Mining & Resources

Australia's mining and resources industry runs some of the most heavily utilised lifting equipment on the planet. From overhead gantry cranes in copper concentrators to crawler cranes assembling processing modules, and from mobile fleets on FIFO sites to fixed jib cranes on wharves, every asset is subject to the demands of continuous, high-intensity duty. Cranes Australia provides end-to-end crane inspection, load testing, non-destructive testing and engineering certification so operators across the Pilbara, the Bowen Basin, the Goldfields and the Hunter Valley can keep production moving while staying fully compliant with AS1418, AS2550 and their state mine safety obligations.

Because downtime is measured in millions of dollars, we align our inspection programs to your shutdown maintenance calendar. Our crews mobilise to remote open-pit mines self-sufficient—carrying their own calibrated test rigs, ultrasonic flaw detectors and rigging—so the moment a tag-out is issued, work begins. This remote site mobilisation capability, combined with registered and chartered engineers on call, is what separates a shutdown that finishes on time from one that overruns.

Inspection & Testing Under AS1418 and AS2550

Every crane on an Australian mine site must be inspected and maintained in accordance with AS2550 (safe use) and designed and assessed against AS1418 (design). Routine inspections identify wear on ropes, hooks, sheaves and brakes, while periodic inspections drill into structural welds and load-bearing members. The critical milestone is the 10-year major inspection, where a crane is effectively stripped down, subjected to comprehensive NDT and re-certified for continued service. Our teams deliver load testing and proof load verification to confirm rated capacity after major repairs, relocations or heavy haulage lifting between resource projects. All findings are documented to SafeWork Australia WHS standards and are audit-ready for regulators in Perth, Brisbane, Karratha and Darwin.

NDT, Fatigue & Remaining-Life Engineering

Structural fatigue is the silent killer of mining cranes. The cyclic loading of a reclaimer luffing thousands of times a day, or a dragline swinging around the clock, drives crack initiation deep in welded connections long before it is visible to the eye. Using NATA-accredited non-destructive testing—magnetic particle inspection (MPI), ultrasonic testing (UT) and phased-array UT—our technicians detect sub-surface flaws in thick steel sections quickly enough to fit inside a shutdown window. Our engineers then translate that data into fatigue analysis and remaining-life reports that feed directly into your CAPEX and asset-replacement planning.

Personnel, Dogging & Rigging Compliance

Compliant lifting is about more than the crane. We support your workforce competency with verification of dogging and rigging tickets, lift-plan review and high-risk work compliance so that every heavy lift on your open-pit mine or FIFO site is executed safely. Whether you are relocating a primary crusher in the Bowen Basin, commissioning a new overhead gantry crane in a Pilbara processing plant, or maintaining mobile crane fleets across regional Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia, Cranes Australia is the single accountable partner for your lifting compliance.