Safety upgrade for overhead cranes

(See Pilz at Machine Building North, 13 May 2026, on stand 62)

Overhead or bridge cranes are an integral part of the production and logistics chain at automotive supplier Marelli Mako Elektrik Sanayi ve Ticaret in the Turkish city of Bursa: the demands on their reliability are high, as the loads suspended overhead must not pose any danger to the operating personnel.

When retrofits became due in 2024, Marelli Mako included safety aspects on its to-do list, in addition to optimising productivity and reliability. The aim was to perform the retrofit without interrupting the production process, if possible. Marelli Mako commissioned Pilz: today, the first of several cranes has been brought up to current standards. And that's been achieved without restricting operational processes for any longer than necessary. At the heart of the solution is the automation system PSS 4000.

Everything safe from the top down

The initial situation was that although the crane was safe to operate, it was not state of the art in all respects. This included the safety technology installed on the cranes. The key approach for Marelli Mako was for Pilz to implement all modernisation measures without lowering the crane, i.e. in parallel with ongoing operations.

In addition to conceptual advice on potential systems, the Pilz service package also included the replacement and modernisation of the safety technology, including engineering services.

This is a future-proof automation solution for Marelli Mako. At its heart is the PSS 4000 automation system, which now includes an overload control system and safety speed monitoring of the hook drive. The Pilz operator terminal Pilz Human Machine Interface (PMI) was also integrated so that loads could be monitored in real-time. This safety architecture is designed to be internationally compliant - ensuring that everything is safe from the top down.

"Throughout the entire project phase, Pilz confirmed our trust in them with a supportive and solution-orientated approach," said the Occupational Health and Safety) Specialist at Marelli Mako. "We worked very well together to implement innovative solutions and overcome critical issues, and will continue to do so in future."