category,question,why_it_matters,buyer_tip
Business Context,What production/process does the crane support?,Connects crane design to downtime impact,Describe the business process not only the load
Business Context,Is the crane production-critical or support-only?,Changes reliability and service expectations,Production-critical cranes need stronger support clauses
Business Context,What happens if the crane stops for 24 hours?,Quantifies downtime risk,Use this in TCO scoring
Business Context,Is this a new crane or replacement/retrofit?,Retrofits have extra site and interface risk,Ask for site survey before final offer
Load,What is maximum lifted load?,Defines rated capacity basis,Do not add random margin without technical discussion
Load,What is typical daily lifted load?,Separates rare max load from routine duty,Useful for duty and TCO discussion
Load,What is load shape and center of gravity behavior?,Impacts sling/load control,Attach sketches/photos if possible
Load,Does load swing create process or safety risk?,Controls speed/control needs,Consider VFD/creep speed and operator visibility
Load,Are there special loads such as magnet/grab/hot metal?,Special loads change safety and design assumptions,Declare early; do not treat as normal hook duty
Geometry,What is required span center-to-center of rails?,Core layout input,Confirm against actual runway/building survey
Geometry,What is required lifting height?,Controls hoist selection and headroom,Measure usable lift not only building height
Geometry,What hook approach is needed on each side?,Determines usable working envelope,Ask vendor for approach dimensions in drawing
Geometry,What headroom constraints exist?,Affects girder/hoist arrangement,Important for low buildings
Geometry,Are runway beams/rails existing?,Separates crane supply from civil/structural risk,Ask who validates runway suitability
Duty,How many lifts per shift are expected?,Defines service intensity,Use realistic busy-day count
Duty,How many shifts per day?,Changes duty and maintenance expectations,Do not understate shifts to reduce quote
Duty,Is operation continuous/intermittent/standby?,Controls duty class conversation,Ask vendor to state duty basis explicitly
Duty,Are starts/stops frequent?,Impacts motors/brakes/drives,Frequent positioning needs stronger controls
Duty,Is precision placement required?,Impacts speed, VFD, creep speed, and controls,Describe tolerance or operator task
Motion,Required hoist speed?,Controls productivity and safety,Ask for full and creep speed if needed
Motion,Required cross travel speed?,Controls bay positioning,Match to process not vendor default
Motion,Required long travel speed?,Controls movement time,Consider bay length and traffic
Motion,Is two-speed or VFD control required?,Impacts smoothness and load swing,VFD often improves control for precision work
Electrical,What supply voltage/frequency is available?,Avoids wrong electrical assumptions,Confirm with maintenance/electrical team
Electrical,Are power supply limits or voltage drops known?,Prevents site commissioning surprises,Ask vendor for electrical load data
Electrical,Preferred conductor system?,Affects reliability and maintenance,Clarify DSL/busbar/cable reel/festoon as applicable
Electrical,Required panel protection level?,Environment-dependent,Specify dust/moisture/heat exposure
Environment,Indoor or outdoor?,Changes protection and structure requirements,Outdoor requires weather/wind/drainage discussion
Environment,Dust level?,Affects electrical and mechanical life,Use photos and process details
Environment,Heat exposure?,Affects motors, brakes, panels, and operator safety,Declare furnace/hot area proximity
Environment,Corrosive fumes or humidity?,Affects painting, enclosure, and components,Ask for coating/protection proposal
Environment,Hazardous area or flameproof requirement?,Special compliance requirement,Do not leave to vendor assumption
Safety,What limit switches are required?,Prevents overtravel and collision risk,Ask for all-motion limit/safety logic
Safety,Emergency stop locations?,Affects operator control and emergency response,Map operator positions
Safety,Overload protection required?,Prevents overload operation,Ask for load cell/overload relay basis
Safety,Warning hooter/siren/light required?,Improves area awareness,Specify site expectations
Safety,Anti-collision needed?,Needed with multiple cranes/runways,Declare shared bay use
Safety,Walkway/maintenance access needed?,Affects maintainability and safety,Ask for safe access plan
Operator,Control mode required?,Pendant/radio/cabin changes usability,Choose based on visibility and risk
Operator,Operator training included?,Reduces misuse and acceptance issues,Make training a deliverable
Operator,Language of manuals/training?,Avoids handover friction,Specify buyer team preference
Vendor Scope,Is design included?,Clarifies engineering responsibility,Ask for design responsibility statement
Vendor Scope,Is manufacturing included?,Core supply scope,Require manufacturing location if relevant
Vendor Scope,Is transport included?,Commercial scope clarity,Define delivery point
Vendor Scope,Is erection included?,Major hidden cost risk,Clarify tools, manpower, permits
Vendor Scope,Is commissioning included?,Critical acceptance scope,Do not assume
Vendor Scope,Is load test arrangement included?,Often disputed,Clarify test load responsibility
Vendor Scope,Are civil/structural works excluded?,Common hidden gap,Assign owner clearly
Vendor Scope,Are rails/runway included?,Common interface gap,Normalize quotes on same basis
Documentation,GA drawing required?,Needed for approval and installation,Make drawing approval a milestone
Documentation,Electrical drawings required?,Needed for maintenance and troubleshooting,Include before final handover
Documentation,O&M manual required?,Needed for safe long-term operation,Do not release final payment without it
Documentation,Spares list required?,Reduces downtime,Ask for critical and recommended spares separately
Documentation,Test certificates required?,Acceptance evidence,Attach to handover list
Acceptance,FAT required?,Catches issues before dispatch,Define scope and signoff
Acceptance,SAT required?,Confirms site performance,Define load/no-load/safety tests
Acceptance,What is snag closure process?,Prevents endless open points,Attach closure format
Acceptance,Who signs acceptance?,Avoids authority confusion,Define buyer and vendor signatories
Commercial,Payment milestones?,Controls cash vs completion risk,Tie payments to evidence
Commercial,Delivery schedule basis?,Filters unrealistic commitments,Ask for drawing/procurement/manufacturing milestones
Commercial,Warranty duration and start point?,Common dispute point,Define dispatch vs commissioning start
Commercial,Service response commitment?,Important for uptime,Ask for response time and escalation route
Commercial,Penalty/LD needed?,Controls delay risk,Keep reasonable and enforceable
Commercial,Price validity?,Prevents quote expiry pressure,Record validity clearly
Commercial,Taxes/freight/insurance included?,Avoids landed cost mismatch,Normalize all prices
Reference,Relevant installations available?,Validates vendor claim,Ask for similar duty and capacity
Reference,Can buyer speak to references?,Tests confidence,Prefer live call over brochure
Reference,Any repeat customers?,Signals trust and service quality,Ask for repeat order examples
Closeout,Training completion record?,Proof of handover,Add signoff sheet
Closeout,Final documentation register?,Avoids missing records,Use handover checklist
Closeout,Post-commissioning support period?,Covers early failures,Negotiate first 30-90 days support