength of the BlueLink.
Accuracy
The Radiolink Plus has an accuracy of +/- 0.1% full scale, while the BlueLink has an accuracy of +/- 0.2% full scale.
Capacity
Because there are 14 models of the Radiolink Plus, they can have a capacity of anywhere between 2,200 lbs. (1,000 kg), and the largest model has a capacity of 1.1 million lbs. (500 metric tons). The BlueLink Dynamometer comes in one model, and its capacity is 14,300 lbs. (6.5 metric tons).
What Are the Limitations of the Crosby | Straightpoint BlueLink Dynamometer?
Crosby | Straightpoint’s load cells are designed to operate between 14°F (-10°C) and 122°F (50°C). If you’re making a lift in sub-zero temperatures, it’s probably not a fit for Crosby | Straightpoint’s load cells.
Conversely, in hot forge foundries, customers will put a load cell on a crane that’s getting up to 150°F, and others have said, “It’ll flash a temperature of 250°F.” Crosby | Straightpoint doesn’t have an effective solution for something that hot.
Crosby | Straightpoint does make custom project load-monitoring solutions, so special applications can be reviewed for capabilities.
If you work in a hazardous environment where you’re using spark-resistant cranes and hoists and explosion-proof equipment, Crosby | Straightpoint has an ATEX (Atmosphere Explosible)-rated load cell that can be used in those hazardous environments. The specialized load cell must be marked by ATEX and has to be ATEX-approved.
***Remember to have conversations with your rigging specialists and reach out to manufacturers to understand what you’re getting into because the equipment / tools business is not a “one-size-fits-all, out-of-the-box” application. Do your research on what you’re about to rig BEFORE you rig it.
How Can Mazzella Help with Your Lifting and Rigging Needs?
For decades, Crosby has manufactured products designed to make the lifting and rigging industry safer and more productive. Similarly, Mazzella has the mission to provide you with quality products that are the right fits to increase your productivity and minimize your safety risks.
Mazzella is a distributor of Crosby products of all types, including but not limited to:
- Radiolink Plus
- BlueLink
- Wireless Load Shackle
- BlokCam
- Verton
- Crosby Gunnebo GrabiQ Chain Slings
- Clamps
- Pipe Grabs
- Sheaves
- Bearings
- Blocks
- Sling Saver Hardware
- Turnbuckles
- Hooks
- Thimbles
By using the proper equipment, you’re controlling or eliminating hazards in the workplace. That helps reduce the risk of an accident. Think about how quickly the costs of a workplace accident or fatality can add up, including:
- Lost wages
- Workers’ compensation
- Low employee morale
- Decrease in productivity
- Workforce shortages
- Potential legal fees and OSHA fines
Remember, putting safety at the forefront of your lifts will help increase your productivity and minimize your downtime.
Click here to contact a Mazzella lifting specialist today for all of your lifting needs!
Crosby|Straightpoint Load Cell Dynamometers
Radiolink plus BLE is designed to be rigged with Crosby standard shackles. Straightpoint’s DNV-GL type approved wireless tension load cell is capable of weighing and dynamic load monitoring capacities from 1t to 500t (all in stock).